A Good Year of Suffer–ing
Image: Daniel Jackson
Proud Houston funk-meets-soul-meets-Heaven band The Suffers had a pretty damn amazing 2015. Highlighted by appearances at Free Press Summer Fest and one of the final "Late Show with David Letterman" recordings, the 10-piece band is wrapping up the year by headlining a special New Year’s Eve performance at House of Blues. Led by über talented band members and strong vocals from singer Kam Franklin, The Suffers are ringing in 2016 with appreciation for a supersonic 2015, while looking ahead to what’s still to come.
We chatted with Franklin about her thoughts on the band’s skyrocketing stardom and what’s coming next.
You’ve had a big year. How much does closing it out in Houston mean?
Kam Franklin leads the 10-piece funk/soul band The Suffers at House of Blues for a special New Year's Eve concert.
We had a damn good year. We were lucky enough to perform at The Newport Folk Festival, perform a halftime performance with UH’s Spirit of Houston Marching Band, and we also got to share the stage with Lionel Richie at ACL Live... It means so much to us to not only send off 2015, but to send it off in Houston. We have had an incredible year of traveling, but it feels great to be home.
What was the most memorable part of the year?
For me, it was a tie between appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman and performing on the NPR "Tiny Desk" series.
Are you on tour right now? Where have you recently played?
We are home until February, but we have toured all over the United States this past year. Our most recent appearances were in New Orleans for Voodoo Music Festival and in Los Angeles for the Red Bull Sound Select 30 Days in LA.
What will the NYE bash at House of Blues be like? What can people expect?
The Suffers performs on The Late Show with David Letterman this past March.
The House of Blues is a beautiful venue and we are so happy to be bringing in the New Year there. It's going to be a fun mix of musical genres, burlesque and wonderful people. After our show, there's gonna be a huge dance party, so get your moves ready.
Are there any New Year’s resolutions for the band?
We have learned to not take ourselves too seriously. This job is hard, but we love it, and keeping it light and fun keeps us going. We want to tour smarter and healthier. Touring can be really hard on the body, so we just want to make sure that we are taking care of ourselves.
The Suffers. Dec 31 at 9. $25–35. House of Blues Houston, 1204 Caroline St. 888-402-5837. houseofblues.com
