Upcoming Shows

Gyasi, Dagger Polyester

TodayJune 14, 20258:00pm $15 advance / $20 door

Pronounced Jah-see, Gyasi seems in many ways to come from another planet, and being raised in the woods of a West Virginia holler might as well be another planet in this day and age. His parents bought him a guitar at a local flea market when he was six years old and he still hasn't gotten rid of the fleas, or the guitar.....

Azymuth

SaturdayJune 21, 20258:00pm $35.00

Responsible for carving out an entirely new sound, fusing jazz-funk with samba to create their own unique genre, referred to as 'samba doido', Azymuth are one of Brazil's most influential bands and surely one of the world's longest running. They have played with just about everyone throughout Brazil's golden era of MPB,....

Melissa Ferrick

SundayJune 22, 20258:00pm $25.00

Recently Added Shows

benches

WednesdayJuly 30, 20258:00pm $15.00

benches is a Southern California group consisting of Anson Kelley (vocals/guitar), Ethan Bowers (drums), Evan Ojeda (lead guitar), and Charlie Baird (bass). Reminiscent of both the ceremonious majesty of '90s Britpop and the insouciance of 2000s NY rock, the band's heart is rooted in defining the sound of bittersweet: A....

Hillbilly Casino, The Grovelers

ThursdayAugust 21, 20258:00pm $10 advance / $15 door

Texas Headhunters

ThursdayAugust 28, 20258:00pm $25.00

Cory Waller and The Wicked Things, Bree Morgan

FridayAugust 29, 20258:00pm $12 advance / $15 door

Grown from the black dirt that Iowa is known for, Cory Waller and The Wicked Things are a band of hard-working friends, sons and daughters of farmers and small-town folks. The band has traversed the midwest sharing their brand of black dirt country music, sometimes the shows The Wicked Things play have more people than....

Austin Martin & The Herd, Charlie Farley, Cody Parks and The Dirty South

SundayAugust 31, 20258:00pm $30.00

Ruthie Foster

ThursdaySeptember 4, 20258:00pm $30.00

Cosmic Charlie

SaturdaySeptember 13, 20258:00pm $20 advance / $25 door

Cosmic Charlie was born in the musical Mecca of Athens, Georgia. From its summer 1999 inception, the band swiftly cemented its reputation as a band that puts a unique and personal twist on the Grateful Dead catalogue. Cosmic Charlie is a Dead cover band for folks that are ambivalent about Dead cover bands. Rather than....

Feng E

ThursdayOctober 2, 20258:00pm $20 advance / $25 door

Feng E is a young musical sensation (born in 2007) from Taiwan. His claim to fame began in 2018 at the very young age of 10 when his video went viral playing Tommy Emmanuel's arrangement of Mason Williams Classical Gas with a ukulele in the park in Taipei. He later ended up playing live with Tommy himself in both Taiwan....

Bob Mould Solo Electric: Here We Go Crazy

TuesdayOctober 7, 20258:00pm $40.00

Lakeview

FridayOctober 17, 20258:00pm $20.00

Tattooed, rural, and blue-collar country duo Lakeview (Jesse Denaro and Luke Healy) are among Nashville's hottest newcomers. Garnering 130M+ streams and amassing a loyal following of 550K+ across social media, these "weekend warriors-turned-Music Row favorites" (The Tennessean) have managed to carve their own, niche lane....

Paul Bielatowicz's Nosferatu Undead Live

WednesdayOctober 22, 20258:00pm $25.00

Paul Bielatowicz's Nosferatu Live is a multimedia musical experience that breathes new life into the iconic 1922 silent horror film. Bielatowicz, an accomplished English composer and musician, has recorded and toured with some of the biggest names in progressive rock, including Carl Palmer, Dream Theater, Yes, and....

Steve Forbert, Peter Holsapple

ThursdayOctober 23, 20258:00pm $25.00

Steve Forbert is a true American musical treasure, underscored by his new album, Daylight Savings Time. Like all his albums, it's saturated with what venerated rock journalist Robert Christgau discerned as his "omnivorously observant" songwriting, marked by Steve's gift for finding the more profound meaning and magic....

Seaside Zoo (Grateful Dead Tribute)

SaturdayNovember 15, 20258:00pm $12 advance / $15 door

Seaside Zoo is a Madison, Wisconsin based tribute to the Grateful Dead started in 2018.

Alternative Concert Group Presents

Dream Theater

WednesdaySeptember 24, 20258:00pm

At the Miller High Life Theatre, Milwaukee, WI.

Tickets on sale at here.

Gregorian Pure Chants World Tour featuring songs of Enigma

WednesdayMarch 18, 20267:30pm

At South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, Milwaukee, WI.

Tickets on sale online, at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center box office or by phone at 414-766-5049.

Quick Calendar

30 years into a prolific career as a genre and gender-defying songwriter, Melissa Ferrick continues to disrupt normative categorization. Indie, Alternative, Folk, Punk....Melissa Ferrick won't be labeled. With disarming wit and raw vulnerability, every lyric in Ferrick's immense catalog is an invitation to confession or catharsis.

In 2023, Ferrick signed with Kill Rock Stars, a label that has long been emblematic of authentic storytelling and home to indie acts including Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, The Decemberists and Elliott Smith.

"Being on this label is an alignment of who I am musically. KRS serves all of the different approaches to music that exist in me."

To commemorate its 25th anniversary, Ferrick has re-recorded her critically acclaimed album Everything I Need, set to be released October 11th, 2024. "Just me and the guitar using live takes and no overdubs," Ferrick captures the emotional intensity that has become a signature of her live performances. "The power songs have on marking time dumbfounds me. I remember writing each of them, I remember recording them, I remember the first time I heard Everything I Need on the radio, and I remember the first time an audience sang along. This album marked a time in my life when I was freed of so many boundaries - some imparted and some I hadn't been willing to let go." In June, Ferrick released the new single, "Black Dress" and a cover of Tegan and Sara's "Where Does the Good Go," both of which will be included as bonus tracks on the album.

