“Lemonade” tastes just as good to Garrett “G. Love” Dutton as it did when he released his second solo album 20 years ago. And he’s hoping fans feel the same way.
Dutton’s current tour with his band Special Sauce is both celebrating that anniversary and his latest album, “Ode to R.L.,” which the folk/roots/hip-hop alchemist recorded with the late Mississippi Hill Country blues icon R.L. Boyce back in 2022, mixing songs between those and his other releases.
“We’re coming around to the point where every year there’s a record that’s celebrating a 20th or 30th, which is really cool,” says Dutton, 53, a Philadelphia native who formed Special Sauce in Boston and now resides in Cape Cod. “It gives you a kind of purpose to say, ‘We’re gonna focus on that.’
“It’s just a testament to the fans, the fact that we’re still able to do this thing. And I think the fans come around ’cause of the strength of the songs and stuff like that.”
“Lemonade” was, in fact, one of Dutton’s most successful albums. Featuring guests such as Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Marc Broussard, Blackalicious and Tristan Prettyman — and released on Johnson’s Brushfire Records label — it hit No. 39 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on iTunes, while the song “Rainbow” is his top-selling single. “That record has settled in and became part of our catalog,” he notes.
Dutton’s discography is continuing to grow, meanwhile. This year, he’ll be releasing an album with a new group — Mud Kings, an all-star collaboration with Robert Randolph, Aloe Blacc and hitmaking songwriter-producer S*A*M Hollander. He’s also working on a new solo album that will feature a number of guests, as well as a “guitar-driven, front porchy kind of record” in the Special Sauce vein.
“So we’ve got stuff in the pipeline,” he notes. “Y’know, my big influence was John Hammond. When I was in high school, I got to see him perform at small bars and coffee shops around the Philadelphia area. That gave me something that was attainable, right? There’s a path to something I can do for the rest of my life.
“Then we ended up having more success than I set out to have, and have a wonderful career getting to be a solo artist and do a lot of touring. I’m really happy it’s worked out like that for me.”
G. Love & Special Sauce perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. Makua opens. 734-761-1800 or theark.org.
Other music events of note this weekend (all subject to change) include …
FRIDAY, JAN. 16
• Jonathan Biss performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra during concerts at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m., and again at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 17. The latter will be livestreamed free via the “Live From Orchestra Hall” series. Pieces by Weber and Mendelssohn will also be on the program. Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111 or dso.org.
• The late George Harrison’s older sister Louise Harrison accompanies Liverpool Legends for “The Complete Beatles Experience” at 7:30 p.m. at the Flagstar Strand Theatre, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac. 248-309-6445 or flagstarstrand.com.
• The Michigan Philharmonic presents “Miniature Masterpieces” at 7 p.m. for Friday Night Live! at the Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-833-7900 or dia.org.
• Roddy Lima mans the decks at the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Doors at 9 p.m. 313-833-9700 or themajesticdetroit.com.
• Greg Freeman and Golomb warm up the weekend at 7 p.m. at Third Man Records, 441 W. Canfield St., Detroit. 313-209-5205 or thirdmanrecords.com.
• Against The Grain, Winds of Neptune, Kozy and Sonic Smut play to celebrate the 27th anniversary of Small’s, 10339 Conant, Hamtramck. Doors at 6 p.m. 313-873-1117 or smallsbardetroit.com.
• New Jersey’s 54 Ultra is live at El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-757-7942 or elclubdetroit.com.
• Detroit’s Matthew Smith Group returns to the stage at Trinosophes, 1464 Gratiot Ave., Detroit. Doors at 7:30 p.m. Margaret Doll Rod opens. 313-778-9258 or trinosophes.com.
• Trumpeter Allen Dennard and his band are in residence for six shows through Sunday, Jan. 18 at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543 or cliffbells.com.
• Guitarist Ali Bey is in the house through Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, 97 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe. 313-882-5399 or dirtydogjazz.com.
• The New York instrumental group Beneath This Facade tops a five-band bill at 7 p.m. at the Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff, Hamtramck. 313-462-4117 or sanctuarydetroit.com.
• Mas!, the Bungalows and the Needmores team up at 8 p.m. at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. 313-500-1475 or thelagerhouse.com.
•The Joe Policastro Trio brings jazz from Chicago at 7:30 p.m. at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.
