G. Love & Special Sauce - Concert Review @ Culture Room 2/15/25
Coast to Coast Motel 30 Year Anniversary Tour
Written by Jules Dean | Photos by Brad Stevens
“I should have bought more sandwiches,” Garret Dutton, aka G. Love lamented between songs as he learned that a beloved local deli had permanently closed. Recalling small details like a sandwich shop tucked away in a nondescript strip mall in Fort Lauderdale after three decades of touring, G. Love’s commitment to the present moment was evident. He knew exactly where he was and what he came here to do. That was on full display as G. Love and Special Sauce brought their unique blend of “the hip-hop blues” to Ft. Lauderdale’s Culture Room to conclude their Coast to Coast Motel tour.
G.Love was the soundtrack to anyone whose formative years coincided with the early to mid-nineties. These were the tunes you shared with friends while getting drunk, the tunes playing in the background while making out with your crush, and of course, the tunes you got stoned to. While his career has spanned beyond that era, with great songs in every decade up to the present, his first self-titled album was truly a banger.
The trio’s chemistry, developed over three decades, was evident in every note they played. The synergy between the band and the crowd reached its peak early in the set with the song “Booty Call.” G. Love’s playful ode seamlessly blended with Chuck Treece’s dynamic drumming and Jimi “Jazz” Prescott’s deep bass lines, which had the crowd moving. This energy continued throughout the performance, as they played fan favorites from G. Love’s early era, such as “Basketball” and “Garbage Man,” as well as newer tunes like “SoulBQue.”
Near the end of their set, G. Love brought out local blue musician, Eric Garcia (aka Uncle Scotchy, and leader of the band Juke), to play harmonica during “Cold Beverages.” The crowd was left in awe as Garcia and G. Love engaged in multiple harmonica duel. They later welcomed another Florida native, this time blues guitarist, Reggie Seares, to join the jam during the encore. At one point, G. Love, Garcia and Seares were riffing off each other. They tightly wrapped up the set with the classic “She Got Sauce”. Overall, it was a exhilarating night filled with nostalgia and a glimpse into the future. G. Love and Special Sauce are a masterclass in how to take a genre like the blues and make it relevant to future generations while preserving its roots.
