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Story and photos by Matt Schwenke On a weather-warning hot and humid day to end this year's Summerfest, G. Love and Special Sauce still managed to draw a large, sweaty crowd, and as a late-night breeze finally started to provide some relief, G. Love and company turned the heat back up with a full set of funky jams.Not letting the heat sedate his on-stage performance, G. Love was animated and sweating with the crowd after a run of "Give It To You," "Booty Call," and "Ring the Alarm" to open the set. The particularly deep and funky groove laid down by Jimi Jazz on upright bass and Houseman on drums provided the perfect platform for G. Love's often rusty guitar sound and electrified harp style. Furthering the funk, Mark Boyce joins the tour on keys and added a wall of organ sound for the entrancing "Let the Music Play," from the 2006 release Lemonade. Pulling from their self-titled 1994 debut, G. Love displayed his trademark rap in "This Ain't Living" and his penchant for the blues while spitting "Blues Music." The night featured many improv jams, most notably with the organ blaring and a breakdown on bass during "I-76." The set ended with G. Love dedicating "Holla!" from "all the mens to all the womens" in the audience. Returning alone, G. Love sat, but didn't sit still, for an acoustic version of "Breaking Down My Mother" and "Rainbow," before the Special Sauce returned to offer the sexy rock of "Beautiful" and the cheer-inducing strut of "Cold Beverage." |