It is almost implausible that Lettuce has been together since 1992 – 34 years! The funk band that is so much more than just funk tour constantly and their show at The Bellwether near downtown Los Angeles epitomized what makes them so special live. The energetic crowd fed off the band’s vibe and their two plus hours show included songs from their recent album Cook back to their earliest releases plus covers of tracks by artists that inspired their sound.
The club is a refurbished warehouse space with modern stage lighting, an excellent sound system and hardwood dance floor. Lettuce shows usually have dark and silhouetted visual effects, but at The Bellwether the musicians were lit well and spotlights often highlighted their solos. Trumpeter Eric “Benny” Bloom and saxophone player Ryan “Zoid” Zoidis were often featured during extensive solos. Guitarist Adam “Shmeaans” Smirnoff and keys player Nigel Hall also got the spotlight for some spectacularly creative sequences. Hall also delivered his trademark soulful vocals on a few songs. Bassist Erick “Maverick” Coomes and drummer Adam Deitch kept a thumping low end and pounding beat throughout the show.
The first set included an inspired contrast between new and older material. Bloom and Zoidis opened things up by blasting their synchronized horns from the stage left balcony as the the other musicians accompanied them from the stage on “Mt. Crushmore,” an instrumental title track from their 2016 album. The band also played a new funky foot stomper called “Fastball” that they debuted on August 20, 2026, at Riverfront Live in Cincinnati, Ohio. The song features a creative horn riff that transitions into a trippy jam. Hall got the spotlight for two classic covers. On Isaac Hayes’ “Do Your Thing,” he showed off his powerful, soulful voice and performed a long, sustained vocal note that amazed the appreciative crowd. Shmeaans blasted a funky solo before ending the song. For the set closer, the band covered Rick James’ “Give it to Me Baby” with Coomes pulsating bass and Deitch’s drum intro shaking the club while Hall’s vocals once again impressed the audience along with the rapid horns riff.
The second set opened with “Clav it Your Way” from Cook. Bloom played a killer solo while Shmeaans and Hall traded intricate guitar and organ riffs. The instrumental funk tune “Chief,” from their 2015 album Crush featured a long, complex Shmeaans solo and a Deitch focused drum sequence. The band broke out a special cover to honor the memory and celebrate the 100th birthday of Miles Davis. Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” was covered by Davis on his 1985 album You’re Under Arrest. The band did a fantastic interpretation of the Davis version of the song with Bloom at the front of the stage with his muted trumpet channeling the distinctive Davis sound.
Lettuce’s version of another classic cover came next. Hall scatted and sang Aretha Franklin’s “Jump To It.” The band used a synchronized, recorded audio track of female backup singers for the track while the heavy funk bass, drum beat and guitar riff expertly supported Hall’s singing. Another track from Cook called “Ghosts of Yest” transitioned from a hard beat and beautifully arranged horns to a softer, trippy organ section that segued into the band’s version of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” Hall always shines on this cover, delivering powerful, soulful lyrics and a moving organ solo. During the slow, melodic organ section Coomes led the crowd for some rhythmic finger snapping before Hall launched into the finale vocal sequence that ended the set. Everyone except Coomes left the stage, but they returned quickly for “Make it Funky,” an original track heavily inspired by James Brown's classic funk anthem of the same name. Coomes and Bloom supported Hall with backing vocals and the super funky track had the audience gyrating before finally wrapping up the show.
