Lettuce stops by Charlotte’s Neighborhood Theatre on their Unify World Tour

Photos and Writing by Aleshia Jenkins

Friday night was my official first show covering photography since the Pandemic closed everything down in 2020. I was excited to get behind the lens again and capture some live music and enjoy good music and the music scene. This was also my first time seeing the band Lettuce, so I knew I was in for a treat. I don’t know why this band was never on my radar or on my music playlist. Several of my social media music friends had been raving about them and said I really needed to check them out. Well, I was impressed and now a fan that has added Lettuce to my playlist. I got there a little early to check out the vibe and talk to a few of the fans. One lady I was standing next to was with her husband. I asked if she had been a longtime fan and how many shows she had been to. She started counting and then threw up her hands and said basically 2 shows a year for the past 15 years. Another fan was there with his buddy celebrating his birthday and was dressed like he was straight out of a 70’s throwback movie, minus the platform shoes. Others were at the merch tables grabbing up t-shirts, vinyl, stickers and other cool stuff or hanging at the bar chatting it up before the show. The scene was an eclectic mix of people ranging from young to not so young (but young in spirit).

The band played two sets, the first started a little after 9:30 and in that set, they played six songs lasting about 5 min each then there was an intermission for a smoke and drink break, the second set started a little after 10:45. If I had to describe their music, it’s a colorful mix of Parliament Funkadelic, mixed with a dash of James Brown funk, and a pinch of Vulfpeck and Tower Of Power. From the first song to the last, the fans were dancing to the funky instrumental beats and colorful lightshow and if they weren’t dancing, they were swaying with hands high in the air bopping to the music. Overall, I really enjoyed myself and look forward to seeing them again.

Lettuce is currently touring across 14 countries and has 61 upcoming concerts. Check out their website for upcoming shows at a venue near you.