JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION play Constellation Room May 6, Echoplex May 7; Photo Micha Warren
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion plays The Constellation Room May 6 in their return to southern California after a couple of years absence. They will also make a stop at the Echoplex May 7.
“I really enjoy interacting with the audience,” Jon Spencer said. “A live rock concert is a sort of communion like a church. It’s a very powerful event not just for the musicians but for everybody.”
Their recently released album, “Freedom Tower – No Wave Dance Party 2015” is about New York City where Spencer and the other band members, Judah Bauer (guitar) and Russell Simins (drums) work and live.
“New York City is our home base,” Spencer explained. “A lot of the old venues, the old bars and hangouts are gone. One thing that’s stayed the same is it’s still a hard city to live in. It’s expensive, hard to get by. “
The new album was recorded at Daptone Studios in Bushwack, NY, a great New York soul label and home to artists such as Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones. “Freedom Tower” has a funky, bluesy feel with lots of wild and noisy guitar and the centerpiece to their live set.
“ We’re playing the entire record, everything from start to finish. Soup to nuts,” Spencer promised. “’Do the Get Down’ is a lot of fun to play live. So is ‘White Jesus’. Most all of them are really fun to play live. It’s a treat to see how people react.”
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion originally formed in 1991 and has released numerous albums, including a ten-year stint with Matador Records. Spencer also introduced the Theremin on some of their songs, a unique and rarely used instrument in rock music.
“It’s a very difficult instrument to play,” Spencer said. “To play it properly it takes great dedication and a whole lot of practice. It’s a beautiful and strange instrument and I thought it would go very well with rock and roll. Trying to push what we were doing deeper and more way out. “