If Garrett Dutton, better known as G. Love, and his band of dirty-bluesy musicians were a sauce, what would they be? Certainly not the average condiment of ketchup or regular old Tabasco. They wouldn’t be traditional marinara or a boring broth. Nope. G. Love would be the kind of sauce that is concocted by an eccentric chef in a messy kitchen somewhere, for the sole purpose of being — well — special. [All photos by Fernando Garcia.]

The ingredients for such a sauce include a dash of blues, a sprinkle of funky jazz and a handful of alternative hip-hop. A stew of musical flavors that blend to create one of the most original sounds your ears have ever tasted. It was this sweet and tangy sound that simmered on the stage of The Ritz Friday night, as the songs of G. Love and Special Sauce resonated through the Ybor City venue.

When I arrived the place was packed, a line stretched around the building on 7th and 15th, full of people ranging in age from those born both before and after John Lennon’s death. An assortment of generations, all coming together to jam to a musical group that has been touring for over 15 years.

After waiting, what seemed like forever, to get a cold beverage (a problem I often have at this particular venue depending on the bartender), I headed to he main floor where the opening act, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad (Yeah, how’s that for a name), was enthusing the crowd with their experimental dub musicalities. The crowd and myself were definitely digging G. Love’s choice for an opening act. I am assuming the roots reggae dub tunes came off of their latest album LIVE UP!

It was a little after 10 p.m., when the harmonica and guitar playing, funky blues singing, Philadelphia born and bred, G. Love took the stage with his three backup musicians — Jeffrey Clemens on drums, Mark Boyce on keyboards and Timo Shanko on G. Love’s right, playing a massive upright bass.

The show started with “Blues Music” off of their 1994 self-titled debut from Epic Records. A song that sets the perfect tone of a G. Love show, the lyrics explaining, “Me and my band/ we all must agree/ we like to get groovy with the sounds of the old time,” set against a gentle drum and base beat and soft blues-music guitar riffs.

Since the release of G. Love and The Special Sauce in 1994, the eclectic band has released ten albums; been picked up and subsequently dropped from both Sony and Universal; introduced Jack Johnson to the world with the song “Rodeo Clowns” on their 1999 release Philadelphonic; recorded with Ben Harper and Tristan Prettyman; released a record from Johnson’s label, Brushfire Records; and built a reputation for rigorous touring and incredible live shows. And through it all, stayed true to their unique musical style.

The blues hip-hop session continued Friday night, with G. Love showing off his skills as a premium entertainer by quickly building up a rapport with the audience. He was constantly encouraging us with shouts of “Yeah, C’mon Tampa,” in between breaths on the harmonica or by pacing the stage, asserting his musical presence with lyrical raps as he grabbed the offered hands of fans in the crowd.

Other tunes on the set list included “Free at Last” off the 2001 release Electric Mile, “Dreamin’” off 1999s Philadelphonic, “Garbage Man” off of the self-titled album, and his signature “Baby’s Got Sauce” from the same album, which he dedicated especially to all ladies in attendance.

One of the best moments was the performance of “Cold Beverage,” one of my personal ‘Special Sauce favorites. The song’s lyrics rap praises about the value of a cold beverage on a hot ass summer day, with G. Love declaring – in full urban twang – “I like cold beverage, yeah/ 'Cuz I'm feelin' kinda thirsty/ Stick it in the fridge, stick it in the fridge/ stick it in the fridge, stick it in the fridge.” The live version was amazing, with the band going off into an improvised funky jam session that flowed into the audience.

By the time they left the stage, the crowd was howling for more, already feeling the craving for more of that hip hop blues flavor, which are the ingredients of G. Love and Special Sauce.

Here's some more photos by Fernando

Some video from the evening…