Beck in the Summer

Grammy Award winner Beck will hit the road alongside Cage the Elephant this summer in a 30-date North American tour. The tour kicks off on the 11^th of July in Ridgefield, Washington, features stops in locations such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and New York, and will wrap up on the 30^th of August in West Palm Beach.

“Night Running” tour will have as special guests Spoon and Wild Belle, while Starcrawler and Sunflower Bean will open the tour by rotation. The name of the tour is also the name of a track from Cage the Elephant’s coming record “Social Cues”.

Beck’s latest album, “Colors”, released in 2017, won the Grammy for “Best Engineered Album (Non-classical)” and the Grammy for “Best Alternative Music Album”. Beck’s 13^th album “Colors” has been received by the public as his most upbeat record since the 90^s. However, it features also tracks that resemble the downtempo of previous albums, such as “Wow” and “Dear Life”.

Greg Kurstin, who played in Beck’s live band, is the producer of the album and has put all the expertise gained in the years he worked with Adele and Sia into the creation of an uplifting, full-of-energy album. That uplifting beat is present from the starters with the effervescence in the track “Colors” and continues with the guitar in the track “Dreams”, which manages to deliver an anthem-like rhythm. The catchy chorus of “No Distraction” sounds like a soul tune from the beginning of the ‘80^s. The uplifting vibe is present also in the track “Square One”, whose keyboards and falsetto lines recreate the “Doobie Brothers” engaging, upbeat rhythm.

Beck David Campbell was born on the 8^th of July 1970, in Los Angeles, California, in a family of artists.

In the 10^th grade, Beck dropped out of school to pursue a musical career. At the beginning of the ‘90^s, he started to play folk and acoustic blues on the streets and in local coffee shops and to compose some slam lyrics. In 1991, an independent record label convinced him to include hip-hop beats in his rock singing. It was in 1992 when he released the single “MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack”, followed by his debut album “Golden Feelings” in 1993. The single “Loser” was so popular that the record company had difficulties printing enough copies to cover the demand.

In 1994 Beck released his second studio album – “A Western Harvest Field By Moonlight” and his first EP. After “Loser” became a national anthem, Beck’s third album – “Mellow Gold” received platinum certification. 1994 brought the musician’s fourth album and marked a transition of Beck’s music towards acoustic folk. He also hit the road with his first major tour. The 1996 “Odelay” album featured the single “Where It’s At”, which won in 1997 the Grammy award for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” and the Grammy for “Best Alternative Music Album”, grabbing a nomination for “Album of the year”.

2 years later it was time for another Grammy: “Best International Solo Artist” for his duet with the country singer Emmylou Harris. In 2001, he featured in “Air’s 10,000 Hz Legend”. In 2002, Beck went on an acoustic tour to promote his new studio album – “Sea Change”. The same year, “Flaming Lips” has become his supporting band. 2004 was a great year for Beck in both his personal and professional life: he married actress Marissa Ribisi in April and welcomed their son, Cosimo Henri, and recorded the album “Guero”.

The album was released in 2005 and it featured a duet with Jack White of “White Stripes”. Received positive reviews from music critics, Beck’s ninth album benefited from a “Beastie Boys” contribution, which provided a drum song. “Guero” was supported by a tour performed in 2006 alongside his band “Flaming Lips”. In 2007, Beck and his wife welcomed their daughter, Tuesday. The next year, in 2008, Beck released the album “Modern Guilt” and after several collaborations with various artists, Beck and Jack White joined hands again and released 2012 the single “I Just Started Hating Some People Today”.

“Morning Phase”, the musician’s 12^th album, was released in 2014 and received with appraisals from both the critics and the public. It won the next year, the Grammy Awards for “Best Rock Album” and “Album of the Year”. His latest project, “Colors”, just as successful as his previous work, is proof that Beck’s unique musical style – a fusion of folk, rock, hip-hop, and rap is still highly appreciated by his fans. If you want to experience Beck’s music, catch one of his live performances from the upcoming tour by getting your tickets at any of the major third-party sites.