Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals Headline Beacon Theater April 7 On Eve Of Release Of New Stax Album 'Call It What It Is'

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals will headline the Beacon Theater on April 7 - their first time performing together in New York since 2007. The show comes one day before the release of the band's first new album in nine years, 'Call It What It Is,' on Stax. The long-awaited reunion for Ben and the band has been met with early acclaim, a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Tavis Smiley's PBS show, coverage in Billboard, Esquire, Afropunk and more.

A massive tour kicks off April 2, bringing the band to Red Rocks, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand before the end of 2016. This week Ben and the band will appear on ESPN's Sportscenter (March 25) and KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic (March 23). On April 1st, the band will perform at WXPN's Free At Noon series, which will be live broadcast on NPR.org in addition to WXPN, at noon Eastern Time.

'Call It What It Is' is an incisive, bold, poetic statement that could only have come from these long-time musical partners, one of popular music's most essential, cohesive and dynamic ensembles. The standout title track showcases Harper's unmatched ability to blend the personal and political. Invoking the names of Trayvon Martin, Ezell Ford, and Michael Brown over an agitated blues riff, Harper cuts to the quick: "There's good cops / bad cops / white cops / black cops / call it what it is / Murder".

Watch Ben perform the title track on Tavis Smiley here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aucUn3ZPDec

And read more about the song at Esquire: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/news/a42040/ben-harper-call-it-what-it-is/

THURSDAY APR 7

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals @ The Beacon Theater

2124 Broadway, New York, NY

7PM