HotSauceMusic.com
08.20.08 | Julian Marley to close out Campus Martius event with reggae beats (wsg/HotSauce)
Melody Baetens / The Detroit News
The summer's last 4th Fridays with Ford event will take place all day Friday at Campus Martius in downtown Detroit. The event's highlights are performances by Julian Marley, son of music legend and cultural hero Bob Marley.
The daylong event starts at 11:30 a.m. with lunchtime entertainment by bebop and blues band In the Tradition. The music will continue with some after-work fun at 5 p.m. with the Smooth Jazz V98 Happy Hour and local R&B group Hot Sauce.
"It's free, it's downtown, it's a beautiful environment," says Bob Gregory, president of the Detroit 300 Conservancy. "What we try to do with these 4th Fridays is book upbeat, fun and danceable types of music."
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The main event is the headlining set by Marley at 10:30 p.m. The reggae star grew up sharing time between Jamaica and the United Kingdom. Marley's set will be preceded at 8 p.m. by NOMO, an Afro-jazz world beat band from Ann Arbor. The nine-member group, lead by Elliot Bergmen, produces upbeat music that mixes many genres including funk and soul.
Between the two concerts, Detroit's own Latin group Orquesta Sensacional will entertain at 9:30 p.m.
Another facet of the day is the Detroit Bar Dash from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Take advantage of food and drink specials, and tours of bars surrounding the Grand Circus Park area. Interested parties should grab passes at the 4th Fridays with Ford information kiosk at Campus Martius.
You can reach Melody Baetens at (313) 222-2402 or mbaetens@detnews.com.
05.03.08 | HotSauce brings home first Detroit Music Award
Thank you to everyone who voted for HotSauce in the 2008 Detroit Music Awards. We are ecstatic to receive our first award as Outstanding Urban/Funk Group. Congratulations to all the award recipients and thank you for supporting Real Good, Feel Good Music! Stay tuned for the album...
HotSauce
03.24.08 | HotSauce Nominated for 3 Detroit Music Awards
HotSauce has been nominated for Detroit Music Awards in the following 3 categories:
* Outstanding R&B Group
* Outstanding Live Performance
* Outstanding Urban/Funk Artist Group
Voting ends on April 4th, with final results announced at the Detroit Music Awards on April 25, 2008.
Read below for instructions on how to vote. Thanks for voting!
If you are a fellow musician, artist, manager, label or connected to the music industry, choir member, Detroit Blues Society member, agent, TV producer, radio DJ, critic, park & recreation activity personnel, bartender, waitress, ect., you are eligible to nominate artists, groups and related industry professionals. Registration is free; You don't have to become a member to vote.
Please register at: Detroit Music Awards
- Peace, Love, & HotSauce
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For additional information please contact Foundation Management at FoundationMGT@aol.com
02.11.08 | Thanks to All!!!
Hey Family!
Thanks to all who came out of the cold into the HOT 5/3 tent to hang out with HotSauce last Friday! It was great to perform in the city for our hometown family & friends. Thanks for all the support and we can't wait to do it again.
In fact...
We're working on bringing you a new local event... start keeping First Wednesdays open.. More details to come.
Peace, Love, & HotSauce!
P.S. Don't forget to sign the new guestbook and tell a friend about HotSauce!
03.06.06 | Must See Band: "HotSauce"
Must see band: "HotSauce"
Metroblogging Detroit
posted by Doug Geiger at 10:34 AM on March 06, 2006
I found some great local talent this last Thursday when I went out to Royal Oak and was doing a little bar hopping. Our first stop was O'Tooles; which felt like a bar that was imported from my days of going to Canada to drink when I was 19. It was a boring, no frills get hammered bar and had no character. After 20 minutes of the sausage-fest at O'Tooles we went down the street a couple doors to 5th Avenue. In sharp contrast to our last stop; 5th Avenue had a great vibe and did a good job of mixing pool hall, live music and elegant bar scene.