• Djangophonique holds its annual birthday celebration for the late gypsy jazz icon Django Reinhardt at 8 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1800 or theark.org.
• Pianist Rick Roe plays at 4 p.m., and Shaida Nurullah & Good Company follow at 7 p.m., both at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.
• Virtual: Detroit-born Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper guests on the Season 5 premiere of Grammy Award-winner Pete Ganbarg’s “Rock & Roll High School” podcast. rockschoolpodcast.com for more details.
• Virtual: The streaming service veeps.com rolls out a selection of films at noon, including: “The Loved One: A Tribute to the Life and Music of Michael Hutchence of INXS,” “The Moody Blues — Their Fully Authorized Story,” “B.B. King Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2011” and “Yes: Their Fully Authorized Story.”
• Virtual: The Radiators perform live at 10 p.m. from New Orleans, and also at the same time on Saturday, Jan. 17, via nugs.net.
• Virtual: Lotus streams live from Denver at 10 p.m. and again on Saturday, Jan. 17, via nugs.net.
SATURDAY, JAN. 17
• Halsey’s Back to Badlands Tour, celebrating the first anniversary of her double-platinum debut album, stops at the Fillmore Detroit, 2115 Woodward Ave., and again on Sunday, Jan. 18. Doors at 7 p.m. both nights. 313-961-5451 or thefillmoredetroit.com.
• San Francisco Bay Area rapper Mike Sherm heads east for a show at Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-961-8961 or saintandrewsdetroit.com.
• Singer-songwriter Julia Rose performs at 8 p.m. at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. 248-783-7105 or 20frontstreet.com.
• Locally based singer Taylor Derousse headlines at the Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Doors at 7 p.m. The Dartmoors, Killer Is Me and Wipe Out also perform. 248-820-5596 or thelovingtouchferndale.com.
• Pontiac’s Crofoot Complex is busy with the Lowcocks in the Vernors Room at 6 p.m. and Dirtysnatcha topping an EDM bill at 8 p.m. in the Pike Room. 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac. 248-858-9333 or thecrofoot.com.
• Carrion Vael, Summoning the Lich and Demon King top the bill for Extreme Metal Mayhem! at 6 p.m. at the Diesel Concert Lounge, 33151 23 Mile Road, Chesterfield Township. 586-933-3503 or dieselconcerts.com.
• Racing Mount Pleasant heads to the big city for a show at El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Highway, Detroit. Doors at 7 p.m. 313-757-7942 or elclubdetroit.com.
• Troubadour Billy Brandt brings his bands Voxanna and the Sugarees together at 7:30 p.m. at the Trinity House Theatre, 38840 W. Six Mile Road, Livonia. 734-436-6302 or trinityhousetheatre.org.
• The tribute band Revisiting Creedence plays “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son” and other Creedence Clearwater Revival hits at 7:30 p.m. at the Macomb Center, 44575 Garfield Road, Clinton Township. 586-286-2222 or macombcenter.com.
• Grunge Fest features tributes to Alice In Chains and Stone Temple Pilots at District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte. Doors at 7 p.m. district142live.com.
• Comic singer-songwriter Heywood Banks is back at 8 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 734-761-1800 or theark.org.
• The Sean Dobbins Organ Trio is back at 6:30 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.
• Virtual: Rapper A$AP Rocky celebrates the release of his new album as the musical guest on this week’s episode of “Saturday Night Live” at 11:30 p.m. on NBC (WDIV, Channel 4 in Detroit). “Stranger Things’” Finn Wolfhard hosts.
• Virtual: Railroad Earth streams its 8 p.m. concert from Ardmore, Pennsylvania, live via nugs.net.
SUNDAY, JAN. 18
• The Motor City Josh Big Band plays a matinee at 3 p.m. at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.
• The Ann Arbor Concert Band plays Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” at 2 p.m. at the Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. 734-668-8397 or marquee-arts.org.
• The Detroit hardcore troupe Past Dog Beach headlines a five-band bill at 6 p.m. at the Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff, Hamtramck. 313-462-4117 or sanctuarydetroit.com.
• Vocalist Sarah D’Angelo and pianist Cliff Monear pair up at 6 p.m. at the Blue Llama Jazz Club, 314 S. First St., Ann Arbor. 734-372-3200 or bluellamaclub.com.
