Lettuce began the weekend with a three-night run of shows that included one in Huntington, Long Island before setting up shop in Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre. Their dance around NYC succeeds a New Years Eve run at the Brooklyn Bowl with special guest John Scofield taking place of Adam ‘Shmeeans’ Smirnoff who was welcoming a baby into his family.
For these shows, the band kept to their core six members, trading solos in between their evolving brand of psychedelic funk and hip-hop-influenced beats. The first night at the Capitol Theatre, which streamed live on Facebook and YouTube via Relix, saw the band weave unreleased songs, newer records, and old classics into a wonderful two-hour experience.
Things didn’t slow down for the Saturday night show. The Motet opened once again, priming the audience for the funky night to come. Lettuce opened with “Mt. Crushmore” before jumping into “The Lobbyit” and “Blaze”, an unrecorded newer song from the sextet that features a really chill soul-jazz jam with slap-bass by Jesus and wonderful keyboarding by Nigel Hall as Ryan Zoidis takes the lead with his effects-driven saxophone. “Prince Smza”, “Purple Cabbage”, and “Slap”, three other unrecorded numbers, followed suit before the band fired off “Lettsanity” and “GOGO”, two tracks off their 2012 album Fly.
The band was in fine form as they finished out the set with a trappy jam and encoring with Rick James’ “Mary Jane.” Their tour continues through Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky, with a plethora of festival hits in store for the summer. Be sure to catch Lettuce on the road soon!
March 23 Setlist (stream here)
New Intro Get Greasy Good Morning Mr. Shminklehuffer Let Bobby Trillogy Dominican Funk Break Out (Soulive cover) Ready to Live 4th Dimension Phyllis KHRU Blast Off House U
Encore: Do It Like You Do
March 24 Setlist
Mt. Crushmore The Lobbyist Blaze Prince Smza Purple Cabbage Slap Lettsanity Gogo Gang Ten 116th St. Chief Trap
Encore: Mary Jane (Rick James cover)
Lettuce 2018 Tour Dates
28 Mar – The National – Richmond, VA 29 Mar – Blind Tiger – Greensboro, NC 30 Mar – Madison Theater – Covington, KY 31 Mar – Madison Theater – Covington, KY 19 Apr – Tuck Fest – Charlotte, NC 21 Apr – Brainquility Festival – Safety Harbor, FL 22 Apr – The Caverns – Cumberland City, TN 03 May – Joy Theater – New Orleans, LA 25 May – Summer Camp Music Festival – Chillicothe, IL 02 Jun – Purple Hatters Ball – Spirit Of The Suwannee Music Park – Live Oak, FL 08 Jun – Red Rocks Amphitheater – Morrison, CO 07 Jul – High Sierra Music Festival – Quincy, CA 12 Jul – Camp Bisco – Scranton, PA 02 Aug – The Werk Out Music Festival – Thornville, OH 03 Aug – Summer Meltdown Festival – Darrington, WA 23 Aug – Lockn Music Festival – Arrington, VA 25 Aug – Lockn Music Festival – Arrington, VA