My friend Amanda, my social maven, suggested that we check out the band "Hot Sauce" that was playing that night. As soon as these guys started playing I knew we were going to be parked for the night. The band consisted of a lead singer, guitars, a horn section, a drummer, and a slew of keyboards. I was worried when I saw all of those keys at first, but they were put to good use. Their mantra is "real good, feel good music" and they delivered. Their original music was full bodied and fully thought out, not at all amateurish or cookie-cutter - and their covers were spot on. They played a little Stevie, a little Black Eyed Peas and some other upbeat soulful stuff I pretended to know to try to fit in and be a hep cat white guy. :P
I cannot overstate how good these guys are musically; as a drummer I have a special affinity for the percussion - this drummer was absolutely amazing. If you have ever heard Carter Beauford from Dave Mathew's Band play then you have a feel for this guys chops. The sax player and the bass player also stood out as something special; but the whole band was very talented. If you get a chance to see a live show anytime soon and you need a reprieve from the worries of this world try to catch one of these guy's shows.
02.05.06 | Winter Blast Ends With An Encore
Winter Blast Ends With An Encore BY ERIN CHAN FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER The snow finally doused the 2006 Motown Winter Blast on Saturday and Sunday, and people adored it — so much so that organizers kept the festival open for an extra 2 1/2 hours. By Sunday afternoon, an estimated 1.2 million people had come down for the Winter Blast, according to festival producer Jon Witz, which was more than three times what organizers had expected. And after three days of a little-kids-only snowslide to preserve its walls from potential rain damage, the ride opened to the big kids (including adults) for 5 1/2 hours on Sunday. Amid shouts of “Go Steelers” and an occasional “Dee-troit Basketball” (the Pistons played the Indiana Pacers on Saturday evening), festivalgoers wrapped up in warm gear and slushed through the snow to toast marshmallows in Greektown and squeeze into the Motorola tent, which transported folks to the beach with sand and surfing. The party particularly hopped inside of the Taste of Detroit tent on Saturday night, where people munched and danced and grooved to bands like Hotsauce, whose name felt especially welcome for the wintry evening. Witz said he would like the Winter Blast to continue in downtown Detroit each year, as has Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, but a solid plan on how to do so has not materialized yet. Because the $5 million spent on the planning and production of the 2005 and 2006 Motown Winter Blasts came from the Detroit Super Bowl XL Host Committee, the money to finance any future Winter Blasts would need to come from civic and corporate partnerships. Last week, Kilpatrick suggested exploring the possibility of enlarging the Detroit 300 Conservancy’s endowment to allow for an annual Winter Blast. If the Winter Blast does keep going each year, much of it can be attributed to the crowds and their energy in the past week. “I would certainly call it a transformation in the perception of Detroit that is nearly overnight,” says Witz. “I think the Blast played the very important role of creating the excitement to see the changes that have taken place in the look of the buildings and the streetscapes and the lighting. That work was done but people had not seen it.” Contact ERIN CHAN at 313-222-6696 or echan@freepress.com.
02.01.06 | Top Ten Acts for Motown Winter Blast
08.24.05 | Pot Luck Melody
Pot Luck Melody
As HotSauce’s R&B, hip-hop, soul, rock and gospel stew gains momentum, the music does the talking
With the occasional exception of guys like Kanye West, artists shouldn’t hype themselves. There’s a certain amount of self-deprecating humor that must play into it, otherwise you risk looking like a complete self-fellating windbag. And not everyone can poke fun of themselves. Self-promotion isn’t easy and only works if you are either naive, or funny.
HotSauce — a promising eight-man R&B band with a wildly energetic stage show — gives it the old college try. File under naive. For example: Dyrel Johnson, the group’s lead singer, saxophonist and flutist, calls their live show “an experience.” Trombonist-guitarist-singer Otis “Big O” Shelton says, “You never know what you’re gonna see.” Drummer-vocalist Marquis Johnson says HotSauce offers a “great level of energy and excellence.”
No dis intended, fellas, but please ...
Maybe it’s best to describe a multifaceted band like HotSauce by letting an “expert” weigh in.
John Mason has been a Detroit radio personality since Michael Jackson was still a black dude. He’s KISS 105.9-FM’s afternoon-drive man and a Detroit Pistons announcer. Mason saw HotSauce three years ago at a Hart Plaza festival and has this to say: “These guys blew me away.”
