The future couldn’t be much brighter for Lettuce’s trumpet player extraordinaire, Eric “Benny” Bloom. As a member of Lettuce, he is seeing sell out crowds coast to coast while helping host the band’s second annual Fool’s Paradise event from March 31st – April 1st in St. Augustine, FL (more info here). He and his Shady Horns partner-in-crime, saxophonist Ryan Zoidis, are even hosting a DJ Set At Sea excursion that weekend!
Just a few weeks after Fool’s Paradise, the music world is coming to his home in New Orleans for Jazz Fest season! Lettuce will be playing a pair of exciting shows at the iconic venues Tipitina’s and The Joy Theater, with a slew of incredible guests. He’ll round out his Jazz Fest experience with some fun collaborations, including the Break Science Live Band and a new installment of the beloved Michael Jackson vs. Stevie Wonder concert series.
From there, it will be on to Red Rocks in May, where he and Lettuce will be sharing the stage with legends like George Porter Jr., John Scofield, Ghostface Killah, and Marcus King, as well as support from Turkuaz and the The Russ Liquid Test. You can head here for your chance to win a free trip to the Red Rocks Rage Fest!
With all of those big shows coming up, as well as a special set with legendary singer Chaka Khan, it looks like Bloom is living the dream as well as anyone could. Our own Rex Thomson checked in with Bloom for a quick chat about the whirlwind of musical insanity in his immediate future. Check out their conversation below:
Live For Live Music: Thanks for taking a few minutes to chat with us. You’re obviously very busy right now, so we appreciate your squeezing us in.
Eric “Benny” Bloom: Always a pleasure. We’re getting some rehearsal in real quick in a few minutes, but I am good for now.
L4LM: Let’s start with the state of Lettuce in general. Your EP Mt. Crushmore gave some fresh material from the Crush sessions for the fans to dig and you guys to rock out. The overwhelming positive reaction to it must have been nice.
EBB: Well, of course it’s good when the fans like the stuff. From our end, it was just time to get that stuff out there and clear the decks. We were really happy with what we did in the studio, and there was just too much stuff we loved to fit on one album.
L4LM: Not to sound greedy, but is there anything else new on the way?
EBB: We’re always coming up with new stuff, but I think the EP is gonna have to do it for the moment.
L4LM: Fair enough. You’re out on tour for it now anyway. Each night you seem to be selling out across the country.
EBB: It’s gratifying. And we’re even adding multiple nights and so on at some places. We’re happy to see them, they’re happy to see us. That’s why we rehearse, that’s why we do all the traveling.
Watch Lettuce dust off and rework “Kron Dutch” at a recent show below:
L4LM: Speaking of growing as a band you are once again hosting the destination event Fool’s Paradise down in sunny Florida. How does it feel to attach your name and help plan something like that?
EBB: Amazing. Once again, it’s such a beautiful venue. I just think that the lineup that we put together is really great. I’m excited to just watch some of these bands.
L4LM: With Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, The Floozies, The Motet and that fierce looking set of late night shows, I’m guessing you are gonna be doing a lot of sitting in and hosting pals over the course of the weekend. How hard is it figuring out which friends to invite to the party?
EBB: Well, we do know a lot of bands and players but not everybody fits into what we are trying to do. And, of course, everybody has their own schedules and places to be. But it’s also about variety. What JRAD does, their sound, it’s a nice contrast to ours. And The Floozies are some of our favorite producers in EDM of… I don’t know what you call it… future funk? They play around with a song or two of ours and the chance to collaborate live will be nice.
L4LM: Anything that stands out to you from last year?
EBB: All the stuff with GRiZ was fun. We had a lot of fun rehearsing and playing that and the late night stuff was a lot of fun too. We all love him, so to have something like that happen…it was just great. Looking forward to more stuff like that this year!
Check out the entire Lettuce/GRiZ collaboration below thanks to The Sober Goat below:
L4LM: Besides your mainland duties during Fool’s Paradise, you and your Shady Horns partner Zoidis have just been announced as hosts for the “DJ Set At Sea.” Is that gonna be just music or are they going to let you steer the boat?
EBB: I don’t think letting me steer is a good idea. It’s gonna be fun! I definitely like this idea better than zip lining!
Members of Lettuce, The Motet, & More To Lead Excursions With Fans At Fool’s Paradise
L4LM: As soon as this was announced the first questions asked were “Will there be drinks available on the boat?”
