On January 6th, local band Luc & The Lovingtons return to perform at Nectar Lounge (412 N 36th) after their incredibly successful tour with Grammy award winner Jason Mraz. Mraz chose the band as his opening act for a portion of his national tour after first encountering their hit, “The Freedom Song.” Mraz has performed the song during a special performance in Ghana, on his EP Life Is Good, and has it under consideration for his upcoming album. The band and Mraz also performed the song at the Freedom Awards, in November 2010, as sponsored by Free The Slaves.
“I heard the song and immediately wanted to tell the story and immediately wanted to sing it and play it,” Mraz has said. ““The Freedom Song” is a song of gratitude and it fits right in with everything I do.”
Singer-songwriter Luc Reynaud created the song when he traveled to Baton Rouge in 2005 with the American Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina. While doing relief work, Reynaud met a group of displaced kids, and together they wrote “The Freedom Song”.
In September 2009, Luc and the Lovingtons performed as the opening act for Mraz in Mississippi, Kentucky, Delaware, Arkansas, Ohio and Michigan for audiences ten times the size of any audience they had performed for prior. “It was bigger and better than we could’ve ever imagined,” said Reynaud. “We’ve never played for crowds like that and the response we got blew all of us away.” According to the Mraz team, the band also sold more albums during their segment of the tour than any previous opening act that has toured with Mraz.
Watch video of Jason Mraz and Luc and the Lovington’s performing the Freedom Song together in Michigan, and see the original recording of “The Freedom Song” featuring Reynaud singing with children at a shelter in Baton Rouge. Also, check out their show at Nectar on Thursday, Jan 6th starting at 8p. Tickets cost only $5. For more information on the band, visit their website or contact Steve Hirsch at 509/996-3339.