Ferrick's impact reaches far beyond her music. As one of the few openly queer artists in the 1990s, she navigated and challenged the sexism, homophobia, and rigid gender expectations of the music industry. Her trailblazing journey not only paved the way for future generations of artists but also created a space where they could express their identities and be celebrated on their own terms. Most recently, Melissa launched Drive Music Agency (DMA), a booking agency and consulting company designed to help launch new acts in the indie scene. She is also a Professor of Practice at Northeastern University, teaching courses in music business, songwriting, creative entrepreneurship, demo recording and production, and the psychology of creativity. Melissa was an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music from 2013 to 2019 and holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University.

Growing up in Ipswich Massachusetts, Ferrick's passion for music began at an early age. Classically trained in violin and piano, Ferrick's education is also rooted in jazz, playing both trumpet and bass. As a self-taught guitarist, Ferrick began her career playing local venues in Cambridge like The Middle East and T.T. The Bear's, which paved the way for legendary acts like The Indigo Girls, The Pixies, and The Flaming Lips. Ferrick's major breakthrough came in 1991 when she stepped in for Morrissey's opening act just an hour before showtime. Her impressive performance earned her an invitation to tour with Morrissey in the U.S. and UK, leading to a major label deal with Atlantic Records. Her debut album, Massive Blur (1993), introduced her blend of introspective songwriting and genre-crossing sound.

Between 1996 and 1999, Ferrick released three albums with the Colorado-based indie label W.A.R. Records. In 2000, she launched the nationally distributed independent record label Right On Records. Ferrick published two critically acclaimed albums with NY-based label MPress Records between 2011 and 2013. She's released eighteen albums throughout her 30 year career and has won numerous awards for songwriting, production, and performance.

Ferrick has shared the stage with countless acts, some of which include Bob Dylan, Joan Armatrading, Weezer, Tegan and Sara, Mark Cohen, Paul Westerberg, John Hiatt, Ani DiFranco, k.d. Lang, Suzanne Vega, and Shawn Colvin.

As she continues to challenge conventions, Melissa Ferrick continues to reinforce her genre-defying legacy with each new project.

The origin for this tour began at the Zappanale festival in 2023, where Paul Green was making his return after a 6 year break (his 7th appearance overall) with the students of PGRA, headlining Friday (playing Zappa) and Saturday night(with Jon Anderson). The Sunday (and overall) headliners were Banned from Utopia and Paul and his students stood in stunned silence watching a band that was like watching one of the best Zappa bands from the 80s. A friendship was struck up between the groups and plans were soon in motion to tour the US in the summer of 2024.That tour was so successful, and such a good time, that we decided to go out again in 2025, this time with just the alumni so that the students can have their turn playing these amazing songs with them.

We are calling the tour the "We Love Zappa II Tour" because it is all about our shared love of this amazing music, teaching it to a new generation, and bringing it to his fans, who are the best.

The Paul Green Rock Academy(PGRA) is the latest music school from School of Rock founder, and noted Zappa fanatic, Paul Green. An audition only music school for ambitious students aged 12-18, PGRA has spent the last 5 years touring, alternately, as the backing band for Jon Anderson of Yes and Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers. They have also shared the stage with such amazing musicians as Bill Bruford, Steve Hackett, and Phil Manzanera. Paul's former students have gone on to play in/with: The Who, Phony Ppl, The Bobby Lees, Dr Dog, Adrian Belew, Lauren Hill, and Willow Smith, to name a few.

Robert "Bobby" Martinis a highly accomplished American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, known for his work with Frank Zappa and his career as a session musician, composer, and musical director, as well as directing his own music production company.He is a sought-after keyboardist, horn player, and vocalist, having worked with numerous artists, including Bette Midler, Paul McCartney, and Etta James, and has composed music for film, television, and advertising.

Scott Thunes is best known for his long tenure inFrank Zappa's band during the 1980s, playing bass, singing background vocals, and serving as the official "Clonemeister," running rehearsals for the Zappa band. He also recorded and toured with Zappa's sons Dweezil and Ahmet, and his music career has included work with the Waterboys, The Mother Hips, and Fear, among others.

Ray Shirley White Sr.,a soul and rock guitarist best known for his vocals and rhythm guitar in Frank Zappa's touring bands from 1976 to 1984, also formed a vocal harmony partnership with Ike Willison later tours. He is featured on numerous Zappa albums and videos, including "Zappa In New York," "You Are What You Is," "Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch," and "The Torture Never Stops".

Abe Partridge is a heralded musician, singer/songwriter, visual artist, storyteller and documentarian based in Mobile, Alabama. Since the release of his debut album Cotton Fields and Blood for Days in 2018, Partridge has toured relentlessly, including several tours throughout Europe. He is a regular at several great music festivals such as the 30a Songwriters Fest, and the Laurel Cove Music Fest as well as listening rooms across the country including the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Eddies Attic in Atlanta, and Duke's in Indianapolis. Recently, he toured extensively with Matthew Sweet, Drivin' N Cryin', and Dar Williams in support of his latest release Love in the Dark. He has performed on several syndicated NPR radio programs including, Mountain Stage and Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour.

Partridge along with co-producer Ferrill Gibbs created the Alabama Astronaut podcast, where Abe attempts to properly record songs previously undocumented at holiness, serpent-handling churches in Appalachia. It was in the Top Ten documentary podcasts on Apple Podcasts within days of its release and now has over 100k downloads and a 4.9-star rating.

When Partridge is not writing or touring, he is also a highly acclaimed visual artist. His paintings, primarily acrylic on tarred board and watercolors, now hang in art galleries around the southeast and in the private collections of Tyler Childers, Mike Wolfe (American Pickers), Rick Hirsch (Wet Willie), Tommy Stinson (The Replacements) and Tommy Prine. Abe's art is featured yearly at Howard Finster's Paradise Gardens. His artwork was featured in Stephen King's 2019 sequel to The Shining - Dr. Sleep. He painted the cover art for Charlie Parr's, Last Of The Better Days Ahead (Smithsonian Folkways). He also created art for Tyler Childers' 2022 release, Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven? (RCA), as well as promotional posters for the Red Clay Strays' 2024 release Made by These Moments (RCA). Partridge's first major art exhibition With Signs Following was on display at the Alabama Contemporary Art Center in Mobile, AL in 2023. His book "With Signs Following - Portraits + Stories from the Serpent-Handling Faith" released following the exhibit to wide acclaim.

