“The California Honeydrops…evoke the greasy rumble of Booker T and channel the spiritual ecstasy of Sly and the Family Stone.” -Rolling Stone
Formed in the subway systems of Oakland, retro-soul outfit The California Honeydrops are an electrifying group that defy convention at every turn. They've become a mainstay at festivals including Byron Bay Bluesfest (Australia), Outside Lands, Monterey Jazz, and Lightning In A Bottle, and have toured with B.B. King, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, and Allen Toussaint.
Led by enigmatic, energetic frontman Lech Wierzynski and percussionist Benjamin Malament, each member of the band is a virtuoso in their own right — Yanos "Johnny Bones" Lustig on saxophone, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards/guitar, Beaumont Beaullieu on drums, and Miles Blackwell on bass, regularly joined by Oliver Tuttle on trombone, Leon Cotter on saxophone/clarinet, and Miles Lyons on trombone/sousaphone — navigating a vast repertoire of original songs and timeless classics every night.
But what truly sets them apart is their unwavering commitment to improvisation — a skill so finely honed that they've completely abandoned set lists, meaning no two shows are ever the same. Off stage, their music has been streamed more than 200 million times and featured in a variety of TV shows and films, including “Dead To Me,” “Alaska Daily,” and “Black-ish,” among others. Their new album, “Redwood Highway,” was released August 8, 2025.
