LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Three of the premiere bands of the Los Angeles psychedelic era of the late '60s will join forces August 4-18 for the California '66 Revue tour. The Electric Prunes, Love and Sky "Sunlight" Saxon of the Seeds will bring the spirit of Sunset Strip in the late '60s up the East Coast and into Canada and the Midwest.
"This is an idea that James Lowe and Mark Tulin of the Electric Prunes had – to gather three influential '60s bands from the Los Angeles area together to create the excitement that was the L.A. music scene in 1966," says tour promoter Patrick Hand. "When L.A. veterans Sky Saxon and Love signed on, California '66 was on the road. I've come to think that 1966 was really the year that rock music peaked, before the excesses of stadium venues and art rock, and these musicians were a big part of that."
The current incarnation of Love is led by original guitarist Johnny Echols, lead guitarist in the classic 1966-68 lineup, and will be backed by Baby Lemonade, the latter-day psychedelic L.A. band that accompanied Love founding member Arthur Lee from 1993 until his 2005 death. Sky Saxon brings his trippy vocal presentation that gave the world "Pushin' Too Hard," "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" and more. The Electric Prunes continue to be fronted by original members James Lowe (vocals) and Mark Tulin (bass).
The tour begins in August 4 at Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia and ends on August 18 at the Birchmere outside Washington, D.C. Other tour cities include New York, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
"We wanted to do a few shows in intimate venues to see if there is still interest in this genre, and we've already passed that test," adds Hand. "If the public is as enthusiastic in attending the shows as the clubs have been in booking, then I have no doubt we'll be back on the road again, in the West Coast and the U.K."
California ‘66 Revue Dates
08/04 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's
08/05 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's
08/06 Fairfield, CT Quick Center; benefit for WPKN-FM radio.
08/07 Cambridge, MA Middle East
08/08 Montreal, QU Theater Plaza; affiliated with the "Teenbeat Takeover Woolly Weekend."
08/09 New York, NY B.B. King's
08/10 Foxboro, MA Patriot's Place
08/12 Chicago, IL Double Door
08/13 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
08/14 Toronto, ON Lee's Palace
08/15 Detroit, MI The Magic Bag
08/16 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
08/17 Pittsburgh, PA Hard Rock Café
08/18 Alexandria, VA (DC area) Birchmere
–by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
