Marking 20 years since his debut, Eli Paperboy Reed has announced that he will celebrate his milestone with an extensive Australian tour in May 2025, including an international headliner position at Blues On Broadbeach.
Known for his sweaty, searing performances and his raspy, soulful voice, Reed will bring his sensational new show to our shores, featuring special guests and recent Grammy® nominees, The Harlem Gospel Travelers (HGT), who will also perform their own shows.
Now with famed indie label Yep Roc Records as his home and nine acclaimed albums to his name, Reed also produced HGT’s latest album, Rhapsody, which earned the nod for Best Gospel Roots Album, making the unique trio – the first openly queer group to be nominated for a Grammy Award®.
Despite their name, the group members hail from across New York City, uniting through Harlem’s Gospel For Teens program, where they were mentored by Reed.
Offering an exhilarating live experience that will be unique to Australian audiences, The Harlem Gospel Travelers will join the line-up for the first leg of the 20 Years Of Eli Paperboy Reed Tour. they will perform in Melbourne (Corner Hotel, May 8), Castlemaine (Theatre Royal, May 9), Canberra (The Baso, May 10) and Sydney (Metro Theatre, May 11), concluding their dates with Blues On Broadbeach (May 16-18).
In these shows, HGT will deliver their own dynamic gospel funk sets as well as joining Reed on stage with their sweet, fervent vocals.
Also joining the lineup are The Meltdown, Melbourne’s purveyors of southern soul from the Great Southern Land, featuring rich instrumentation with a blend of Stax and Motown vibes. Members of The Meltdown will also form part of Reed’s and HGT’s respective bands. They will travel with Reed for his entire tour, which for the second leg, extends to Perth (Perth Blues Club @ The Charles Hotel on May 20; Freo Social on May 22), Adelaide (The Gov, May 23), Queenscliff Town Hall (May 24) and Gippsland (Meeniyan Town Hall, May 25).
In an exclusive, one-off event, Eli Paperboy Reed will stage an intimate duo setup at Wollongong’s Centro CBD on Tuesday, May 13. He will be joined by The Meltdown’s charismatic frontman, Simon Burke.
Of his forthcoming third return to Australia, Reed says, “I can’t wait to get back to Australia and reconnect with my fans over there – hopefully make some new ones too.
“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.”
Two decades after busking in Harvard Square and honing his craft, this trailblazing soul man continues to write, sing, and perform on his own terms, delivering electrifying performances that connect deeply with audiences.
He adds, “I could never have imagined that 20 years ago, 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.”
Don’t miss this soul-stirring celebration that pushes gospel and soul into bold, exciting territory.
Tickets are on sale from Monday, December 9 at 10am AEDT.
20 YEARS OF ELI PAPERBOY REED TOUR DATES:
ELI PAPERBOY REED + THE HARLEM GOSPEL TRAVELERS + THE MELTDOWN
Thursday, May 8
Corner Hotel, 57 Swan St, Richmond, VIC
7.30pm
$90+bf
Tickets via Oztix | cornerhotel.com
Friday, May 9
Theatre Royal, 30 Hargraves St, Castlemaine, VIC
7pm
$90+bf
Tickets exclusively via Oztix (Ph 1300 762 545)
theatreroyalcastlemaine.com.au
Saturday, May 10
The Baso, 2 Cohen St, Belconnen, ACT
7pm
$80+bf
Tickets exclusively via Oztix (Ph 1300 762 545)
thebaso.com.au
Sunday, May 11
Metro Theatre, 624 George St, Sydney, NSW
7.30pm
$90+bf
Tickets via Ticketek | metrotheatre.com.au
Thursday, May 15 – Sunday, May 18
Blues On Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD
https://bluesonbroadbeach.com/
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ELI PAPERBOY REED + THE MELTDOWN
Tuesday, May 13 (Duo with Simon Burke of The Meltdown)
Centro CBD, 28 Stewart St, Wollongong
8pm
$65+bf (Dinner & show also available)
Tickets via TryBooking
centrocbd.com.au
Tuesday, May 20
Perth Blues Club @ The Charles Hotel, 509 Charles St, Nth Perth, WA
7pm
$75
Tickets via TryBooking
charleshotel.com.au
Thursday, May 22
Freo Social, Parry St, Fremantle, WA
7pm
$75+bf
Tickets via Moshtix | freo.social
Friday, May 23
The Gov, 59 Port Rd, Hindmarsh, SA
7pm
$75+bf
Tickets via Oztix | thegov.com.au
Saturday, May 24
Queenscliff Town Hall, 50 Learmonth St, Queenscliff, VIC
7pm
$75+bf
Tickets via queensclifftownhall.com.au
Sunday, May 25
Meeniyan Town Hall, 97 Whitelaw St, Meeniyan, VIC
6pm
$80+bf
Tickets via Oztix | lyrebirdartscouncil.com.au
FOLLOW ELI PAPERBOY REED
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/elipaperboyreed
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elipaperboyreed
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elipaperboyreed
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/elipaperboyreed
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/37D1QyrEFNkcv0f62xo46x
Website: elipaperboyreed.com
FOLLOW THE HARLEM GOSPEL TRAVELERS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harlemgospeltravelers/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harlemgospeltravelers
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@harlem.gospel.travelers?lang=en
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/16Nni80EpZ7s54i3hJKvft?si=nDSO30GGQhWQ0Fx2M_vBUg
Website: https://harlemgospeltravelers.com
FOLLOW THE MELTDOWN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_meltdown
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themeltdowntown
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6O0WkZMlHi7yqizwsA8uVf?si=T8blVdIFSgWPq_GeMYmqjw&nd=1&dlsi=be0cf1de5bca4753
Website: themeltdown.com