Originally released as a Record Store Day B-side to his incredibly soulful cover of Black Sabbath‘s “Changes” with fellow Daptone Records labelmates The Budos Band, and a regularly occurring part of his live sets “Ain’t It A Sin,” is the third and latest single off Charles Bradley‘s recently released third full-length effort, Changes. The swaggering and strutting song has Bradley’s narrator boldly and loudly that he’s tired of being used and abused by someone who doesn’t really love him — and that it’s now his time to get what he feels he so urgently deserves and needs. Sonically speaking, it’s the loosest, rowdiest and most raucous song that Bradley and company have released to date; in fact, in some way, “Ain’t It A Sin,” reminds me of Johnny Winter‘s boozy, barroom-leaning collaborations with Muddy Waters — as members of the band and others are heard shouting in joy and in agreement. Hell, hearing the song should make you want to shout along with it, too.
Recently, Bradley and his backing band His Extraordinaires were on Late Show with Stephen Colbert to perform “Ain’t It A Sin” to build up buzz for the act’s forthcoming Stateside and European tours to support Changes, which begins tomorrow night at The Beacon Theatre. I’ve seen the brother perform 7 or 8 times at a both small and large venues across this fair city and i can tell you that if you haven’t seen him yet that you must see him. Catch him if he’s playing in a town near you. It’d be worth it, I promise. Check out tour dates below.
CHARLES BRADLEY TOUR DATES
4/23 New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
4/24 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
4/27 Evanston, IL – SPACE
4/28 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
4/29 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall
4/30 Madison, WI – Majestic
5/04 Nashville, TN – Exit/In
5/05 St. Louis, MO – The Old Rock House
5/06 Davenport, IA – Daytrotter
5/07 Kansas City, MO – Middle Of The Map Festival
5/12 San Diego, CA – North Park
5/13 Los Angeles, CA – Theater At The Ace Hotel
5/16 Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst
5/17 San Francisco, CA – Fillmore
5/19 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
5/20 Vancouver, BC – Commodore
5/21 Denver, CO – Project Pabst
5/23 Seattle, WA – Neumo’s
5/26 Minneapolis, MN – First Ave
5/27-28 Suffolk, VA – Lava Music Festival
5/29 Boston, MA – Boston Calling Music Festival
6/02 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
6/3 Cincinnati, OH – Bunbury
6/04 Nelsonville, OH – Nelsonville Music Festival
6/05 Toronto, ON – Field Trip Music & Arts Festival
6/08 Pittsburgh, PA – Three Rivers Arts Festival
6/25 Ewijk, Netherlands – Down The Rabbit Hole
7/08 Liege, Belgium – Les Ardentes Festival
7/09 Bruges, Belgium – Cactusfestival
7/16 Pori, Finland – Pori Jazz
7/17 Salacgriva, Latvia – Positivus Festival
7/24 San Sebastian, Spain – Heineken Jazzaldia
7/26 Lucerne, Switzerland – Blue Balls
7/30 Cambridge, UK – Cambridge Folk Fest
8/26 Arrington, VA – Lockn Festival
8/28 Los Angeles, CA – FYF Fest
