We saw Little Steven and The Disciples of Soul for free at The Ridgefield Playhouse on May 1st of this year. It was a fantastic evening and they played many of the songs featured on the new ‘SOULFIRE LIVE!’ recording.
This spectacular live collection was recorded last year in North America and Europe during the legendary rock ‘n’ roller’s first world tour in nearly two decades. Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul’s SOULFIRE LIVE! is available now via Little Steven Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records and UMe. The 3CD collection includes 24-tracks released digitally in April alongside an exclusive third disc highlighted by superstar guest performances recorded throughout the trek, including Bruce Springsteen, Richie Sambora, Peter Wolf, and Jerry Miller (of Moby Grape).
The video “Can I Get A Witness,” featuring Richie Sambora was recorded last year at the famed Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. It captures Little Steven and his 15-piece band, the Disciples of Soul’s, spirited and sweat-soaked shows which will be on full display on the Blu-Ray coming later this year.
Fans can pre-order ahead of the release later this year, SOULFIRE LIVE! as a unique 7LP vinyl box set and on Blu-Ray video exclusively at Little Steven’s just-launched new Webstore.
The vinyl box set will incorporate an exclusive bonus LP capturing Little Steven’s extraordinary surprise set at Liverpool’s legendary Cavern Club recorded November 2017 during his band’s sold out European tour. The intimate lunchtime gig saw Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul paying tribute to The Beatles with rocking renditions of “Magical Mystery Tour,” “Good Morning, Good Morning,” “Got To Get You Into My Life,” and “All You Need Is Love,” alongside iconic songs famously performed by the nascent Fab Four, including “Boys” (originally by The Shirelles), “Slow Down” (by Larry Williams) and “Soldier Of Love” (first recorded by Arthur Alexander).
“Playing in the same venue where The Beatles started their careers was a childhood dream of mine come true,” says Little Steven. “This was a band that set me on course for a life of music. For my rock ‘n’ roll religion, The Cavern is the first sacred site. It was an honor – no, make that an epiphany – to perform there.”
The SOULFIRE LIVE! Blu-ray video edition will include Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul’s complete Cavern Club concert alongside video performances of each song on the 3CD/vinyl set, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage. In addition, the Blu-ray edition will feature a special documentary about the Cavern Club performance that sees Little Steven honored with a brick in the club’s hallowed Wall of Fame before leading his band through swift rehearsals of Beatles songs mere minutes ahead of their performance.
The exclusive SOULFIRE LIVE! Disc 3 showcases special guest appearances from some of Little Steven’s closest friends, collaborators, and favorite artists. Among the highlights are versions of Moby Grape’s “Can’t Be So Bad” performed with the legendary San Francisco band’s founding member, Jerry Miller; the Motown classic, “Can I Get A Witness,” performed with New Jersey’s own Richie Sambora; The J. Geils Band’s “Freeze Frame” with vocals from the one and only Peter Wolf; and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” and Little Steven’s own “I Don’t Want To Go Home,” both joined by Bruce Springsteen.
As if that weren’t enough, Disc 3 also includes the Disciples of Soul’s electrifying takes on a number of Little Steven’s all-time favorite rock ‘n’ roll songs, including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Even The Losers,” AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” John Lennon’s “Working Class Hero,” The Allman Brothers Band’s “It’s Not My Cross To Bear,” The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” and The Ramones’ “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight).”
SOULFIRE LIVE! was produced and arranged by Stevie Van Zandt; the album was mixed by Bob Clearmountain and mastered by Bob Ludwig.
Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul will rev up again this fall to celebrate SOULFIRE LIVE! with the final leg of their Teacher Appreciation Tour, set to get underway this October. The tour will once again benefit TeachRock, Van Zandt’s Rock and Roll Forever Foundation’s national initiative to bring music curriculum into middle and high schools across the country. At each stop of the tour, teachers will get in free to the concert and TeachRock will host workshops before the show to educate teachers on how to implement music education into their classrooms. For complete details and ticket availability, please visit littlesteven.com. For more information about TeachRock and the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, please visit rockandrollforever.org
LITTLE STEVEN AND THE DISCIPLES OF SOUL: SOULFIRE TOUR 2018
OCTOBER
18 – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Kirby Center
20 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Theater
23 – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock
24 – Munhall, PA –Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
29 – Wabash, IN – Honeywell Center
31 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
NOVEMBER
2 – Burnsville, MN – Ames Center
5- Chicago, IL – Copernicus Center
7 – Tulsa, OK – Club Brady
9 – Detroit, MI @ Detroit Music Hall
10 – Peoria, IL – Monarch
12 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
14 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
16 – Cleveland, OH – Hard Rock
17 – Morgantown, WV – Metropolitan Theatre
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