Here Comes Jake Shimabukuro!

Jake Shimabukuro locks down his summer tour plans.  Launching in his home state of Hawaii in late June, the ukulele maestro begins his mainland adventure in Quebec at Festival International De Jazz De Montreal. Stops include Louisville, Tacoma, San Diego, Milwaukee, Orlando and Richmond.

Photo: Mary Andrews / ConcertLivewire.com
Rialto Theatre, Tucson, Ariz.

Accompanied by longtime bassist Nolan Verner, Shimabukuro will perform songs from his career-spanning Live In Japan album and 2015’s Travels as well as selections from his catalog.  He’ll also give fans a taste of his upcoming album landing in stores later this year.

“I’m looking forward to the upcoming shows this year,” Shimabukuro said.  “I have a new setup for my electric ukulele that gives me access to new sounds and timbres that I never incorporated before.  I’ll be performing lots of new material as well as new arrangements of old songs. 

“A few of my favorite moments in the show include an ukulele and bass duet of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and George Harrison’s ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ – and a ten-minute version of ‘Dragon,’ which utilizes a looper, analog echoes, finger tapping, and heavy metal distortion.  I always try to maintain a balance of traditional music with the edgier modern sounding pieces.  Every show is a little different, which keeps things fresh and exciting.  The most important thing is everyone has a great time and walks away with a smile.”

Here’s the tour:

June 29 – Honolulu, Hawaii, Blue Note
June 30 – Honolulu, Hawaii, Blue Note
July 1 – Honolulu, Hawaii, Blue Note
July 5 – Montreal, Quebec, Festival International De Jazz De Montreal
July 8 – Arvada, Colo., Arvada Center
July 26 – Little Rock, Ark., Revolution Music Room
July 28 – Louisville, Ky., W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre
July 29 – Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Evans Amphitheatre
July 31 – Fish Creek, Wis., Door Community Auditorium
Aug. 2 – Interlochen, Mich., Upton-Morley Pavilion
Aug. 5 – Hilo, Hawaii, Palace Theatre
Sept. 7 – Tacoma, Wash., Pantages Theater
Sept. 9 – Saratoga, Calif., The Mountain Winery
Sept. 10 – San Diego, Calif., Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay
Sept. 13 – Key West, Fla., Key West Theater
Sept. 14 – Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Parker Playhouse
Sept. 15 – Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
Sept. 16 – Orlando, Fla., Plaza Live Orlando
Sept. 18 – Charleston, S.C., Charleston Music Hall
Nov. 6 – Milwaukee, Wis., Pabst Theater
Nov. 7 – Carmel, Ind., The Palladium
Nov. 9 – Boston, Mass., The Wilbur
Nov. 10 – Brownfield, Maine, Stone Mountain Arts Center
Nov. 17 – Buffalo, N.Y., Kleinhans Music Hall
Nov. 18 – Wilkes-Barre, Pa., F.M. Kirby Center For Perf. Arts
Nov. 19 – York, Pa., Strand-Capitol Perf. Arts Center
Nov. 20 – North Bethesda, Md., Music Center At Strathmore
Nov. 21 – Richmond, Va., The Tin Pan
Nov. 29 – Palm Desert, Calif., McCallum Theatre

 Many shows go on sale in the coming weeks.  Visit JakeShimabukuro.com for more details.