Three members of the Red Clay Strays occasionally join Abe for a punk side-project they share together, The Psych Peas. They have one album, Lackluster, that has only been released on physical formats. The band has created a reputation for giving high-energy, chaotic live performances, and has garnered a cult-like following. John P. Strohm of The Lemonheads compared them to "Scratch Acid and Butthole Surfers in their prime".

Abe also works with the legendary North Carolina songwriter, David Childers and his band The Serpents. Together, they are The Satan, You're a Liars, with an album, Let's Build This House Together, due to release in early 2025.

American Songwriter Magazine said, "Abe Partridge has established himself as one of the most respected songwriters and visual folk artists in the southeast."

In November of 2022, Partridge released the EP Alabama Skies on Baldwin Co. Public Records label which includes "Abe Partridge's 403d Freakout". Partridge told Songfacts the story behind the song: " 'Abe Partridge's 403d Freakout' was a song I wrote in about 20 minutes. It took me two weeks to make it rhyme, and then it took me about six months to learn it. I just sat and wrote a couple of pages of thoughts as they came to me. It was my attempt at describing my thoughts chronologically as they sometimes occur in my head before I filter them. It is those thoughts that I often have if I allow myself to mentally wander."

Partridge's exhibit With Signs Following was on exhibition at the Alabama Contemporary Art Center in Mobile, AL from January 13 - May 20 of 2023 and is expected to travel to other city contemporary art centers in the next few years. His full-length studio album, Love In The Dark, on BCPR label, was released on May 12, 2023.

American Songwriter wrote "Jack Barksdale has insights and awareness far beyond people twice his age, and he's able to put them into songs that touch listeners." NPR.org said "Jack Barksdale is special." and Twangville added, "It's hard to escape the impressive maturity of his musicianship and songwriting."

Jack Barksdale is a 17 year old folk/Americana singer/songwriter from Texas. Inspired by folk, rock, and blues legends, Jack started performing original music at the age of nine and has already shared the stage with Wynonna Judd, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Junior Brown, John Fullbright, and Hayes Carll.

Recently Jack signed a record deal with Truly Handmade Records, formed by the estate of Guy Clark. Jack will release a full length album under Truly Handmade Records in June of 2025 featuring many notable guest artists. In September 2024 Jack released his 2nd EP "Out of Order and in October 2023 Jack launched a 7 song instrumental EP entitled Phantom Trails."

His previous single "Gone" has garnered well over 2.8 million streams on Spotify and was featured on Apple Music's 'Southern Craft' playlist.

In 2020 Jack launched a podcast focused on songwriters and songwriting called Jack Barksdale's Roots Revival Podcast.

Jack tours nationally and wows audiences with lyrics wise beyond his years. Jack plays guitar, slide guitar, harmonica, mandolin, piano, and ukulele, but identifies first and foremost as a songwriter.

His musical influences include Lead Belly, Howlin' Wolf, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, The Carter Family, and Willie Nelson.

Matt Lorenz's vision, manifest in The Suitcase Junket, developed in the tension between the grand and the solitary. Grand in its imagery, sound, and staging. Solitary in its thrift and self-reliance. What instruments he requires, Lorenz builds from scratch and salvage. What parts five players would perform, he performs alone. The spectacle of his one-man set bears constant comparison to legends of showmanship, brilliance, madness, and invention.

While audiences are captivated by his solitary form and the show itself, Lorenz, who homesteads in rural Western Massachusetts, is most serious about the songs. He has been building a catalog, writing a world into existence. Solitary on stage and on the road, his mind is crowded with characters, narratives, voices, imagery, sounds as wide and varied as mountain throat singers and roadhouse juke boxes, plus newsreels of the planet's destruction and salvage. With this 2020 release, The End is New, Lorenz's grand vision for the song overrides the how of it.

"The things I value are under attack," Lorenz writes. "And writing songs and making art are the methods I have for responding. I have tried to use my observations and reflections of the world bent through my fun-house-mirror mind to show what I see; a planet stressed. ... We can do better."

The End is New was produced by trusted friend, producer Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, who produced The Suitcase Junket's acclaimed 2018 release, Mean Dog Trampoline.

"Most of the time making records for a living is both fun and edifying," says Berlin "But every once and a while I get rewarded with a simply superlative experience, and making The End Is New was certainly one of those." He adds, "We had a blast building these ideas into songs, and Matt's endless inventiveness made each workday a genuine pleasure. His talent is a unique gift."

"I told Steve I wanted to make a doom-folk record," says Lorenz. "That's what I'd started calling my music when people asked. He was game. Neither of us knew quite what that meant at the time, but I think we found out with The End is New. There's a heavy mix of hope and desperation in the sound and lyrically I was trying to be a mirror to society using truth, myth, confessions and stories."

In the strangest of ironies, the production of this album, an artist moving from solitude to collaboration, went forward in a time when Lorenz, Berlin, all their studio musicians, and the entire world were in isolation for the lockdown of pandemic.

"We had done some tracking in February and felt that we had a good start," says Lorenz, "but things had gotten a bit strange. Steve Berlin, producer extraordinaire, was stuck at home on the West Coast under a newly imposed lockdown and here in Massachusetts the virus was starting to heat up. The bicoastal, remotely produced recording process was bizarre and frustrating but fruitful. We plugged along, track by track, occasionally commenting on how crazy everything was feeling. Justin, the sound engineer and co-owner of Sonelab, and I had spent time together in the same studio so we figured if one of us had The Virus we probably both did so why not finish the record as safely as we could? So we watched as the world drastically changed around our little musical haven, unsure of what lay ahead. We polished off the record bit by bit in the following months, recording overdubs from home with no more studio time to be had. J Mascis made a ripping appearance on 'Light a Candle' and Steve Berlin slipped off his producer shoes and laid down some horn parts. I'm so very excited to share these new songs. I think the writing on this album is some of the best I've ever done and the production has them sounding huge and cinematic."

The End is New is an artist expanding his possibilities, collaborating, matching his lyrical power over eleven tracks with the epic sounds and narratives of his imagination. "Black Holes and Overdoses" riffs off the unrelenting news cycle, the numbness that wants for oblivion. "And Then There Was Fire" finds Lorenz reflecting on current events, inspired by the destructive wildfire in Australia, which seems like three years ago at this point, but took place right at the end of last year and beginning of this year. "Light a Candle" is the simmering doom of lost love. "Can't Look Away" protests the overuse of a planet. "Jesus! King of the Dinosaurs" is a romp poking fun at extremists and biblical timelines.

