World-renowned Atlanta-based blues-rock guitar virtuoso, soulful singer and prolific songwriter Tinsley Ellis served up plans for his coast-to-coast Ice Cream In Hell tour. The three-month tour kicks off in Ellis’ hometown of Atlanta on January 31, 2020, the same day the highly anticipated new album, Ice Cream In Hell, is released.
“A musician never got famous staying home,” says Ellis, who continues to perform over 150 nights a year. “I’ve seen it all,” the Atlanta native says of his four decades on the road. “And a lot of my audience has been along for the entire time. It’s not always easy. But the payoff is the music. That’s the ice cream.”
Filled with blazing, every-note-matters guitar playing over the course of 11 instantly memorable original songs, Ice Cream In Hell is, according to Ellis, the most raw-sounding, guitar-drenched album of his career. Throughout the album, Ellis’ deeply emotional, lyrical guitar solos perfectly match his fervent vocals. Rolling Stone says Ellis plays “feral blues guitar…non-stop gigging has sharpened his six-string to a razor’s edge…his eloquence dazzles…he achieves pyrotechnics that rival early Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.”
Recorded in Nashville and produced by Ellis and his longtime co-producer Kevin McKendree (John Hiatt, Delbert McClinton), Ice Cream In Hell is a cathartic blast of blues-rock power. Though inspired by all three Kings (B.B., Albert and Freddie), as well by Carlos Santana, Hound Dog Taylor and others, Ice Cream In Hell is pure, unadulterated Tinsley Ellis.
ICE CREAM IN HELL TOUR:
Jan 31 City Winery Atlanta, GA
Feb 01 The Foundry Athens, GA
Feb 05 The Grey Eagle Asheville, NC
Feb 06 Neighborhood Theatre Charlotte, NC
Feb 07 The Open Chord Knoxville, TN
Feb 08 Songbirds Guitar Museum Chattanooga, TN
Feb 14 The Kelsey Theater Lake Park, FL
Feb 15 David Posnack JCC Davie, FL
Feb 16 The Alley Sanford, FL
Feb 20 Stocks n Bonds Omaha, NE
Feb 21-22 Grand Z Casino Central City, CO
Feb 23 Swallow Hill Music Denver, CO
Feb 24 The Cooperage Albuquerque, NM
Feb 26 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA with Janiva Magness
Feb 27 The Canyon Agoura Hills, CA
Feb 28 Felton Music Hall Felton, CA
Feb 29 Mystic Theatre Petaluma, CA
Mar 01 Cornerstone Berkeley, CA
Mar 03 The Tower Theatre Lounge Fresno, CA
Mar 04 SLO Brew Rock San Luis Obispo, CA
Mar 05 The Rose Pasadena, CA
Mar 06 World Records Bakersfield, CA
Mar 08 The Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CA with Jimmie Vaughan
Mar 10 191 Toole Tucson, AZ
Mar 11 Musical Instrument Museum Phoenix, AZ
Mar 12 Boulder Station Casino Las Vegas, NV at Railhead
Mar 13 Center for the Arts Grass Valley, CA
Mar 14 Paradise Performing Arts Center Paradise, CA with Tommy Castro
Mar 15 The Saint Reno, NV
Mar 18 The Triple Door Seattle, WA
Mar 19 The Seasons Performance Hall Yakima, WA
Mar 20 Jack London Revue Portland, OR
Mar 21 Capitol Theater Olympia, WA with Curtis Salgado
Mar 23 Top Hat Missoula, MT
Mar 24 Rialto Bozeman, MT
Mar 26 Dakota Minneapolis, MN
Mar 27 TBA Des Moines, IA
Mar 28 The Jazz Kitchen Indianapolis, IN
Mar 29 Woodlands Tavern Columbus, OH
Mar 31 SPACE Evanston, IL
Apr 01 Shank Hall Milwaukee, WI
Apr 02 Uptown Grill’s Playlist Theater LaSalle, IL
Apr 03 London Music Hall London, ON
Apr 04 Hugh’s Room (matinee) Toronto, ON
Apr 05 Iron Works Buffalo, NY
Apr 08 Cafe Lena Saratoga Springs, NY
Apr 09 One Longfellow Square Portland, ME
Apr 10 Spire Center for Performing Arts Plymouth, NH
Apr 11 The Center For Arts In Natick, MA
Apr 13 Chan’s Woonsocket, RI
Apr 14 Sellersville Theater Sellersville, PA
Apr 15 Infinity Hall Norfolk, CT
Apr 16 City Winery, NYC
Apr 17 Arden Gild Hall Arden, DE
Apr 18 The Soundry Columbia, MD
Apr 19 City Winery Washington, DC
