Black Pumas, Neal Francis
The Sylvee 25 S. Livingston St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Jody Domingue
Black Pumas
One month after they helped close the curtain on Milwaukee’s Summerfest 2021, the four-time Grammy-nominated duo of vocalist/guitarist Eric Burton and guitarist Adrian Quesada brings their dramatic and intoxicating neo-soul to Madison. Black Pumas are still touring their 2019 self-titled debut, and the music created by Burton and Quesada sounds timeless and packs broad appeal. But they’re releasing new singles, too, including a cover of Rodriguez’s “Sugar Man.” Chicago-based singer-songwriter-pianist Neal Francis and his uplifting blur of indie pop and classic rock will open the show. Plan to arrive early.
$35 ($29.50 adv.).
media release: In just a couple of years’ time, songwriter Eric Burton and producer Adrian Quesada have turned their unplanned meeting into a Grammy-nominated act with songs that have racked up millions of streams and won overwhelming critical praise and multiple sold-out tours across North America and Europe. The deluxe edition of their self-titled debut album is nominated from Album of the Year at the 2021 Grammy Awards and has won acclaim from Rolling Stone, who praised “the tireless, charismatic energy of singer Eric Burton,” Pitchfork, who raved, “The duo’s flair for drama is so stirring, they can seem acutely cinematic,” NPR, The Fader, The Guardian, Billboard, Essence, and many more. Their anthemic single “Colors” - nominated for Record of the Year and Best American Roots Performance at the 2021 Grammys - hit #1 at AAA Radio and has been streamed 205 million times across all platforms. Meanwhile, the official live video of “Colors” has been viewed over 93 million times on YouTube, and the band performed the song at President Biden’s official 2021 Inauguration and the NFL Draft. From their high-profile appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Late Show With James Corden, Good Morning America, TODAY, and more, to their Emerging Act of the Year win at the 2020 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards, Black Pumas’ trajectory continues to see a phenomenal rise.