EBB: Oh I’m sure. [Beer and wine will be available on the DJ Set At Sea excursion]
L4LM: Phew! That should a few folks calm down. Speaking of drinks, you’ve been living in one of the party capitals of the world, New Orleans, for a while now. Jazz Fest is coming up soon. I assume you are getting tons of calls for guest list tickets and inquires about spare rooms like everyone else who lives there gets around this time.
EBB: Yeah, you get a lot of folks reaching out with all the normal questions… best clubs, best places to eat. There is so much good everything down there, and during Jazz Fest there is just so much going on at the same time. Honestly, I just try and rest as much as possible because the rest of the time I am working.
L4LM: Being local, I am sure you get some pretty epic last minute jam session requests. I heard a bit about an amazing one recently with you and a certain world famous comedian…
EBB: I did go sit in with Dave Chappelle and the rapper TI, Jean-Baptiste, Robert Glasper and just a who’s who of characters. Hannibal Buress, Chance the Rapper, some NBA All-Stars came… It’s funny. I went to a small club for a regular show and I end up being involved in something like that.
And stuff like that happens all the time down there. It’s like LA. Los Angeles has those kinds of things happen, so does New York. It’s just cool that those things happen down there where people are more laid back. Down there famous people don’t seem to get bothered as much by people looking for autographs and photographs. It enables them to go out and be regular people more.
L4LM: Anyway, you’ve got a bunch of impressive shows lined up during Jazz Fest. You and the Lettuce guys are playing at a couple of legendary institutions with shows at Tipitina’s and The Joy Theater lined up. I’m assuming playing such hallowed halls is always an honor.
EBB: Yeah, those are some great rooms. Can’t go wrong at either place and we’re honored as always.
L4LM: You’re also part of the Break Science Live Band. On paper that looks like Lettuce plus Borahm Lee, right?
EBB: I mean, I guess it looks that way, but it really is Break Science‘s music with us helping make it happen live. Yeah, there are a lot of members of Lettuce but the music is very different from ours. But that’s the plus for having friends like we do. You get to choose to play with people you love but in a totally different style.
L4LM: Another hot ticket among the late night Jazz Fest shows is your annual “Michael Jackson vs. Stevie Wonder” show at The Howlin’ Wolf on the last night. It seemed like last year there were just as many people outside trying to get in as there were inside.
EBB: Yeah! I have some exciting artists who will be joining me. First up we have Zigaboo Modeliste and then it’s me and a bunch of my friends playing some music that is very beloved to us all. This year I think it will be Nigel Hall on keys and various other instruments, like bass. Adam Deitch on drums. I think we have DJ Williams on guitar, myself and I would think my buddy Ryan Zoidis on a couple tunes and maybe someone special on bass, but nothing confirmed.
L4LM: You’ve done a couple of these now, and I know you work hard to not do too many repeats. How do you pick among such incredible bodies of work?
EBB: I do try and go through and play some of the big hits but also some of the lesser known stuff as well. Personally I enjoy those just as much if not more than some of the well known songs. I know people love the hits… they’re the hits, you know? But even there i want to do some different arrangements and make it fun.
L4LM: Are you taking requests?
EBB: I’m always taking requests. I don’t know if I’ll do it… but I will take suggestions.
L4LM: Between those two icons, which one would you say had more of an effect on you as a fan and as a musician?
EBB: I love them both, obviously, but I feel like Stevie’s body of work surpasses Michael’s.
Check out the Michael Jackson classic “Man In The Mirror” from last year’s sold out “MJ vs. Stevie” show below:
L4LM: After the buzz saw of Jazz Fest, you have some other highlights already announced. You are playing Red Rocks with some incredible guest stars like George Porter Jr. and Turkuaz and the The Russ Liquid Test, right?
EBB: Yeah, besides George Porter Jr. we just added John Scofield & Ghostface Killah!Tthat is a ways off but Red Rocks is always special!
L4LM: And did I hear this correctly? Are you also playing with Chaka Khan?
EBB: Oh yes! She’s one of my favorite female vocalists of all time.
L4LM: That sounds amazing! I’m assuming we can look forward to “Lettuce-ized” versions of some of her classics, can’t we?
EBB: I am sure she will have a couple of those she wants to play… and maybe a few surprises up her sleeve.
L4LM: It certainly sounds like you are living the dream. I really don’t want to take up any more of your time. It sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you. Fun work, but still, work.
EBB: Thanks! I do need to get to it! Much appreciated!