Unsolicited advice: HotSauce should let guys like Mason speak, and then let their music do the talking.
And the music can talk. HotSauce is part of a growing Detroit movement that sees bands blending genres and creating live shows with the kind of energy that recalls Motown’s days of song and stage glory. Live, HotSauce’s R&B, hip-hop, rock, gospel and soul mash-up is, in a word, explosive.
Their performances are choreographed to a T, but vary from show to show. A dull moment is rare. The band’s members — all of whom are multi-instrumentalists — may switch-up at any point. For instance, they’ll leave the drummer to carry the rhythm while the remaining seven congregate at stage front for a dance move, or to hype the crowd. Big O — he’s called “Big” for a reason — regularly gets audience kudos by keeping his hefty, wrestler-sized frame in step with his skinniest bandmate.
“Myself, I like to move,” O says. “People be like, ‘That’s a big dude!’”
Much of HotSauce’s show consists of cover tunes; outright homages to their influences. (But don’t let that sway you — they write too, and well.) The range of reprises — a normal set might bounce between Prince, MC Hammer, the Temptations, Earth, Wind & Fire and Outkast — is a stirring show of musical awareness.
They call the cumulative presentation “L.I.F.E.” music.
“Love, Inspiration, Freedom and Entertainment,” Marquis says. “Elements of life. We sing songs of encouragement.”
Encouragement is a good word: HotSauce enjoys a healthy buzz in metro Detroit, earned by unremitting gigging on any off-the-beaten-path stage that’ll have them. It’s the band’s proficiency, youth and energy that’s won it a legion of fans. The members have also written and produced their debut CD, Just a Taste, to be unveiled Aug. 27, at FUNKcanROCK ’05.
The LP is an introduction to HotSauce’s oeuvre, and, of course, they want it to have the same impact as their live show.
The five-year road getting to the CD release has been steady. Putting the group together was easy; four of its members are brothers.
The Johnson four, Dyrel, Marquis, Gary (percussion, bass) and Eric (music director), all attended the Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts, where their father, Charles Johnson, was a music instructor (he now teaches at Redford High School).
It was there that they met Big O and saxophonist-vocalist Jeffery Ponders II. Later, they met Lawrence Washington (bass, drums and keys) and Andrew “Drew” Hicks (talkbox, keys, bass, guitar, background vocals). All of them had grown up listening to their parents’ music, and all had been exposed to instruments as children.
“Marquis started bangin’ on drums before he could walk,” O says. “He’s got the video footage to prove that.”
They decided to pool their talents, and formed HotSauce as a jazz band. And that was cool — they worked with Marcus Belgrave and Rodney Whitaker and others — but jazz wasn’t what they wanted to do. They wanted contemporary flash and youth.
“We wanted to make music for people who are more in our age bracket,” Dyrel says. “We can do jazz gigs all day and meet great older people. But people our age would never know who we are. We can reach them if we get their ears.”
Once they made the switch, and met Nina Payne, whose Foundation Management company took them on as a project, word spread.
The challenge now is to keep it together. Being multi-instrumentalists effectively makes HotSauce a pack of backward-glancing analog cats living in a digital world. But that doesn’t concern them. They claim the formula will keep the unit healthy.
“The problem is staying together,” Dyrel says, in a way that’s more of an admission. “Not ’cause it’s a problem, you know what I’m saying? But in the history of music, for most great bands, that’s always a challenge.”
A band with eight varied and artistic personalities requires work. Their approach — their formula — is all about keeping open lines of communication. They write songs together and allow each member an outlet for his voice. Most of all, Dyrel says, with no trace of irony, “We all love each other. We connect with each other.”
This is where they lean on certain clichés that are, nonetheless, key: Communication, respect, agreeing, at times, to disagree, and in the end, things “should” work out.
