Lettuce; photo by Jeremy Elder
Psychedelic funk sextet Lettuce and legendary roots reggae band Steel Pulse unite on a summer tour through July 8. Professional big wave surfer-turned-musician Makua Rothman will also perform on all tour dates, with one set for The Caverns on Tuesday, July 4.
2022 saw the release of Unify, Lettuce’s eighth studio album that got the endorsement from legendary funk icon Bootsy Collins, who guests on vocals and bass on the anthemic lead single “Keep the Funk Alive.” The group has maintained an active schedule on the road supporting the release of Unify and will have racked up appearances at Jam Cruise, Backwoods Music Festival, a three-night residency at the celebrated Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC, and a very special performance with the Louisiana Philharmonic and Tower of Power during Jazz Fest before linking up with Steel Pulse.
Formed in 1975, Steel Pulse has amassed nine Grammy nominations and one win throughout its storied career. One of the nominations was for their latest studio offering, Mass Manipulation, which reflects on four decades committed to bettering mankind through music.
Members of both bands cite the co-billed tour as an opportunity to introduce each band to one another’s fan base every night.
David Hinds, lead singer and guitarist of Steel Pulse, draws comparisons to the group’s 1981 tour with Average White Band.
“It’s an experience of going into the unknown that we ourselves first encountered touring with Average White Band 42 years ago,” he says. “I know it left us being far more knowledgeable musicians; tapping into different forms of arrangements.”
Steel Pulse; photo by Patrick Niddrie
Hinds’ mention of Average White Band brings an even more full circle nature to the tour as Adam Deitch, drummer of Lettuce, performed with AWB on drums for three years after studying at Berklee School of Music.
“It’s a complete honor to be sharing the stage with a legendary band like Steel Pulse. They are powerful musical shamans and we look forward to such a spiritual experience,” Deitch says,
For tickets to the July 4 show and more information, visit ffm.to/lettucesteelpulsetour.
Add-ons for camping packages, cave tours and even an overnight stay in one of the Caverns’ yurts are available.
The Caverns is located at 555 Charlie Roberts Rd., Pelham, Tennessee.
Following the Caverns show, the tour will hit Asheville, North Carolina, on July 6 and Cincinnati on July 7.
