No matter how much the world around us may change, music persists as the last original magic. It appears seemingly out of nowhere, affecting and altering emotions, feelings, and moods before melting back into the ether.

Blues Traveler always treats this magic with the utmost care. It’s why they continue to resonate as loudly as ever among audiences nearly four decades since their emergence. It’s why their catalog endures, comprising three gold-selling records, one platinum LP, and the 6x-platinum opus Four highlighted by the GRAMMY® Award-winning “Run Around.” It’s why they can still roll through any town on tour and pack a shed or amphitheater. It’s why they even notched their most recent GRAMMY® nod in 2022. It’s also why they tally tens of millions of streams to this day.

Now, the quintet—John Popper [vocals, harmonica], Chan Kinchla [guitar], Tad Kinchla [bass], Ben Wilson [keyboards], and Brendan Hill [drums]—channel the same magic on their fifteenth full-length album, Traveler’s Soul [Round Hill Records/Black Hill Records].

On the record, the group put their spin on R&B and soul staples straight out of the American Songbook, and it’s nothing short of spellbinding…

“Music is the old magic,” smiles Chan. “You can’t recreate a live performance anywhere. It happens once– in the studio or on stage –and it brings everyone together. The songs we chose for Traveler’s Soul move people so much because there are great pockets you can really sink into. You just don’t want to leave.”

These anthems also fit like a glove for Blues Traveler. In 2021, they tackled a batch of blues covers with Traveler’s Blues and wound up with a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best Traditional Blues Album.” Maintaining this momentum, the musicians made the decision to dive headfirst into another lane altogether.

“We had so much fun with Traveler’s Blues that we were like, ‘We should try this again with a different style’,” recalls Chan. “We have so many influences, going from hip-hop and blues to pop, rock, and R&B. We wanted to honor Soul and R&B and challenge ourselves by trying our own take on some of our favorites from those genres.”

Recording with GRAMMY® Award-winning producer and Traveler’s Blues cohort Matt Rollings, the boys cut 12 tunes in Nashville, TN, spanning fifties and sixties standards, New Orleans nuggets, and nineties bangers.

The guys introduce this chapter with “Fool For You” originally popularized by The Impressions back in 1968. A wailing harmonica gives way to an understated guitar riff and a heavenly piano melody. This ebb-and-flow underlines a smoldering vocal performance from John backed by a rapturous choir.

“It’s actually got a unique time signature,” Chan says. “The instrumentation we use is different from what’s on the original recording, but it has a modern vibe. It was strangely tricky and definitely a great challenge. We just love the way it turned out.”

Horns swoon across a funky guitar strut on their reimagining of King Floyd’s 1970 hit “Groove Me.” An urgent and undeniable performance thrives on the signature chemistry and unspoken sonic shorthand between the bandmates.

“We jumped on it last-minute since we needed another song,” Chan recalls. “We got it in three takes. It was one of the happiest accidents because we were originally going to do Sam Cooke’s ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’, but we felt like it was a little too deep for a bunch of white kids from Princeton, New Jersey,” he laughs.

They stroll through The Big Easy with a rollicking rendition of Dr. John’s “Qualified” punctuated by ragtime piano, upbeat horns, and slick fretwork. Chan adds, “We knew we needed to do a Dr. John song, because our keyboardist Ben is such a huge fan. We wanted to pick a deeper cut, and ‘Qualified’ fit the bill perfectly.”

A hypnotic groove and thumping bass line power up Blues Traveler’s swaggering take on the Ann Peebles epic “I Can’t Stand The Rain” with Valerie June.

“It’s got a very traditional R&B form in terms of the chord progression, but it eventually flips with this incredible feel,” Chan said.

A dynamic cast of collaborators adds multiple dimensions to Traveler’s Soul. Modern genre stalwart Ryan Shaw lends his vocals to the soaring “When A Man Loves A Woman,” while Clyde Lawrence rolls through for the wah guitar-driven “Just Kissed My Baby.”

Perhaps most surprisingly, they ride a wave of inspiration on TLC’s “Waterfalls,” which unites Blues Traveler with Pat Monahan of Train and up-and-coming hip-hop artist Daisha McBride. Beyond the vocal fireworks and intimate acoustic guitar, Daisha lights up the track with an homage to Lisa Left Eye’s iconic rap.

“She crushed it,” Chan grins. “It was so fun to hear a real rapper on a Blues Traveler song. We brought in the acoustic as opposed to all of the layered production in the original. We opened the door for the Blues Traveler sound. We had just toured with Train, so it was cool to have Pat on there. It brings things full circle. When ‘Run Around’ was big, ‘Waterfalls’ was on MTV back-to-back. The nineties was so weird and great, because you could have TLC followed by Blues Traveler. We’d do radio shows, and our trailer would be next to theirs. When you’ve been doing this as long as we have, you’re actually around for some of the classics!”

Inspired and invigorated by this season, Blues Traveler will continue cooking up their own classics as well.

“All of these songs have a life of their own,” Chan leaves off. “It’s magical to see what music can turn into if you’re open and creative. We learned so much by taking these songs apart and seeing how these great musicians write. It was a masterclass in songwriting, and it will definitely influence where we go next. We’ve grown, and 36 years on, that’s a great thing.”

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Thursday, July 25, 2024

• Box Office Opens: 5:00 PM

• General Admission & Season Pass Gates Open: 6:00 PM

• Music Begins: 7:30 PM

This is a standard show, meaning the area in front of the stage is standing-room only.

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The Festival at Sandpoint is the performance venue and does not have control over artist performance content or artist elements, including but not limited to house music, opening acts, pre-show announcements, set lists, and video production elements. Performances may include explicit content that may be considered inappropriate for some audiences.