Building upon the success of their Billboard chart-topping reggae album, Hustling Culture, The Expanders are hitting the road once again. Kicking off the Top Shelf Spring Tour in their home state of California, the band will stop in notable cities such as Denver, Austin, and Las Vegas before finishing out at the California Roots Festival.
While Hustling Culture (released June 16th, 2015 on Easy Star Records) is the band’s third studio album, it is the first album to gain such acclaim, garnering media attention from The LA Weekly, LA Examiner, Wax Poetics and other notable publications. “From the top to the very last drop, the tight musicianship—and ebullient performances make Hustling Culture an album that’s easy to keep on repeat,” said the LA Examiner.
The Los Angeles-based quintet, comprised of John Asher (Drums, Vocals), John Butcher (Guitar, Vocals), Roy Fishell (Organ), Chiquis Lozoya (Bass, Vocals), and Devin Morrison (Guitar, Vocals), revive the “golden era” of reggae. They combine vintage 70’s and early 80’s style reggae, three-part vocal harmonies, conscious songwriting, and an indie-DIY spirit to champion classic sounds sometimes lost in times of rock reggae.
“There are a handful of contemporary bands that take the [‘70s classic reggae] sound very seriously, thriving to respectfully and properly pay tribute to the mood and feel of vintage reggae. The Expanders… are among those leading that charge,” mused Wax Poetics.
The Expanders’ music is a reminder that reggae music wasn’t born in a tropical paradise but in the underprivileged areas of Jamaica. Each song carries a unique expression for human rights, social justice and freedom from oppression, expressions The Expanders hope to share with every fan on their Top Shelf Spring Tour.
“Our goal is to bring that vintage reggae feel and sound that we love to places where people might not get to hear it on a regular basis,” said Morrison.
The Expanders Tour Dates
March 02 @ Velvet Jones (with Iya Terra) – Santa Barbara, CA
March 03 @ Crazy Horse – Nevada City, CA
March 05 @ Winter Rock Reggae – Salt Lake City, UT
March 07 @ Cervantes Otherside – Denver, CO
March 09 @ Gas Monkey – Dallas, TX
March 10 @ Walter’s Downtown – Houston, TX
March 11 @ House of Rock – Corpus Christi, TX
March 12 @ ATX Wildfire @ Flamingo Cantina – Austin, TX
March 13 @ Jack’s Bar – San Antonio, TX
March 18 @ Last Exit Live (w/ E.N. Young) – Phoenix, AZ
March 19 @ Backstage Bar & Billiards – Las Vegas, NV
May 07 @ Reggae on the Block 3 – Orlando, FL
May 28 @ California Roots Festival – Monterey, CA