At the FUNKcanROCK show, things should work out alongside friends. On the bill also celebrating a CD release is another Foundation band, My Machine — a rock outfit from both Detroit and Wales, England. HotSauce and My Machine became friends at an Emerald Theater show, when the former was impressed with the latter’s rock version of “And If I Ever Fall in Love,” a sappy ’90s hit recorded by R&B quartet Shai.
Other guests on the bill include Motor City faves Natives of the New Dawn and Critical Bill. At minimum, it’ll be a musical potluck, a microcosm of Detroit’s emerging cross-genre movement.
The HotSauce-My Machine joint album release party is Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Masonic Temple (500 Temple St., Detroit; 313-832-7100).
Khary Kimani Turner is a freelance writer. Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com.
08.21.05 | DETROIT DISC: They've got the funk, soul
HotSauce: Detroit funk-soul band (Just a Taste)
HotSauce draws from a pair of Detroit's deepest music traditions: the city's love of interstellar funk and its related embrace of Prince-styled soul. Featuring eight multi-instrumentalists -- four of them brothers -- the band has developed a live show whose acclaim has steadily grown since the group's emergence in 2000. Forsaking guitars in favor of brass and woodwinds, the ensemble creates a lively, organic sound worthy of its name.
"Just a Taste," the band's studio debut, is stocked with all the elemental music ingredients that define those vintage styles: the sprawling arrangements, the big but slithery bottom end, the improvisational breakdowns. The sound is presented through a contemporary filter, with a nod to rap, but ultimately the album functions more as a glimpse back to hip-hop's foundations; think Brand New Heavies with a Motor City twist.
Leadoff track "Anthem" is the record's most classically funky cut, conjuring a freewheeling party vibe while providing show-off time for each of the players, along with lead vocalist Dyrel Johnson. While the solo spots certainly confirm each member's credentials, the group's real mark is its taut ensemble performance, with the musicians deftly playing off each other in an expression of their jazz-scene roots.
Nothing on the album tops that opener, though cuts such as "Last Chance" and "It's the Love" stand out by enticingly merging the sparkle of the '80s with the suave sound of modern R&B. In a day when too many artists are satisfied constructing their work with sterile digital gear, the raw approach of HotSauce is a welcome throwback.
Brian McCollum, Free Press pop music critic
08.01.05 | FUNKcanROCK FEST Celebrates Diversity in Detroit's Music Community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Nina Payne @ 248.797.9311 / Keith Albers @ 248.388.1878
Foundation Management
Email: NinaPayne@FoundationManagement.net or keithalbers@hotmail.com
FUNKcanROCK FEST Celebrates Diversity in Detroit's Music Community
My Machine and HotSauce make history
Dertoit, MI, July 30, 2005 – FUNKcanROCK FEST ‘05 promises to be an event Detroit will not soon forget. Detroit’s rich music community along with friends and fans are coming together to help break down some of the social barriers that we currently face. On August 27, 2005, My Machine and HotSauce will bring the house down with their distinct brand of Rock and Funk as they come together to celebrate Diversity in Detroit's Music Community with two different styles of music, two different audiences and two completely different bands.
The Masonic Temple, located at 500 Temple Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48201, presents Detroit’s own Rock band My Machine and R&B/Funk band HotSauce as they make history at the first annual FUNKcanROCK FEST ’05 on August 27, 2005 at 7 PM. This event is not only a concert but will also serve as a Double CD release party for two of the hottest bands in the Metro Detroit. Diversity is what this event is all about, with 5 bands in total, each with their own unique style. This musical potluck will celebrate the richness and diversity of music and culture that make Detroit special. Since music is the universal language and a powerful tool of expression, August 27th will be a key evening in bringing the music and people of the Motor City together to stimulate the social acceptance of all.
Special guests include: Critical Bill, RSO, and Natives of the New Dawn
My Machine, has earned the right to be called one of the best in Detroit Rock. They placed 2nd in votes received at the Detroit Finals for the International Emergenza Festival at The Majestic Theatre, where over 115 Bands participated. My Machine has earned top honors in two previous “Battle of the Band” events. With driving, heavy guitar oriented tracks like “Holy Roller” mixed with more groove oriented songs such as the title track, “Overlooked,” this 8 song release is sure to be a hit. “Overlooked” also includes some fresh acoustic songs. My Machine's unique blend and excellent lead vocals put this four piece band on the fast track to being the hottest and most innovative Rock band in the nation.
