Oates, who released his Americana solo album, “Arkansas,” in January 2018, recently answered some questions in advance of his concert at Victoria Theatre in Dayton on Tuesday, Jan. 15.
Q. What can folks expect from an evening with John Oates and the Good Road Band?
A. I play the entire new album, some stuff from my other solo albums and a lot of traditional blues and stuff like that. I do a few re-imagined Hall & Oates songs like a reggae version of "Maneater" and I take requests sometimes. I don't ignore my past work, but I make it clear it's not Hall & Oates minus Daryl Hall.
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Q. How big is your band?
A. It's a five-piece and they're all friends from Nashville. They're world-class musicians with an incredible track record and it's cool because it elevates what I do. They're a lot of fun to be around so we have a good time on stage. I tell a lot of stories and give the back story on the songs and people really seem to enjoy that. It gives them a whole different perspective on a song to know what it's really about.
Q. You could easily sit back and ride the ongoing success of Hall & Oates. What drives you to take on other projects?
A. It's my legacy. It's part of my life and I don't ignore it, but at the same time I like to do other things. This gives me an opportunity to step outside of the big hits and do a lot of music that's interesting to me. I've got a lot of interests and being in Nashville I've found a group of musicians who really can help me make that happen so that's very cool.
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Q. What’s next for Hall & Oates?
A. We just finished a huge tour with Train, but we're gearing up for 2019. We have a weekend in Las Vegas in March, we're going to Europe in April and May and then we'll start on some American dates this summer.
Q. What else are you working on?
A. I'm always doing things. I just produced a really interesting project for a friend of mind from Colorado. We've almost finished that and it's really cool. I'm writing with various people. I enjoy doing a lot of different things. I enjoy working, I like keeping busy, it's just in my nature.
HOW TO GO
What: The Universal 1 Credit Union Vic150 Music Series presents John Oates and the Good Road Band
Where: Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St., Dayton
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15
Cost: $30-$65
More info: 937-228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com
Artist info: https://johnoates.com
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