On the heels of the MC5’s nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, legendary Detroit proto-punk/activist/hard-rock innovator Wayne Kramer has released two new songs and announced The Heavy Lifting Tour in May – all as a reanimation of his pioneering group dubbed WE ARE ALL MC5. The tour begins with a special hometown show, celebrating the birthday of Detroit’s El Club. The show serves as a return of sorts to his formative years; Kramer’s memories of that neighborhood were chronicled all too well in his acclaimed 2018 memoir The Hard Stuff. After Detroit, the tour will hit major markets on the East Coast (Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Brooklyn) and West Coast (Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego). Joining the pioneering guitarist in the touring band will be singer Brad Brooks, drummer Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), bassist Vicki Randle (Mavis Staples), and guitarist Stevie Salas (David Bowie).
“Nonstop touring, especially the last decade, I’ve come to understand that the music of the MC5 is as necessary as ever. It’s definitely high time to write and record new songs and to carry a message of uncompromising hard rock to fans around the world.” Watch Kramer talk more about the new music and upcoming tour on YouTube.
Ahead of the tour, the band will release two singles — Kramer’s first new music as MC5 since 1972 — previewing a full album on Ear Music scheduled for October 2022. Both songs were produced by the iconic Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, KISS) and engineered by 4x Grammy winner Dave Way (Paul McCartney, Fiona Apple, Neil Young) at his studio The Waystation. Ear Music is home to Deep Purple, Def Leppard, Helmet, Joe Satriani, Foreigner, Joe Henry, Marianne Faithfull, and others. Last year, Alice Cooper’s Ear Music album Detroit Stories, for which Kramer co-wrote songs and performed, topped Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart.
The Heavy Lifting 2022 Tour Dates
5/05 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
5/06 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird
5/07 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
5/08 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
5/12 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s
5/13 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
5/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy Theatre
5/15 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
