American blues-soul crooner Eli Paperboy Reed is celebrating his 20th anniversary as a performer with an extensive tour of Australia in 2025.
The 'Come And Get It' and 'Movin'' musician, who evokes the R&B, gospel blues, and soul of the 1950s-'60s, is bringing special guests and recent Grammy nominees, The Harlem Gospel Travelers as his backing band who'll also perform their own gospel-funk shows for the first half of the tour: Melbourne, Castlemaine, Canberra, Sydney and a headlining set at Gold Coast's Blues On Broadbeach.Joining the entire tour, and taking over as Reed's backing band for the second half of the tour (playing Perth, Fremantle, Adelaide, Queenscliff and Gippsland) will be The Meltdown, Melbourne's purveyors of southern soul featuring rich instrumentation with a blend of Stax and Motown vibes.
In an exclusive for Wollongong audiences, Eli will be joined by The Meltdown's charismatic frontman, Simon Burke, for a special duo-mode performance.
Known for his sweaty, searing performances and his raspy, soulful voice, Reed has released 9 studio albums, having originally made his mark busking at Boston's famed Harvard Square 20 years ago.
"I can't wait to get back to Australia and reconnect with my fans over there – hopefully make some new ones too," the soul man says. "My passion for performing is stronger than ever and my brand new show is guaranteed to get everyone dancing and sweating. We're gonna have a great time, I promise you that!
"I'm also honoured to be one of the headliners at the iconic Blues On Broadbeach, sharing the stage with some phenomenal local and international artists."
Reed's connection to The Harlem Gospel Travelers began as a mentor for the young musicians from New York who came together as part of the Harlem's Gospel For Teens programme.
Reed also produced HGT's latest album, 'Rhapsody', which earned the nod for Best Gospel Roots Album, making the trio the first openly queer group to be nominated for a Grammy Award.
"I could never have imagined that 20 years ago," Reed adds, "when I was starting out, playing for tips on the streets of Boston, that music would take me where it has.
"The lessons I've learned over the last two decades have made my music more mature and my live show the best it's ever been. I can't wait to see what the next 20 years bring."
Tickets are on sale.
Eli Paperboy Reed 2025 Tour Dates
Thu 8 May - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)Fri 9 May - Theatre Royal (Castlemaine)
Sat 10 May - The Baso (Canberra)
Sun 11 May - Metro Theatre (Sydney)
Tue 13 May - Centro (Wollongong)* duo with Simon Burke of The Meltdown
15-18 May - Blues On Broadbeach (Gold Coast)
Tue 20 May - Perth Blues Club @ The Charles Hotel
Thu 22 May - Freo.Social (Fremantle)
Fri 23 May - The Gov (Adelaide)
Sat 24 May - Queenscliff Town Hall (Queenscliff)
Sun 25 May - Meeniyan Town Hall (Gippsland)