Growing up in Cavendish, Vermont, Matt Lorenz began playing piano at age five, and later took up violin, saxophone, and guitar. During his years at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, he studied music and adaptive instrument design, a pursuit that included building a prototype for a drummer who couldn't use their legs, where they'd be able to play the bass drum and hi-hat through a system of pulleys. After college, he headed to Europe on a $150 plane ticket, ran out of money in Barcelona, and spent a year playing music in the streets. "That's where I learned how to sing loud, which got me figuring out what my voice could do," Lorenz notes. Once he'd returned to Amherst, he formed the band Rusty Belle with his sister Kate and, several years later, started The Suitcase Junket with the aid of a guitar he'd found in a dumpster. 'The Suitcase Junket' is a nod to Lorenz's longtime love of collecting old suitcases, including an antique that he's refurbished into a bass drum, and to a secondary definition of junket, i.e. "a pleasure excursion."

The End is New is Lorenz's sixth full-length album as The Suitcase Junket, his first for Renew Records/BMG. The sound has become more refined and deeper with each release. Lorenz tours extensively and plans to be back on the road for a waylaid release tour for The End is New in 2021. Lorenz is also a visual artist. In the early years he designed all The Suitcase Junket album art and merchandise and made the music videos generated with his songs. He continues to create the visuals for merchandise, and to produce some of his videos, now with collaborators. He gets very excited about coffee, gardening, bees, dogs, birds, mushrooms, tinctures, making his own wine and maple sugaring season.

Sparrow Blue was formed in St. Albert, AB, Canada with members Des Parks(vocals), Jon Dombroski (guitar), Liam Holm (drums), Russell McCann (percussion), Chad Plamondon (guitar) and Caden Doyle (bass). Inspired by the old school roots of Rock & Roll, Sparrow Blue has developed their own classic sound coining the term Real Thick Rock & Roll. With influences such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin and Mountain, the band's hard-rock music and high-energy performances are sure to bring fire to any stage.

Sparrow Blue has shared the stage with renowned artists such as Finger Eleven, The Sheepdogs, The Trews, Default, The Dirty Nil, The Watchmen, Wide Mouth Mason, Rick Springfield, The Pursuit of Happiness, Tommy Tutone, One Bad Son and much more. The band has played many notable festivals in the Canada area such as Taste of Edmonton, Taste of Calgary, Edmonton RockFest, Funtastic Fest Vernon, Together Again Music Fest, Extreme Mudfest and many more. The band also had an extremely successful touring season in 2023, seeing sold out cities all across Canada. Sparrow Blue recently released their latest album "No Lies, No Tricks" which was recorded in their own home studio called "The Blue Room''. The band supported the album with coast to coast touring including headlining shows, festival gigs and support for The Trews & for The Lazys.

2025 is already proving to be a busy year with the band, as the boys gear up for their first international tour. The band are working with a fantastic team, involving with Andrew Morris and Tamara Martin of Sound Merchants (based out of Los Angeles), Paul Milner of MyMusicBiz, Adam Lewis of Planetary Group (based out of Los Angeles) & Mike Galaxy of Galactic Touring, for this first U.S. Tour to be announced later this spring.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin alternative rock voyagers 5pm to Nowhere emerged in 2020 under the creative vision of singer-songwriter Jacob Webb. Drawing from the grand emotional balladry of alternative icons like Jeff Buckley and Sufjan Stevens, Webb embarks on a path of unfiltered emotion and introspective exploration. Webb's passion for music catalyzed with the loss of his father at seven years old, as in songwriting he found a unique and singular way to process and communicate his emotions.

Now joined by drummer Ben Dahms, keyboardist Noah Bayer, and guitarist Christian Lese, collectively infusing 5pm to Nowhere with a blend of indie rock nuances and post-punk energy, 5pm to Nowhere is continuing their sonic expedition into uncharted territories. Their debut album is slated for release in early 2024.

Dan Navarro's long and eclectic resume includes "songwriter," "recording artist," "singer", "voice actor", "producer", "road warrior" and "arts advocate" in its extensive range of credits.

His former acoustic duo, Lowen & Navarro, released 13 albums from 1990-2008, enjoyed widespread Triple A radio airplay and performed 1500 shows before Eric Lowen's retirement in 2008 and passing from ALS in 2012. Dan set out solo in 2006.

In March 2024, he debuted as a co-producer of Jesse Lynn Madera's acclaimed album, "Speed of Sound", including the touching co-written duet "Last Call", now making waves at Americana, Folk and Triple A radio.

Dan's 2022 album, "Horizon Line", reunited Dan with Grammy® winning producer Jim Scott, who helmed six L&N albums. The album features performances from Chris Stills, Steve Postell (David Crosby, The Immediate Family), Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams), Brian Whelan (Dwight Yoakam), Jimmy Paxson (Lindsay Buckingham), Mai Leisz (David Crosby, Jackson Browne), Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing), Taras Prodaniuk & Michael Jerome (The Richard Thompson Trio), Phil Parlapiano (John Prine), Peter Adams, Aubrey Richmond (Shooter Jennings), Carlos Murguia, Leyla Hoyle and Derek Nakamoto. The album twice charted Top Ten at NACC Folk, and reviews have been the finest of Dan's career.

In July 2021, he released a duo album with James Lee Stanley, "All Wood and Led", with acoustic "Laurel Canyon" re-imaginations of Led Zeppelin tunes which saw extensive radio action at Americana stations nationwide.

As a songwriter, Dan has written or co-written heartfelt songs for Pat Benatar (the Grammy® nominated "We Belong"), The Bangles, Japanese girl group Wink (the #1 hit "One Night in Heaven"), Dutch superstar Marco Borsato (the Top Ten "Je Hoeft Niet Naar Huis Vannacht"), Dave Edmunds, The Temptations, Dionne Warwick, and Austin outlaw country legend Rusty Weir.

His songs have appeared in the films Deadpool 2, Pitch Perfect 2 and Talladega Nights, TV series This Is Us, Mare of Easttown, Halt and Catch Fire, American Idol, The Voice, American Dad and The Office and national commercials for Corona Beer, Sargento Cheese, Pepsi, Sheraton Hotels, Chase Bank and the United Way.

