A Latin treat awaits Richmond on June 27 when Spam Allstars come to town for this year's final Friday Cheers performance. Spam Allstars present a unique blend of improvisational Latin funk infused with hip-hop and dub, and spiced with turntables and electronic elements. If you have not heard of the band you should definitely come out and feel what the buzz is about. The group is guaranteed to keep you moving with songs from its five studio albums, including the most recent, 'Electrodomesticos' (2007), which was meticulously crafted over 18 months at the City of Progress studio in their native Miami, Fla.
The band's festival-style sound is presented with the traditional guitars, bass, and drums yet augmented with turntables, timbales, congas, trombones, sax, flute, and whatever else is lying around.
Comprised of nine members, Spam Allstars are led by DJ Le Spam (Andrew Yeomanson) who took the group from a tiny Miami club act to a national touring machine that has taken the live music circuit by storm, performing 200 shows a year. Starting in earnest in 2002, the group built a solid fan base with extended residencies in east coast locales: New York City, Atlanta, Tampa, Gainesville, New Orleans and Ft. Lauderdale. The summer of 2005 found the band overseas shaking groove things in clubs around Europe, culminating in a performance at the prestigious Roskilde Festival in Denmark.
Along the way, the group and DJ Le Spam have been asked to contribute original music to several acclaimed projects, and have received tremendous accolades from such varied sources as MTV, PBS and ASCAP.
When they're not touring, the members split their time between New York and Miami, absorbing their culture and nightlife, reflecting it back into future musical efforts.
Great bands yield great guest collaborations. Spam Allstars have hosted such luminaries as percussionist Sammy Figueroa, Larry Harlow of Fania Allstars, John Medeski of Medeski Martin and Wood, Clarence Reed a.k.a Blowfly, Page McConnell of Phish, various members of AntiBalas, Pee Wee Ellis of the JB Horns, and many others. Local roots band and fraternity favorite, Farm Vegas, will open the show. Don't be late!