The Echoes of Kingston Tour Featuring The Legendary Skatalites!

In celebration of their 48th anniversary (as well as the 50th anniversary of Jamaican Independence!), The Skatalites are embarking on The Echoes of Kingston Tour of the Southwest, West Coast, and Western Canada this April. In addition, the band, led by Lester Sterling, is planning a new release later this year, All Roads--and will be selling a new 7" single featuring two songs off the album exclusively on this tour. (Following their US dates, The Skatalites will storm the UK in May--check out the dates here).

The Echoes of Kingston Tour launches on Friday, March 30th in Houston, TX and heads north to New Mexico and Colorado, then on to Arizona, Mexico, California, Washington and Canada--and back again to finish at the Viva Ska Vegas blowout in Las Vegas.

Along the way, The Skatalites will play with some of the best young bands the US has to offer, including Keysor Soze, Los Skarnales, The Sentiments, The Georgetown Orbits, and more. Joining the band on most of the AZ-CA dates will be Los Angeles' leading proponents of ska and reggae, The Delirians. The band has been forging a sound rooted in the past, yet distinctly their own--and they've backed and performed with Jamaican legends such as Derrick Morgan, The Melodians, Derrick Harriot, Stranger Cole and more.

The tour will also include support on certain dates from some true legends, such as one of the original Studio One songstresses Norma Fraser, and son of hitmaker Toots Hibbert, Junior Toots.

The Echoes of Kingston Tour is also supporting the Alpha Boys School Project--and will be accepting donations of used instruments along the tour route, which will be cleaned, repaired and delivered to this legendary school in Jamaica that had such an extraordinary impact on many of Jamaica's finest and most celebrated musicians (including, of course, many members of the original Skatalites). Find out much more about the project--and the types of instruments the school needs--here.

THE ECHOES OF KINGSTON TOUR DATES:

Fri 3/30 Houston, TX: Mango's Cafe Montrose
Sat 3/31 Austin, TX: Flamingo Theater
Mon 4/2 Santa Fe, NM: Sol at Santa Fe Brewery
Tue 4/3 Colorado Springs, CO: Black Sheep
Wed 4/4 Fort Collins, CO: Aggie Theater
Thu 4/5 Denver, CO: Cervantes
Fri 4/6 Durango, CO: Abbey Theater
Sat 4/7 Phoenix, AZ: Compound Grill
Tue 4/10 Yuma, AZ: Strummer's Village Tavern
Thu 4/11 San Diego, CA: World Beat Cultural Center
Wed 4/12 Ensenada, Mexico
Fri 4/13 Los Angeles, CA: Los Globos
Sat 4/14 Santa Cruz, CA: Moe’s Alley
Sun 4/15 Sparks, NV: The Alley
Mon 4/16 Santa Rosa, CA: Last Day Saloon
Tue 4/17 Arcata, CA: Humbrews
Wed 4/18 Portland, OR: Goodfoot Lounge
Thu 4/19 Vancouver, BC CANADA: The Venue
Fri 4/20 Victoria, BC CANADA: Club 9ONE9
Sat 4/21 Cumberland, BC CANADA: Waverly Pub
Mon 4/23 Bellingham, WA: Wild Buffalo
Tue 4/24 Seattle, WA: Nectar Lounge
Wed 4/25 Eugene, OR: WOW Hall
Thu 4/26 Sacramento, CA: Harlow’s
Fri 4/27 Oakland, CA: The Uptown
Sat 4/28 Las Vegas, NV: Viva Ska Festival