As a bilingual singer and voice actor, he sang in Oscar® winners Encanto (including the #1 hit "We Don't Talk About Bruno"), Coco and Happy Feet, the 2022 hit Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, the new Latin-themed Father of the Bride, plus Sing 2, The Addams Family, Dora and the City of Lost Gold, The Lorax, and two Ice Age films; TV series The Simpsons, Prison Break, Close Enough and American Dad; voiced characters in the films Pirates of the Caribbean 5, The Book Of Life, The Playmobil Movie, and TV series Invincible, The Boys: Diabolical, Pantheon, Ultra City Smiths, We Bare Bears, and nearly 500 episodes of Family Guy and American Dad; dubbed English voices on foreign TV series Team Chocolate, Love Is Blind: Brazil, La Ultima, 4Ever and Machos Alfa; sung on albums by Luis Miguel, Andrea Bocelli, Jose Feliciano and Neil Young; voiced video games Red Dead Redemption II, Fallout 4 and Uncharted 4, and performed vocals and voice-overs in literally hundreds of commercials for Toyota, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Honda and more.

During the 2020 Covid pandemic lockdown, Dan launched his "Songs From the CoronaZone" live stream series, running almost daily for much of the run of over 250 2-hour+ live streams in 13 months, on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Twitch and the now-defunct Periscope. He then taught live stream techniques in workshops for SAG-AFTRA and Folk Alliance's "FAR-West" region (earning FAR-West's 2021 Humanitarian Award in the process), as well as online songwriting classes dubbed "Songwriting and the Creative Muse".

In his "spare" time, Dan serves on the Board of SAG-AFTRA, the AFL-CIO actor-performer-broadcaster's union; is a Trustee on the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Fund; serves on the Unclaimed Royalties committee of the Mechanical Licensing Collective and is a past president of Folk Alliance International. He has been a vocal activist in Washington DC for intellectual property rights for over 20 years, having testified in 2023 before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on IP and the US Patent and Trademark Office on AI and copyright, as well as the US Senate Judiciary Committee and the Copyright Royalty Board.

Dan Navarro's music probes life at its most resonant. In his rich baritone, he sings songs of heart and insight, steeped in experience, soulful tales from a long road well-traveled.

He's the proud father of a 27-year old filmmaker son, thinks art is food, music is love, and sleep is for babies.

In a town known more for generating pop country 'hat acts' and contemporary Christian music, there is a storm brewing. Small independent bands with no management, booking, record labels (or even local media support) are changing the way people think about Nashville Tennessee.

Now they've got three full length CD's under their belt. 'Sucker Punched', (Dec.2006), 'Three Step Windup' (April,2008) and 'Hang Your Stockings..... Say Your Prayers' the band's Christmas CD (Nov, 2008). Each one totally DIY, produced and engineered by Firebaugh and Dickson and recorded in Andrew Dickson's garage, lovingly known as 'Studio D'. Each CD blends elements of honkytonk, rockabilly, psychobilly, and straight up rock and roll. Every member of the Hillbilly Casino brings their own special flavor to the band, from Nic's background in hip hop and rockabilly, to Geoff's love of old school punk rock and ska, and you'll find elements of all of this in every Hillbilly Casino record and show. 2008 also saw the release of 'Buy-in' a full length Documentary by Doug Farrar at Rockstep Creative. Doug followed the band around for over a year, attending dozens of shows, and collecting performance, and interview footage, which he compiled into a revealing look at a band just trying to make a living and have fun.

While you'll see a lot of bands sitting around waiting to get 'signed', the Hillbilly Casino took a cue from bands like Black Flag, Fugazi, and Youth Brigade, booking their own tours, and producing and releasing their own CD's and T-shirts, and spending hundreds of hours in their old grey Econoline van getting the rock 'n' roll out to the people. From thirty minute opening slots, to 3 and 4 hour marathon sets, these boys are gonna bring their 'A' game, and you'll probably get tired before they do.

The Hillbilly Casino has performed along with the following national Acts...
Brian Setzer Orchestra (7 shows), Rev. Horton Heat, Rancid, Los Straightjackets, Southern Culture on the Skids, Th' Legendary Shack Shakers, The Horrorpops, The Blasters, The Supersuckers, Doyle Bramhall, 7 Shot Screamers, Koffin Kats, Flatfoot 56, Lonesome Spurs, Three Blue Teardrops.

The Hillbilly Casino has performed at these festivals and venues... Gibson Amphitheater (Hollywood CA), Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, TN), House Of Blues (Chicago, IL), Headliners (Louisville, KY), Exit/In (Nashville, TN), Mercy Lounge (Nashville, TN) Bergenfest (Bergen, Norway), Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival (Kilkenny, Ireland), Rockin' 50's Fest (Green Bay, WI), State Theater (Detroit, MI), Tractor Tavern (Seattle, WA), Rocketown (Nashville, TN), Rodeo Bar (New York, NY)
Members of the Hillbilly Casino are endorsed by King Doublebass, Gretsch Guitars, and Fender Amps.

The Grovelers, based out of Milwaukee, WI, are a high energy rock & roll band with a scorching original sound that draws influence from late 50's rockabilly, early 60's garage rock and 80's punk rock.

Formed in August 2013, The Grovelers were a project conceived by life long friends vocalist Skip and guitarist Graff. They quickly added Dane on drums and bassist Lemonie Fresh and since then they have been consistently in demand, performing throughout the Midwest and have had the privilege of opening for acts such as X, Shooter Jennings, Southern Culture on the Skids, Paul Collins, and more.

In the spring of 2019, The Grovelers released their second full length album, Cream City Nights, which garnered positive reviews and heavy radio play on local radio station 91.7 WMSE. The LP title track earning the number one spot for 4 weeks in a row, and the most played LP for 3 months.

In 1985, Alligator Records dropped Showdown!, a three-headed axe grind from blues guitar gods Albert Collins, Johnny Copeland, and Robert Cray --a lean, electrifying session that still cuts through the noise four decades later. Now, in 2025, Texas Headhunters picks up that torch with a fire all its own.

