Parallel 44 Presents THE CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS live at Midtown Ballroom in Bend, OR on Friday, December 17, 2021. We're very proud to be bringing one of the finest live Soul acts on the planet back to Bend for the first time in nearly three years so get your tickets now for one of the funkiest dance parties that's happened in Bend in a long time. All ages are welcome. Doors open at 8PM. Show starts at 8:30PM.

About THE CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS: The California Honeydrops celebrate their 12th year together with the ongoing release of cover singles from their forthcoming series collection, “Covers from the Cave” and return to live music with a national tour across the United States post the COVID-19 pandemic. This series follows the release of their live albums “Remember When: Vol 3” and “Honeydrops Live 2019,” and their first-ever double-album, “Call It Home: Vol 1 & 2” in 2018. Led by dynamic vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Lech Wierzynski, and drawing on diverse musical influences from Bay Area R&B, funk, Southern soul, Delta blues, and New Orleans second-line, the Honeydrops bring vibrant energy and infectious dance-party vibes to their shows. They’ve taken the party all over the world, playing festivals of all kinds and touring widely across North America, Europe, and Australia. In 2016 & 2017 the Honeydrops were honored to support Bonnie Raitt on her North America release tour—and in the past have been privileged to support the likes of B.B. King, Allen Toussaint, Buddy Guy, and Dr. John. Whether in those high-profile performances or in more intimate venues where the band itself can leave the stage and get down on the dance floor, the California Honeydrops’ shared vision and purpose remain: to make the audience dance and sing.

The Honeydrops have come a long way since guitarist and trumpeter Lech Wierzynkski and drummer Ben Malament started busking in an Oakland subway station, but the band has stayed true to that organic, street-level feel. Listening to Lech sing, it can be a surprise that he was born in Warsaw, Poland, and raised by Polish political refugees. He learned his vocal stylings from contraband American recordings of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and Louis Armstrong, and later at Oberlin College and on the club circuit in Oakland, California. With the additions of Johnny Bones on tenor sax and clarinet, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards, and Beau Bradbury on bass, they’ve built a powerful full-band sound to support Wierzynski’s vocals. More like parties than traditional concerts, their shows feature extensive off-stage jamming and crowd interaction. “The whole point is to erase the boundaries between the crowd and us,” Wierzynski says. “We don’t make setlists. We want requests. We want crowd involvement, to make people become a part of the whole thing by dancing along, singing, picking the songs, and generally coming out of their shells.”

dance #music #community #rock #singing #funk #soul #pop #livemusic #randb