Future-funk juggernaut Lettuce just wrapped up their extensive Mt. Crushmore Tour, raging across the US from coast to coast with a reckless abandon. Immediately after the conclusion of their Cali run, the boys boarded intercontinental jets and flew half a world away, for a six-pack of shows in Japan. Now, they’re back and heading straight to Fool’s Paradise in St. Augustine, FL for their annual two-day music festival.

No stranger to the Land of the Rising Sun, as this was their fourth sojourn to the country; Lettuce made their first trip to Japan in 2003. As an unknown, young funk band from the US riding the wave of their debut album Outta Here, the boys played the Blue Note in Tokyo. The performance was the first for keyboardist Neal Evans, who performed with Eric Krasno in Soulive already. Rashawn Ross was also recruited for trumpet duties beginning with this Eastern expedition. The results are crystallized on their 2004 release Live in Toyko.  In both 2008 and 2013, Lettuce brought the Royal Family funk to the renowned, prestigious Fuji Rock Festival, blessing their storied Field of Heaven with a dose of the Rage, and later Fly era jam styles.

Free Stream of “Nyack” from Live in Tokyo here

Listen to Lettuce at Fuji Rock 2013 here

For this most recent adventure, Lettuce followed a frenetic pace for their three days of engagements in Japan. The first four shows were hosted by Billboard Live in Tokyo, and the band wasted no time, getting reacquainted to their Japanese fans with a monster performance to kick things off. The following three shows in Tokyo, and the pair at Billboard Live in Osaka, also showed little mercy but a ton of class and panache. A handful of faithful Americans made the pilgrimage with the band to take in the tunes and the sights, too; including #1 Lettuce fan Jenn Glickman, who graciously shared a handful of her stealth videos (found below).

The hardest working man in show business, Lettuce drummer extraordinaire Adam Deitch, was kind enough to take a moment after returning to the US to reflect on the band’s most recent visit to Japan to L4LM.

“It’s great to see the audience shed their insecurities, stand up, sway to the music, smile and clap along. Japan in a sense can be very rigid. I feel we bring a sense of freedom in the music that seeps into the souls of the residents of japan. 

At the same time, as Americans we truly are affected by the extreme level of politeness that is practiced in Japan. All interactions are smiles and bows. Not because we are visitors but because that is a way of life in Japan. The cleanliness and respect is by far the highest I’ve ever experienced.” –Adam Deitch

Ryan Zoidis of The Shady Horns sets it off proper by sauntering into the audience alongside Nigel Hall to bring the soul directly to the people!

Lettuce played two ticketed shows per evening.

Setlist: Lettuce | Tokyo | 3.22.17 | early show Billboard Live

The Force, Reunion, Morning Mr. Shmink, Double Header, Yakatori, New Reel, Neal Untitled, Lettsanity, Do It Like You Do

Setlist: Lettuce | Tokyo | 3.22.17 | late show Billboard Live

Mt. Crushmore, Blaze Suppit, Slippin, Kron Dutch, Purple Cabbage, Squadlive, Phyllis, Sounds Like A Party

Setlist: Lettuce | Tokyo | 3.23.17 | early show Billboard Live

New Intro, 116th, Pocket Change, Blast Off, The Dump, Breakout, Ready To Live, Gogo (Juicy), Madison Square

Setlist: Lettuce | Tokyo | 3.23.17 | late show Billboard Live

Requiem, Get Greazy, Bowler, Lett Bobby, Sam Huffs, Gang Ten, Express Yourself, Remember the Children, The Flu

Setlist: Lettuce | Tokyo | 3.23.17 | early show Billboard Live

Blaze, Suppit, Reunion, Trillogy, 116th, Rule The World, Dr. Digglesworth, Lettsanity, Sounds Like A Party

Setlist: Lettuce | Tokyo | 3.22.17 | late show Billboard Live 

Mt. Crushmore, Blast Off, 4 on 6, Morning Mr. Shmink, Squadlive, By Any Schmeeans Necessary, Chief It Up, Do It Like You Do

Reporting by B.Getz.

Special thanks to Jenn Glickman for the incredible video footage.

For fans of Lettuce, you can catch them at the 2nd annual Fool’s Paradise March 31 & April 1, 2017 in St. Augustine, FL alongside Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, The Floozies, The Motet, a special Manic Science set featuring Manic Focus and Break Science, The Main Squeeze, Organ Freeman, along with Oteil Burbridge and Antwaun Stanley as Artists at Large. The guys will also be leading several artist excursions, like sailing, mini-golf, and even a ping pong tournament to raise money for charity! Head here for more information.