It might’ve been a dreary, cold January night outside but G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter kept fans cheery and warm inside The Pageant for their nearly 2-hour performance.
Kicking off this one-month, 20-date 2023 Flying Embers collaborative tour in St. Louis, G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter jelled together like bread and butter or chips with a spicy dip.
They commenced the night with the upbeat, sunny “Peace, Love and Happiness,” incorporating jams from the get-go by drummer Chuck Treece.
Simple neon painted signs with the word “Love” repeated as well as another board with Jimi Hendrix’s likeness adorned the otherwise stark stage.
At one point Garrett Dutton, aka G. Love said, “I always wanted to do a show like this. It’s so much fun.” And it was. So. Very. Much. Fun.
The first surprise of the night, to the delight of fans, was St. Louis’ Devon Allman who first joined on stage for Frankenreiter’s funky “Move by Yourself.” He later appeared for the rap/rock favorite G. Love & Special Sauce’s “Cold Beverage” as well as during the encore with two of his bandmates for a cover of The Allman Brothers Band’s “One Way Out.”
St. Louis’ own River Kittens also made guest appearances, first as backup and then more prominently during the first encore covering Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” with G. Love.
G. Love sprinkled in stories during the set including one about Donavon saying “the sweetest things to his wife Petra” and how he decided to write a song to his wife about it, as they launched into ‘She’s the Rock.”
More back and forth of songs with Frankenreiter’s jangly “That’s Too Bad (Byron Jam)” and G. Love & Special Sauce’s
Donavon Frankenreiter
endearing “Baby’s Got Sauce.”
G. Love also gave a fond shout-out to the now-shuttered Mississippi Nights which elicited many cheers.
Prior to the encore, the core band, comprised of G. Love, Donavon Frankenreiter, Chuck Treece, and bassist Matt Grundy, performed Frankenreiter’s soft, soulful “It Don’t Matter.”
The night ended on surfer/musician Frankenreiter’s sweet “Swing on Down,” which Allman also accompanied.
Kentucky-based Nat Myers opened the night with 30 minutes of stories (Memphis Minnie is one of his favorite blues musicians) and his front-porch, unplugged, old-timey country-blues tunes. With a cock-eyed hat on his head, and his fingers picking at his guitars, this young musician will be one to keep your eyes and ears peeled for. He was previously in St. Louis this past November with Willie Watson at Off Broadway.
Find more photos here: https://bit.ly/GLoveDFrank23cz
Coming up next at The Pageant: https://www.thepageant.com/calendar/
Nat Myers
Nat Myers
G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter
G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter
G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter
G. Love and Donavan Frankenreiter
Devon Allman at G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter
River Kittens at G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter
Donavon Frankenreiter
G. Love and Donavon Frankenreiter
In my work life, I help nonprofits and small businesses with media and public relations. In my what I love to do life, you can typically find me photographing either wild horses or concerts.
