A staple of Italy's musical scene, Zucchero is the kind of artist that inherently resonates with New York audiences as well: rough around the edges but an inarguable artistic genius. The 68-year-old is considered the father of Italian blues, after all, and has performed on this side of the Atlantic plenty of times since his 1983 debut LP, “Un Po' di Zucchero.”

This spring, Zucchero will make his return to New York City as part of his Overdose D’Amore World Tour, taking over the stage at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 9—a show he already holds dear. “Madison Square Garden is a mythical place, a prestigious and important stage,” he tells Time Out New York on a Zoom video call. “It’s always a pleasure to play there.”