HotSauce has also earned the right to be called the best in Detroit R&B/Funk. Only being on the scene for a very short time, HotSauce has created a buzz and a loyal following. Members of the band range in age from 16 – 24, but age is just a number. To listen to them is to feel as though you are listening to a band that has played together for years. This 8-piece band consisting of 4 brothers and 4 friends is unique because of their energetic performances, their skillful playing and their hot grooves. HotSauce's debut EP, “Just a Taste”, will be only available initially at the FUNKcanROCK FEST ‘05 on August 27, 2005.
FUNKcanROCK FEST ‘05 is just the beginning.
Tickets are $10 for 21 and over and $15 for under 21 and can be purchased at the Masonic Temple or by calling 248.797.9311. For information regarding sponsorship and vendors, please contact Nina Payne at the above number.
My Machine and HotSauce are available for interviews for the print, radio and television. Please contact Keith or Nina at the above numbers.
www.mymachinemusic.com * www.hotsaucemusic.com
www.themasonic.com * www.foundationmanagement.com
The Line-up: HotSauce, My Machine, Natives of the New Dawn, Critical Bill, RSO.
03.03.05 | Steppin' Out: Fifth Avenue Royal Oak
Go & Do Michigan
Published March 3, 2005
By Eric Harabadian
I've heard the argument that the Detroit area club scene is a shell of what it once was, that videos, X Box, the Internet and other such diversions have eroded the very fabric of Motor City nightlife.
Don't believe it for a minute, my friends!
Have you been down to Royal Oak lately? More specifically have you been to Fifth Avenue Billiards?
On a recent Saturday evening, my wife, Lisa, photographer E.L. Conley and I took in this Oakland County mainstay that has been packing them in since 1990.
When we arrived at 7 p.m. the place was nearly empty, save for a few folks racking them up on any one of their 20 gold-topped pool tables.
We wanted to grab some dinner and, perusing the menu, I was impressed with the array of appetizers, sandwiches, salads and pizza. The corn chips and salsa along with a Polynesian pizza were excellent and fulfilling choices.
Our server was sweet, attentive and very helpful and the atmosphere was relaxed, casual and very hip, with the strains of James Brown, Muddy Waters and Bob Marley wafting from the house sound system.
As one gazes about the expansive main floor, you notice a gallery of classic blues, rock, rhythm and blues and Americana artists displayed prominently on the rustic-hued walls.
Fifth Avenue is known for its music and has brought in many national rock and blues artists, such as Popa Chubby, Son Seals, Larry McCray and Alex Skolnick.
It also is the home to many top-shelf Detroit-based talents like classic rockers The Reefermen, jam rockers Blend, party band The Killer Flamingos and neo-funkmeisters Hot Sauce.
As we made our way to the upper level the atmosphere was just as spacious and impressive with tasteful brick walls, ample seating and a neon-lighted circular bar that was central to all the action.
It was 10 p.m. and, by this time, the place was nearly standing room only. Hundreds of avid clubgoers converged on the popular establishment to mix, mingle, hangout and take in the funky and well-polished sounds of house favorites Hot Sauce.
This band was, as the kids say, "off the hook," with a satisfying blend of time honored soul and hip-hop fused with a jazzy lilt. With their stellar harmonies and tight horn arrangements they were one of the best club acts I've heard in some time.
What a difference a few hours makes. As we left at about 11:30 p.m. the previously stark main floor was now abuzz with wall-to-wall chatter and activity as a line of anxious patrons trailed out the entrance door into the cold February night.
Fifth Avenue Billiards is at 215 Fifth Ave., Royal Oak. The phone number is 248.542.9922 and the hours are 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays and Mondays; 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays; and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays.
While the Royal Oak location is the franchise's original headquarters, you can find out about its Novi and downtown Detroit venues by going to www.fifthavenuebilliards.com.
Contact Eric Harabadian at Harab1@comcast.net.
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