Citizen Cope on Tour
Citizen Cope conveys a kind of quiet authority onstage, a casual command that lets the audience know from the moment he opens his mouth that he's a musical force of nature. Whether he's up there alone with only his songs and his acoustic guitar for company or he's backed up by a full electric band, Cope knows exactly how to capture an audience's attention and hold it for every moment of his performance.
His organic blend of influences encompasses everything from folk and rock to R&B and pop. With his rich, soulful voice and his knack for potent melodic statements, he makes all of his diverse inspirations flow smoothly into the same sonic river. He gives his audience the opportunity to ride along, soak it all up, and have a whole lot of fun along the way.
Citizen Cope Background
The man who came into this world as Clarence Greenwood (before redefining his musical identity and rechristening himself Citizen Cope) got his start working with Washington, D.C., band Basehead before branching off on his own as a singer-songwriter. Not counting a limited-edition indie LP in the 1990s, he released his first widely distributed album in 2002.
That same year, Santana covered Cope's song "Sideways," bringing him in for a guest appearance on the tune to boot. Carlos Santana returned the favor by appearing on Cope's own recording of the song two years later.
It was Cope's 2006 album, Every Waking Moment, that turned out to be his commercial breakthrough, earning him a bigger audience than ever. Since then, his music has been heard just about everywhere, from TV shows (Entourage, Smallville) to film soundtracks (Ghost Town, Fracture), but it's at his concerts that Cope really turns on the magic to the maximum.