D-Town rocked by G. Love-flavored groove

By Elizabeth Hill

Daily Arts Writer

To many, G. Love and Special Sauce are the one-hit wonders who made us jiggle our heads along to the radio with their 1994 hit "Baby's Got Sauce" (off their self-titled album released in the same year). Well, that's true. But G. Love (a.k.a. Garrett Dutton) and his band Special Sauce are also a grooving live band and have put out a new album that has the same laid-back, R&B crossed with hip-hop feel as their most popular tune.

A G. Love show has something for everyone. For the ladies, let me just tell you, thick dark curls, brooding eyes and creamy guitar licks are never overrated. And fellows, any G. Love concert will be chock full of happening chicks that could be yours, if only they could pry their eyes away from the G man.

More than eye-candy however, G. Love, and his Special Sauce are just a fun band. They don't try to get into your head like Radiohead or into your politics like Rage Against the Machine. And they aren't nearly as annoying as Limp Bizkit or, for God's sake, Creed. They just groove.

So it went last Saturday night at Detroit's Saint Andrew's Hall. G. Love kicked it late-night, not stepping on stage until after 10 p.m. But once they got settled in they had the crowd dancin' and shakin' that thang until well past midnight.

Mr. G. himself strode up to the lowered microphone in some fine vintage pants that made his ass look delectable, but he was also kickin' it downtown in an old-school green Phillies jersey (#20) and a white bandana. He then sat down and proceeded to the jams in his usual knees swingin', fingers pluckin', eyes rollin' back in his head kind of way.

Special Sauce, which consists of string bassist Jimi "Jazz" Prescott and Jeffrey "Houseman" Clemens on the drums, are generally considered G. Love's back-up band, and are even further in the background when it comes to public image (just check out some of the album covers - talk about shallow focus!). But in a live setting, when music is the focal point, Jimi Jazz and the Houseman are irreplaceable. Jimi tugs out some incredible bass lines. And he loves to show off his solo skill when G. Love turns the spotlight to his side. Behind G. and Jimi is the Houseman, whose drumming is funky and bluesy. In fact, the Houseman really is the backbone of each song, considering G. Love's tendency to rap.

And G. Love ain't so bad at rappin', neither. At least once every show, G. calms his swaying legs, and flaunts his freestyling skills at full height. Waving his arm like he's down with O.P.P., he isn't afraid of cheesy rhymes like "tangueray and tonic" with "chronic" (but slips some intelligent references in there as well). A white boy rapping can be a sad, sad sight, but G. Love doesn't try to "front," so to speak. He's not trying to be Eminem, spouting violent and offensive lyrics. G. just kicks his flow about mackin' the ladies and getting a six-pack at the corner store.

His good-natured songs are really beautiful, too. Most of the songs G. Love did on Saturday were off the band's latest album, 1999's Philadelphonic. They did some soft-spoken jams like "No Turning Back," "Numbers" and "Dreamin'," which is dedicated to Brad Nowell of Sublime. After about 40 minutes, the band left the stage, holding the audience in belief that the concert was over, save a one-song encore. Not so. From backstage, G. Love announced in a disembodied voice, "It's not over. We're gonna take a half-hour break and do a second set." The second set was funkier and more experimental - more of a jam.

But there was also more ass-shakin' and arm-wavin', featuring jazzy rap tunes like "Stepping Stones" and "Cold Beverage" which relates the utter joy of liquid, preferably alcoholic (and it better be cold).

G. Love and Special Sauce finished up a show well-worth fifteen bucks with the only single off Philadelphonic. An almost somber melody, "Rodeo Clowns" was a bittersweet end to a kick-ass concert.

Even on a blistering night, at the icicle tip of the new millennium, a little hot Sauce went a hell of a long way.

Courtesy of Sony/550

G. Love and the frequently out-of-focus Special Sauce (shown here on the cover of 1999's Philadelphonic) laid the funk down thick and creamy last Saturday in Detroit.