The Midnight Lamp is burning for the Experience Hendrix Tour again.
The all-star package, paying tribute to the music of Jimi Hendrix, returned to the road last fall for the first time since the pandemic pause and is back on the road this spring. According to John McDermott, catalog manager for the family-owned Experience Hendrix LLC, the break gave the outing a chance to refresh itself after 15 years of mostly annual touring.
“It’s been fun,” says McDermott, who curates the lineup and set lists for the tour. “I missed the camaraderie and the hang. It’s a lot of work logistically, but I do enjoy it. I think after the five years off, there was a demand from promoters and interest from the artists and the audience, and we finally said: ‘OK, sure. Let’s give it a go.”
This year’s Experience Hendrix features longtime regulars such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa, Mato Nanji, Ally Venable and Detroit sacred slide pioneer Calvin Cooke with newcomers such as Marcus King, Devon Allman and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. It also features a fresh set of drummers (Tony Beard and Sam Bryant) as well as some fresh songs in the repertoire such as “One Rainy Wish,” Burning of the Midnight Lamp” and “Love or Confusion” alongside well-worn favorites such as “Stone Free,” “Foxy Lady,” “Purple Haze” and the Shepherd showcase “Voodoo Chile.”
“Some of these songs, Jimi didn’t ever play live,” McDermott notes, “so that’s really part of the fun, to sneak that stuff in there, too. So you’re hearing what we hope is a full representation of his legacy.”
Experience Hendrix’s main other project recently was “Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision,” a documentary and box set chronicling what was the first artist-owned recording studio and Hendrix’s work there. The film is headed to PBS, according to McDermott, while the company is starting to consider its next projects.
“Going forward, we just have to look at the remaining music we have and say, ‘OK, how does this add to the story?’ or ‘What does this bring to a fan in terms of understanding why it’s important?'” he says. “I think we’re grateful that we’ve been able to put out all the music we have. I can’t say we’ve got anything immediately on the runway to say, “OK, this’ll be in stores in June,’ but we have a few things we’re looking at now.”
The Experience Hendrix Tour, featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Marcus King, Eric Johnson, Devon Allman and more, plays at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22 at the Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-471-7000 or 313Presents.com. For more Hendrix, the Kris Kurzawa Group plays a tribute show at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cadieux Cafe, 4300 Cadieux Road, Detroit. 313-882-8560 or cadieuxcafe.com.
