Ben Harper is almost in town.

I know you meant to buy tickets a while ago, but you said you’d do it the following week and never got round to it.

Well, you best get cracking, because he’s playing in Durban on June 1, Cape Town on June 4, and Pretoria on June 6.

It’s not just Ben to look forward to, either, because there are a number of brilliant local acts to get the crowd warmed up before he takes to the stage.

The Jack Mantis Band will join Ben Harper and the Soweto Gospel Choir in Cape Town at the Grand Arena, GrandWest, and Auriol Hays will share the stage with Harper and the choir in Pretoria at the Sun Arena Time Square in Menlyn.

Need to do a little homework before you buy your ticket (they start from R195)? No worries.

Formed in Cape Town in 2007, the Jack Mantis Band’s music speaks of adventure, travel, humanity, struggles and triumph. Having focused most of their attention on the United States and Europe, it is a rare and special moment when they gather to step onto a South African stage.

As you can see, they’re a pretty good fit to stand alongside Ben:

Authentic and sincere are two words that best describe Auriol Hays‘ musicality. Blessed with a powerful, sultry, thick-as-molasses voice, she has performed at the Montreux Jazz festival in Switzerland, and graced the stages of the National Arts Festival on more than one occasion.

In addition to this, she stages intimate shows where she can convey the message that drives all her performances: awareness through music.

As for the Soweto Gospel Choir – well, they’re an international treasure. Since their formation in 2002, they have brought joy to people around the globe and shared the stage with some of the biggest names in music, including U2, Stevie Wonder, Robert Plant, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Josh Groban and the late Aretha Franklin.

June will mark only the second home-soil concert performance of Soweto Gospel Choir since their third Grammy win, making it a must-see opportunity for fans, before they leave SA shores again in July.

Do we really need to introduce Ben Harper? Come on.

Fine.

The genre-blending, singer-songwriter and guitarist plays an eclectic mix of folk, blues, hard rock, country, jazz and reggae. Growing up in a musical family, he quickly developed his craft as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, played his first gig at the age of 12 and by his early 20s, he performed live with iconic bluesman Taj Mahal.

Massive, international, sold-out tours, Top 10 debuts in the US, gold and platinum certifications internationally, and a slew of TV appearances cemented Harper’s status as a genuine, global star.

In short, you really don’t want to miss out on seeing Ben, and the superb local acts, doing what they do best.

You can buy your tickets from Howler, and here’s the vital info once more:

Ben Harper live in Cape Town:

• June 4, 2019: Grand Arena, GrandWest
• Doors open 6PM
• Tickets from R195

Ben Harper live in Pretoria:

• June 6, 2019: Sun Arena Time Square, Menlyn Maine
• Doors open 6PM
• Tickets from R195

Who knows when he will be back again, if ever, so get on this one ASAP.

To finish, here’s a Ben song we can all kick back and relax to: