Ernie Johnson From Detroit returns with Vigilante, the band’s highly anticipated fourth studio album and their first release in collaboration with a record label, Color Red—marking a powerful new chapter in their evolution. Mixed by acclaimed guitarist/producer Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds, The Breaks, Color Red), Vigilante captures the band in familiar yet uncharted territory. Granting Roberts full creative latitude, the group embraced a spirit of exploration, resulting in a record that redefines their sonic identity while staying true to their roots. The album surges across genres—moving seamlessly from afrobeat to deep-pocket funk to blistering heavy rock—before circling back again. Through it all, the unmistakable foundation remains: a hard-driving, horn-fueled rhythm section that has become the signature of Ernie Johnson From Detroit’s sound. With Vigilante, the band pushes beyond expectations, delivering a fearless and dynamic listening experience that signals both reinvention and arrival. 

Ernie Johnson From Detroit is a Cincinnati based band that blends afrobeat, funk, and jazz with 70s psychedelia and hard rock to create a hypnotic, danceable sound that is both accessible and sonically untethered. Their stage show is a high-energy, infectious dance party that centers on intense, spontaneous improvisation combined with tight, sophisticated compositions that live inside the groove. The band’s horn-heavy arrangements and relentless rhythm section allow for a variety of styles and a layering of dynamics in their improvised jams that make people want to move. 

Live For Live Music described them as, “…part lo-fi garage funk on 45s, part cocaine-fueled 1970s cop TV show theme song, and part Kung Fu film soundtrack RZA might have sampled circa ‘95, all lined up in black mechanic jumpsuits and ready to rage. Ernie Johnson From Detroit delivers haymakers of freight train funk energy when you need it most.” – B. Getz

Live For Live Music