GA-20 Live In Loveland (CD)

(Karma Chief) 11 tracks, digisleeve

Old-school blues-rock trio GA-20 continues to hit their stride, taking their growing fan base by storm with the release of their first live LP, "Live In Loveland!". "Live In Loveland!" features 11 rousing performances (including five songs from 2022's Crackdown, three from their 2019 debut "Lonely Soul" and three previously unreleased tracks) and shows GA-20 harnessing the energy of the audience, performing each song with raw emotion and physical force.

"Live In Loveland!" is a mix of the band's original compositions and old cover songs, from early electric blues to honky-tonk country to proto-rock 'n' roll, all performed live with great emotion and punk energy. The album was recorded straight to tape on a vintage Tascam 388 at Plaid Room Records in Loveland, Ohio, home of the famed Colemine label. Produced by Stubbs and engineered by Colemine owner Terry Cole, the band kicks off with Harold Burrage's "I Cry For You" before diving into Little Walter's obscure gem "My Baby's Sweeter."

The previously unrecorded original "Hold It One More Time" proves to be an instant classic, lining up seamlessly alongside the album's old covers. Guitarist Matthew Stubbs (who has played with blues legends Charlie Musselwhite and James Cotton, among others) explains, "There's a special kind of energy that's exchanged when we play in front of a live audience, and we definitely feed off that, and we wanted to capture that. I love the power and energy of the best live blues albums. Historically, some of the most iconic blues and jazz records have been live albums. B.B. King's Live At The Regal changed my life. So did Hound Dog Taylor's Beware Of The Dog! and Albert King's Live Wire/Blues Power. We really wanted to continue that tradition and make one of our own