Ian Moore, Johnny Moeller, and Jesse Dayton--three of Texas' fiercest fretmen--join forces at last as Texas Headhunters, a band born from deep roots, old friendships, and a shared reverence for the raw, swaggering spirit of Texas blues. Their self-titled debut isn't a nostalgia trip. It's a declaration.

Cut over five days at Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studio, Texas Headhunters deals 12 tracks of grit, groove, and gut-level truth. No smoke, no mirrors--just seasoned musicians in a room, plugged in and turned up. The chemistry is real. The result is mind blowing.

Clifford Antone looms large in the story of Texas Headhunters--the spiritual godfather of the project, and the man who first recognized the fire in each of its members. All three-- Johnny, Jesse, and Ian--were among the last generation of young guns taken under his wing.

"We all go back to Antone's, man," says Dayton. "We were the next wave after the greats. Clifford saw something in each of us, and that club--that scene--was our proving ground."

The idea for Texas Headhunters emerged from a conversation between Dayton and his manager about CliUord's lasting influence. "You, Ian, and Johnny--y'all were CliUord's last real discoveries. That's not nothing. You oughta cut a record together. Feels like it's time." Dayton called Moore, who immediately brought up Showdown! as a reference point. When Moeller signed on, the wheels were in motion.

From the first sultry lick of "Pocket" to the final bends of "Burnin' Daylight," Texas Headhunters walks the line between swagger and soul--honoring the blues lineage while playing for keeps. "Pocket" sets the tone early: raw, vulnerable, and undeniable. "I love a modern lean into blues," says Ian Moore. "I'm using this Paoletti guitar--it just had the right snarl." It's a standout moment, all ache and punch.

Jesse Dayton's "Maggie Went Back to Mineola" follows, turning up the heat with a dirt-and- neon redemption tale. "A girl from Mineola goes to Dallas and becomes a stripper," Dayton says. "She gets into all this stuU, then comes home to work at the Dollar General and try to go to church. That's Ian on lead."

Johnny Moeller takes the mic on "Everybody Loves You (When You're Down)," opening with a gut-punch: "When you hit rock bottom, everybody loves you, Jack." "I knew Johnny had to sing that one," says Dayton. "He brought this whole vibe--wise, crafty, real as hell. People won't see that Johnny coming."

Long known for his razor-sharp guitar work with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Moeller steps out with a vocal style that's sly, soulful, and cooler than the other side of the pillow. His drawl channels the grit of Ray Wylie Hubbard and the shadowy swagger of Mason RuUner. He doesn't just sing--he inhabits these songs. And on "Gimme Some Love," he trades bravado for something deeper. A hopeful plea. From hell to the train outta there.

Moore's "Kathleen" delivers a vocal that cuts through a wall of snarling guitar. "Kathleen sounds like me," he says, "but we're all in there. We're weaving." Moeller brings the sting again on "Fool Don't Play With Fire," and Side A wraps with "Headhunters Theme"--a tight, swaggering instrumental that sounds like the band kicking in the door.

Side B opens with the roadhouse stomp of "Gun Barrel Boogie" and moves through the haunted grace of "Independence Day" and the simmering groove of "Seeing Around Corners." Moore's "Who Will Your Next Lover Be" adds late-night shimmer, while Moeller's "Gimme Some Love" brings emotional gravity. Then comes "Burnin' Daylight"--a tone- drenched instrumental coda that nods to JeU Beck and Roy Buchanan, leaving nothing but smoke in its wake.

The interplay is the magic: Moore's psychedelic edge, Moeller's deep-pocket sting, Dayton's outlaw grind. All three sing. All three write. All three bring fire. Yet it never feels crowded. When one steps forward, the others lean back just enough. It's a dance, not a duel.

The three aren't all Austin-based anymore--Moeller recently moved to New Orleans, Moore in the Pacific Northwest--but the bond remains unshakable. This is a record forged in shared experience, mutual respect, and that rare, intangible cool that once defined Austin blues. The album lands during the 50th anniversary of Antone's, the legendary club that brought them all together.

"We all grew up on that sound," says Moore. "Tailgators, LeRoi Brothers, T-Birds, Stevie. The blues in Austin was just cool. That's what we're feeling here."

Texas Headhunters isn't just a summit of three badasses with guitars. It's a reclamation. A statement. A reminder that Texas blues, in all its grit and glory, still matters. It's not retro-- it's revival. And it's not a tribute--it's a shot across the bow.

Dayton sums it up: "We tracked it live in the room. The way our heroes did. It felt right. We've all done records with other people, but this one... this one feels like the start of something."

And why wouldn't they? In a time when roots music often plays it safe or leans too hard into the past, Texas Headhunters stands tall--bold, bluesy, and unmistakably Texan. Not a throwback. A throwdown.

Austin Martin & The Herd carve out a unique space, blending raw country storytelling with a serious edge, undeniable hip-hop swagger, and infectious pop appeal. Frontman Austin Martin isn't new to the grind. With eight national tours already under his belt, he fronts a tight, seasoned band, delivering compelling songwriting and a dynamic stage presence that commands attention.

His fresh tracks are igniting a fanbase, amassing over 4 million streams in just six months and exploding across TikTok and Spotify. Imagine the energy of Lil Nas X meeting the country grit of Morgan Wallen with a Jelly Roll-esque authenticity. Austin's music hits hard, resonating with audiences who crave genuine narratives and powerful performances that defy genre boundaries.

Backed by "The Herd," a powerhouse band in their own right, Austin Martin translates his streaming success into an electrifying live show. Expect a setlist that seamlessly weaves from country rap bangers to anthemic country rockers, connecting with the crowd on a visceral level and leaving them buzzing.

Having already shared stages with notable acts and cultivated a dedicated following, Austin Martin & The Herd are on the cusp of a major breakthrough. They bring a proven touring history, a rapidly expanding and engaged fanbase, and a commitment to delivering unforgettable live experiences. Booking Austin Martin & The Herd means bringing a truly original and electrifying act to your venue -- one that's poised to pack the house.

With music commonly described as alternative country, Charlie utilizes his home of DeQueen, Ark. and past experiences as inspiration for the music he writes. His music resonates with his fans, as it's lyrically diverse, but always honestly portrays real life.

