Apr 18: Checkerboard Lounge Trio (Aus) Back with the Blues Tour

The Checkerboard Lounge Trio at Raglan Old School Arts Centre. At 7:30 pm on Good Friday April 18, 2025. Doors open 7.00pm.

$25 + Transaction Fee at Eventfinda or $30 at the door.

Buy tickets now:  https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2025/checkerboard-lounge-trio-aus-back-with-the-blues-tour/raglan

Cafe open (No alcohol sales due to Easter licensing restrictions).

Evolving over thirty-five years CBL has become a cult-like institution in Australia. The brainchild of renowned singer, songwriter and drummer Carl Pannuzzo, the band has enjoyed diverse membership over its lifespan but the current line up of Carl, Tim Neal and Shannon Bourne is arguably the band’s strongest ever, breathing fire and virtuosity into blues, classic soul and roots.

CBL, leave audiences enthralled by the creativity and chemistry between the band. The spirit is palpable from the first bar of their performances, with an almost childlike sense of play, they reinvent the music every time with authenticity and immediacy, no two shows are ever the same. From standing ovations at festivals to packed Melbourne pubs, vibrant and unforgettable, CBL are a tour-de-force delivering honesty, integrity and truthful musicianship, the very essence of a live music experience.

Albums

2022 saw the launch of the critically acclaimed ‘SUN Sessions’, recorded live at the legendary SUN Studio after the band reached the semi-finals at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN. The album remained in the top 20 of the Australian Blues and Roots National Radio Charts for the whole year, with some months at #1, selling out its first vinyl and limited edition coloured vinyl run. It was one of Rhythm magazine’s Top 10 Albums of the Year. It also won three of six available awards at the Melbourne Blues Awards, and Best Blues Album at the Music Victoria Awards in 2022.

Rollercoaster produced by Jeff Lang at his Enclave studio and released December 2023, highlights a more collective approach to composition from the group, and some tasty production touches from producer Lang. The album spans blues, soul, and rock, with a jazz funk feel at times, the instrumental track Uncivil Compliance is one of the standouts.

“As with so many acts that make music outside the mainstream genres, Checkerboard Lounge are revered in the blues scene but largely unknown outside of it. That’s a great shame, because they’re brilliant. With the release of Roller Coaster, it’s the perfect time to get on board.” Sound of Oz