World class music cued for Masterton

LIVE AND DIRECT: American roots genre luminary Pokey LaFarge, centre, returns with his full band to King Street Live in Masterton on March 28 after his sell-out debut show at the venue last year. PHOTO/FACEBOOK

A constellation of world-class stars will grace the stage over coming months at King Street Live in Masterton.

Launching the list of upcoming luminaries is Netherlands blues, trance and funk trio My Baby featuring Kiwi Daniel "Da Freez" Johnston and Dutch siblings Joost and Cato van Dyck, who will return for their second performance at King Street Live on January 23, according to venue booking manager Ange Kalogeropoulos.

In 2012 funk legend Larry Graham of Sly and the Family Stone fame discovered the trio, which had since toured through more than 16 countries and released their critically-acclaimed debut album My Baby Loves Voodoo.

My Baby debuted in Masterton last year and the present Voodoo Suite tour through New Zealand brings guitarist Johnston back to his Antipodean roots, she said, ahead of the trio's second album release tour of Europe and UK support performances in April for Seasick Steve, playing 14 major venues including the Hammersmith Apollo in London.

Andrew Fagan & The People play King Street Live on January 31 for the first time, Ms Kalogeropoulos said, and the veteran Kiwi performer and long-distance sailor was set to voyage across 30 years of music-making from The Mockers to The People to his solo outings as a performer and recording artist.

The Masterton show was part of a nine-date nationwide tour to support the new EP Ancestor and celebrate 30 years to the month since The Mockers hit No2 in the Kiwi charts with Forever Tuesday Morning.

Two-time Grammy-nominated songwriter and performer Kim Richey will also debut at King Street Live in the early part of the year with the Nashville-based star playing the venue on February 20.

Richey songs have been covered by country music superstars including the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood and Brooks & Dunn and have featured in hit TV shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Dawsons Creek, and she has collaborated in the studio with Ryan Adams, Shawn Colvin, William Shatner and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Australian singer-songwriter Toni Swain and her band play King Street Live on March 7 as part of a 16-date nationwide tour that also includes the Wairarapa Wine Festival.

The blues, jazz and soul diva from Nundle in New South Wales was touring in support of her latest album, The Red Shed, released late last year.

California-based Kiwi singer songwriter Greg Johnson returns to the Masterton venue on March 20 to reprise his successful debut there last year, Ms Kalogeropoulos said.

Johnson will be joined by longtime bandmate and guitarist Ted Brown and Melbourne-based musician Lisa Crawley for the show, which was part of an eight-date North Island tour titled North that will showcase songs selected from his 10 albums, radio hits and new material.

Master of American roots genre Pokey LaFarge rounds out the roster of renowned artists confirmed for King Street Live in coming months and hits Masterton for his second concert on March 28.

Masterton promotion company Up With People was bringing LaFarge to Wairarapa, along with a full band, and the performance was part of a 12-date Australasian tour in support of his new studio album, which comes after his 2013 self-titled release on Jack White's Third Man Records.

-For more information and ticket prices and availability go online to kingstreetlive.co.nz.