"A song should hit you in one way or another. Party hard, love harder. There isn't a middle ground with my music." - Charlie Farley

Farley kicked off his career in music with his first record Hog Heaven debuting on Billboard Charts, and the following, All I've Been Through, hitting #3 on them in 2016. In 2018, his third studio album titled Winning With The Losers was released. It became an instant hit with longtime fans as well as with new fans. Farley's first two singles from the album, "Where I'm From" and "Alcoholiday" both surpassed the 1,000,000 view mark on YouTube in just a few short months. Riding on the success of the album and his three EP releases of 2019, Charlie and his band brought his unique interpretation of music to the masses through constant nationwide touring from Fall 2018 - now.

When it comes to live shows, there isn't one around that is as energetic or as interactive as Farley's. Between year-round touring, popularity on streaming platforms, his performance, and Charlie's determination to become a once in a lifetime type of artist, Farley is at the absolute top of his game and thriving on the idea of advancing even further throughout 2020.

In addition to writing for himself, Farley also happens to co-write for artists such as Colt Ford and Taylor Ray Holbrook. One of his co- writes, Colt Ford's "Reload," was curated for the televised event series UFC Tonight. Along with that, "Stabbin' Cabin," from Hog Heaven, was picked up by CMT's TV Series "Party Down South." Currently his song "Exposed" is on The Outdoor Channel's hit fishing series, The Timmy Horton Show.

Cody Parks and The Dirty South aren't your typical Nashville country band. Founded in 2019 by frontman and songwriter Cody Parks, the band united around his vision of blending his Southern roots with a hard hitting, heavy metal sound. The result? A genre all their own: Country Metal--best described as "Def Leppard on cornbread."

Drawing inspiration from legends like Mötley Crüe, Ratt, and Pantera, The Dirty South injects heavy riffs and explosive breakdowns into country music, transforming Nashville's Music Row into a Sunset Strip-worthy phenomenon. Their 2023 EP, Smothered & Covered, turned heads with singles climbing to #2 and #7 on iTunes, earning them a spot in the social media spotlight and growing their Spotify listener base to over 155,000 monthly fans.

Now, with the release of their EP Country Metal, Vol. 1, the band is gearing up to hit the road in 2025, bringing their high-octane sound to a city near you. Crank it up and experience the unstoppable energy of Cody Parks and The Dirty South!

Ruthie Foster's musical journey is as eclectic and vibrant as her soulful voice. Born into a family steeped in gospel tradition, Ruthie's earliest influences were the voices of her mother, grandmother, and the gospel singers she grew up listening to -- artists like the Gospel Keynotes and the Blind Boys of Alabama. However, her path to becoming a solo artist wasn't a straightforward one. Despite a deep love for music, Ruthie initially shied away from the spotlight, preferring to play guitar, piano, and write songs for others.

Growing up in the rich musical tapestry of Gause, Texas, Ruthie found herself drawn to the diverse sounds and arrangements of local gospel choirs and musicians. Despite her reluctance to take center stage, Ruthie's talent was undeniable, and her mother encouraged her to step up and sing out. She stood out as a young black girl with a guitar in a choir scene dominated by pianos, but with her grandmother's vocal coaching and encouragement from her mother and the church community, she recognized her own power -- as a songwriter, a musician, and as a captivating singer.

After studying music at a community college in Waco, Ruthie decided to take a break from music and enlist in the Navy. The stage drew her once more, and she was selected to sing for the Navy band Pride, where she honed her skills as a vocalist and performer. A development deal with Atlantic Records led her to New York City, where she immersed herself in the songwriting community and learned the craft of writing songs that spoke to the soul.

However, Ruthie's journey took a turn when her mother fell ill, prompting her to step back from music and return to Texas once again. It was a period of introspection, caregiving, and deep bonding with her mother, and upon her return to writing and performing, it was to shape her voice as a singer-songwriter and storyteller. Drawing on her experiences and her musical roots, she began to craft blues, folk, and gospel-tinged songs that spoke to the universal themes of love, loss, and resilience.

Turning down a major record deal in pursuit of authenticity, she has stayed true to herself and her vision as an artist, signing with independent label Blue Corn Music to release Runaway Soul in 2002, followed by The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster in 2007, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster in 2009, Let It Burn in 2012, Promise of a Brand New Day in 2014, Joy Comes Back in 2017, and Healing Time in 2022. She has also released three live albums, Stages in 2004, Live At Antone's in 2011, and 2020's Live at the Paramount.

Now, with five Grammy nominations to her name, Ruthie Foster has achieved a long-awaited milestone: her very first Grammy win. Her latest album, Mileage, released on the legendary Sun Records, won Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards -- a triumph not only for Foster, but also a historic first-ever Grammy win for Sun Records. The recognition underscores the power of Foster's artistry and the enduring legacy of a label that continues to champion timeless voices. With soulful melodies, heartfelt lyrics, and unwavering commitment to her craft, Foster continues to carve out a path that is uniquely her own -- inspiring audiences and fellow musicians alike.

A season of drastic change is what brought SUSTO frontman Justin Osborne to the band's fifth full-length LP, My Entire Life [New West Records]. There was a divorce, difficulties re-building his band after the pandemic, and the pain and helplessness of witnessing family members struggle with addiction and mental illness. Despite these challenges, Justin ultimately found himself in a new landscape, with new love and a deeper perspective, all of which is masterfully projected into My Entire Life.

While navigating some major life changes, Justin understandably experienced a surge of creative energy. He channeled this into writing and recording with the people closest to him, even as the tides of his personal life continued to shift. Primary collaborators included longtime producer Wolfgang "Wolfy" Zimmerman, SUSTO Co-founders, Johnny Delaware and Marshall Hudson, and his fiancé/co-writer Caroline Foyle.

Much of the album was recorded at The Space, in Charleston, SC, but major sessions also took place at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, NC, and Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA.

Johnny had moved to Mexico shortly after work on the album began, so some tracking was done at his home studio in Mexico City.

The band also took a "recording pilgrimage" to the Mexican town of Tepotzlán (mythical birthplace of mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatl), where they turned an airbnb into a remote recording studio, with help from members of Mexican Institute of Sound.

The combined result of these efforts is a compelling blend of rock, folk and psychedelia, with vivid country-esque storytelling. It's as raw and real as anything the band has done so far and everything you'd hope for from a modern rock 'n' roll record.

