The California Honeydrops have announced their 2021 Summer and Fall tours which include two performances in Buena Vista, Colorado, on August 24 and August 25 — the only tour location with two scheduled appearances. The Lawn will host two nights of The California Honeydrops. Single-day tickets are $50 in advance and $55 at the door. Two-day tickets cost $90. Doors on both days open at 5:00 p.m. and the band Nathan & Jessie will be opening both nights from 5:30-6:30. The main show starts at 7:00 p.m.
“The Surf Hotel is extremely excited to have The California Honeydrops back to BV for their two-day performance on The LAWN in South Main,” explained Broker Associate at South Main Realty Brain Conway. ” We hope that Chaffee County residents will be able to take advantage of the midweek, outdoor show and enjoy a band that makes everyone want to dance the night away. Following Tuesday night’s performance, Colorado’s own, Dragondeer will be playing for free inside the Surf Hotel’s Ivy Ballroom, which we are all excited about.”
The Lawn performance area in Buena Vista. Courtesy Image.
The California Honeydrops will be releasing two new covers on August 20 “Ripple” by The Grateful Dead and “Tulsa Time” by Don Williams from their upcoming “Covers from the Cave album” (Tubtone Records, 2021). “Covers from the Cave” is a compilation of Honeydrops covers of their many musical heroes. Band member Lech Wierzynski reflected on his inspiration for these two covers:
“Don Williams was a great country singer that my dad introduced me to and I’ve always loved the story of Tulsa Time. It’s kind of a more fun and humorous take on the often-told story of the small-town kid who moves to LA with big confidence and dreams but doesn’t make it and has to move back home. We redid it in 50’s, New Orleans party style,” explained Wierzynski.
He continued “One of my first musical loves of childhood was Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday. Later in my college days, I was introduced to the music of the Grateful Dead and came to really love the songwriting of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter. Our version of “Ripple” is kind of a bridge between 30s jazz with 70’s psychedelic folk.”
The Honeydrops have stayed busy in 2021 and during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic with recording music and their weekly live streams. In lieu of their fully canceled past year of touring, they have been offering free weekly live streams, mostly from Wierzynski’s house (which the band calls “The Blues Cave”), and on special occasions from the historic Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, CA. Reaching audiences of over 25,000 per stream, the band continues to donate 25 percent of each week’s revenue to a different charity as part of their Spreadin’ Honey philanthropic initiative.
Image courtesy of Instagram. Photo by Peter Dervin.
Co-founded by Lech Wierzynski and Ben Malament, The Honeydrops got their start busking in Oakland, California where they quickly developed a passionate following that has continued to grow over the course of more than a decade of nonstop American, European, and Australian touring and recording.
Joined by Johnny Bones on tenor sax and clarinet, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards, and Beau Bradbury on bass, the band has stayed true to the group’s diverse sound and street-level origins, drawing on musical influences including Bay Area R&B, funk, Southern soul, Delta blues and New Orleans second-line.
In addition to their own extensive touring, The Honeydrops were honored to support Bonnie Raitt throughout her 2016-17 North American tour and have performed in support of B. B. King, Allen Toussaint, Buddy Guy, and Dr. John, among others. They have sold out headline shows at venues across the U.S. and performed at major festivals worldwide including Outside Lands, Monterey Jazz, High Sierra, Bluesfest Byron Bay, North Sea Jazz Festival, Edmonton Folk Music Festival, and many more. Widely acclaimed for the energy captured in both their live performances and recordings, the group remains dedicated to fostering a genuine connection with their audiences and listeners.
Wierzynski explained, “The whole point is to erase the boundaries between the crowd and us, to make people become a part of the whole thing by dancing along, singing, picking the songs, and generally coming out of their shells.”
Editor’s Note: see the California Honeydrops banner above for ticket information.
Recent Comments