Garrett “G.Love” Dutton, Jeffrey “The Houseman” Clemens and Jimmy Jazz Prescott are celebrating their 26th year as touring and recording artists. With over 15 records released, this pioneering band has been a huge influence to artists such as Jack White, Jack Johnson, The Avett Brothers, Slightly Stoopid and many more. With their signature blend of Delta Blues, Hip Hop, Funk, Rock and Roll and Jazz, The Special Sauce have literally created their own funky stew of American music. Expect a high energy mashup of funky beats and songs written from the front porch to get the world smiling and dancing to the positive message of Love and the Blues.
Citizen Cope aka Clarence Greenwood is a grassroots songwriter/producer who has released six studio LP’s and sold over 1M records in the US, despite never being embraced by most mainstream media. Raised in Washington DC, his music career took flight after moving to Brooklyn, NY. In 15 years of touring, he has built a devout following and his music has become the soundtrack to the lives of those who have embraced it. His first album in seven years, Heroin and Helicopters (March 2019), tackles personal and cultural themes based around societal struggles, political manipulation, relationships, self-awareness, and spiritual enlightenment. It’s named after an encounter with rock ‘n’ roll icon Santana: one evening at the Fillmore in San Francisco, Santana told him to “stay away from the two H’s” – heroin and helicopters – both things having very fatal results with people in music. Cope saw meaning in the comment, reflected in the current epidemic of addictions that plague our world, not just to substances but to conflict, handheld devices, social media, and the lure of not having to work hard to get places fast. He observed a thread being woven, where mass production has trumped quality goods and shortcuts in life have become commonplace, enticing people to step over others for self-enrichment. It’s less a condemnation of others and more an acknowledgment of the part played by himself and the system that we are all forced to participate in- and the hope that we can do better.
Since forming his first band with two college friends in 1996, Chadwick Stokes has paved a path of independence, advocacy and social consciousness that’s impacted every aspect of his artistic life. In addition to fronting the bands State Radio and Dispatch, Stokes is also a co-founder of Calling All Crows, a non-profit dedicated to bringing bands and fans together to create change through hands-on service and activism. Politics and social issues have heavily influenced his work as a solo artist and with State Radio. Stokes’ passion for these topics also exists within some of Dispatch’s music, such as protest songs “Dear Congress” and “Letter to Lady J”, both songs off new release, Location 13. This collection of songs is Dispatch’s follow-up to their 2017 album America, Location 12. Stokes is working on his next solo record, due out later this year. He has toured around the country, with Calling All Crows volunteer projects on every stop of the tour, including the Here For The Music Campaign, combatting sexual harassment in the music industry.
Mihali Savoulidis is the lead singer and guitarist for Vermont rock quartet, Twiddle. Barely 30 years old, the Jersey native has already drawn crowds at such notable rock shrines as Red Rocks, The Capitol Theatre and Bonnaroo. Twiddle’s fan base is growing rapidly, and Mihali’s signature vocals and guitar work are more than partly responsible for this undeniable momentum.
Most laud Mihali for his dexterity on guitar, but it’s his lyrics and songwriting capabilities which set his solo act apart. It is the soul of what many hope to find in a solo act. His mastery of pedals, specifically the repetitive phenomena known as “looping,” beat boxing, and guitar riffs, all prep a multi-textured canvas for song. Mihali’s words are genuine. Shaped by his journey through grief and redemption, he writes songs that serve as a light to many who find themselves lost in their own darkness.
Inspired by artists including Kurt Cobain, Bradley Nowell and Bob Marley, Mihali’s music carries a passionate intent for good. During his twelve years with Twiddle, Mihali has shared the stage with members of Phish, Blues Traveler, Big Gigantic, Matisyahu, Nahko and Medicine for the People, Trevor Hall and jammed with his all-time favorite guitar player, Jamaican reggae legend, Ernest Ranglin, just to name a few.
Clearcola (Aiden Dutton) is a Boston-based bedroom producer, artist, DJ. His most recent release “Death Food” is a compilation of thirty songs created over the past two years. For more information and streaming links for Death Food please visit https://t3mple.com/death-food/.
