Catch the wave

Lake Tahoe doesn’t boast the waves seen in Hawaii, but it seems the perfect place for surfer-rocker Jack Johnson to kick off his Brushfire Tour. The singer-songwriter and his Brushfire labelmates Donavon Frankenreiter and G. Love & Special Sauce perform against the backdrop of the alpine lake’s cobalt blue waters. Johnson made waves with his debut album Brushfire Fairytales in 2001. Last year, he released On and On and toured with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals (who performed in Reno last summer). Donavon Frankenreiter is also a surfer. He and Johnson met in Hawaii when they were teens and quickly became friends. When they weren’t surfing, the two learned to play guitar and make up songs. Frankenreiter formed the mellow rock band Sunchild in the 1990s and gained a following in Southern California. Now a solo artist, Frankenreiter was signed to Brushfire after Johnson formed the label in 2002. Johnson and G. Love both play on Frankenreiter’s self-titled debut album, which was released earlier this year. Hip-hop blues artist G. Love (pictured) also has a new album on the way, The Hustle, which will be released Aug. 24, the day before the tour gets underway at Harveys Outdoor Amphitheater at Stateline. The show begins 6 p.m. Aug. 25. Tickets are $35. Call (800) 427-8397.—Kelley Lang