The album's namesake and lead single, "My Entire Life" is melodically tearful, with an urgency "to keep living."

As a whole, the album documents Justin's personal journey through highs and lows in his life, with many of the details on full display. He narrates the demise and aftermath of an almost decade long relationship, while celebrating the joy of falling in love and the hopefulness of starting over. There is a playfulness at times, but always a clear desire to distill wisdom from experience.

"SUSTO's narrative has always been confessional, and songwriting is my way of trying to make sense of the chaos--good and bad--around me," observes Justin. "These songs cover the spectrum of everything that's happened in my life the last few years. There's been a lot of change, which can be painful, but there's also been a lot of joy and hope, along with everything in between. I figure that's what life is." He continues "...it's a mosaic of all the good, bad, and mundane things we face as we make our way from birth to death. Along the way we ride the waves, but if you stay true to yourself and push through, I believe you can get to where you really want to be, and you can shape that mosaic into something that fulfills you. There is a lot of hope in that for me. This record is my story of navigating a bunch of chaos, but finding ways to carry on and manifest my own happiness...the last few years were a challenge, but I look back and see that I made it through, a better, truer, and more realized version of myself."

It's been quite the ride for SUSTO. In addition to achieving widespread critical acclaim in recent years, the group has built a diehard fan base through captivating live performances and compelling songs.

For as much as My Entire Life is the ultimate vision of what the band can be, it's also a classic story of one person rising from the ashes, wiser and fiery than ever...

"Writing and performing has long been central in my life, and this season of change has only heightened my desire to connect with other people through songs. I've crossed a mountain, so I'm ready to charge forward, and share that story. Everybody goes through difficulty one way or another, we all get worn down, we all chase dreams; songs are there to remind us we aren't alone in that. In my case. I'm thankful for lessons learned, and excited for the future. The privilege of sharing these songs with our audience is something I'm incredibly grateful for."

How to honor the legacy of a band deemed sacred? To tread on holy ground is perilous, and must be done with the intent and spirit of a disciple--Pay attention to the intricacies of the magic, explore the far ends of the innovation, strive for ever-growing ability, and let the purity of the love for the music drive it all.

Drummer Clementine is the founding member of ZEPPARELLA. From the beginning of her musical career, her goal has been to be onstage every night. The pursuit of that goal has led Clementine to constantly tour the US and Europe in projects as diverse as Bottom, AC/DShe, The House Of More, The Solid, Francis Bakin, Stars Turn Me On and Beaux Cheveux. She tackles the best rock drumming ever written with her own emotionally powerful style, bringing the Motown influence of the Bonham groove to the forefront. The profound musical connection established with Gretchen Menn (guitar), Holly West (bass), and Anna Kristina (vocals) creates the bond required to do this great music justice.

It was under the tutelage of classical guitarist Phillip DeFremery, a student of Andrés Segovia, that guitarist Gretchen Menn began her path on the instrument. Playing with tireless passion and constantly seeking out new challenges, her projects are often unconventional, genre-bending expressions combining elements of classical, rock, progressive, jazz, and metal. On influences, Gretchen has never tired of her initial inspirations--Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Frank Zappa, and Jeff Beck. But she has loved Jimmy Page's guitar playing longer than she has played the guitar. It was through the music of Led Zeppelin that she found a gateway into music that resonated deeply with her, creating a love for guitar-oriented music, and, ultimately, the guitar.

Bassist Holly West began her musical journey full-steam ahead, and more recently than her stellar playing belies. Her unstoppable will and drive have truly propelled her to this moment and her place in the powerhouse Zepparella. A self-taught bass player, she is also a blossoming vocalist with rich rock pipes. Her time on stage has been well spent, developing an impressive attack, impeccable feel, and a technique which seems to have come completely naturally to her, not to mention her dazzling stage presence and joyful performance style. Her influences span the rock gauntlet, from Clutch and the Rival Sons to Slash, ZZ Top, and of course, the mighty Zeppelin.

Singer Anna Kristina is a soulful, fiery, and rocking vocal powerhouse who has stepped into Zepparella's Plant spot for a second time. Anna was with the band for 5 years, became known for her performance in the band's 15 million-view "When The Levee Breaks" video, took a 6-year hiatus, and now returns in 2018 to front the band. Her career has spanned acoustic, jazz, soul, rock, and her charisma and power delivers captivating performances every night. About her brilliant harp playing she says: "getting a chance to blow on the harmonica is an added bonus! Plant isn't just a singer he's a musician. He brings his blues background and natural percussive feel to his harmonica playing as well and I love getting lost in that. Playing the harp allows me to express on a whole different level and it's so freeing."

Now more than ever, Zepparella explores their own improvised magic within the framework of Zeppelin's mighty songs!

The universe of guitar knows no boundaries for The California Guitar Trio. Since 1991, the group has enthralled listeners with a singular sound that fearlessly crisscrosses genres. The trio's questing spirit drives it to explore the intersections between rock, jazz, classical, and world music. It even throws in the occasional surf or spaghetti Western tune for good measure.

Comprised of Bert Lams, Tom Griesgraber and Paul Richards, the group has established a unique, personal connection with audiences. In addition to dazzling musicianship and interplay, The California Guitar Trio's (CGT) shows are full of captivating stories and humor that enable concertgoers to feel like they're part of the music, not just spectators. In fact, the group's CGT's 21 albums, streamed over 115 million times on Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, offer diverse snapshots of the group's mercurial muse.

The trio's latest album "Live In Scottsdale -- On Tour With King Crimson" is a recording of the final opening set from the 2021 tour with the legendary King Crimson and features the new CGT 2.0 line up with Tom Griesgraber on Chapman Stick. CGT's most recent studio release Elegy showcases its acoustic side, with beautiful lush originals and innovative cover arrangements of Beatles, Radiohead and more.

The trio's output has made a major global impact, having served as the soundtrack for Olympics coverage, and programs on CNN, CBS, NBC, and ESPN. They have fans in high places too: NASA used their music to wake the crew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor.

CGT's lineup is truly the sum of its distinct parts: A Utah native now residing in Los Angeles, Paul Richards immersed himself in rock, blues, and jazz during his early days and while attending The University of Utah's jazz guitar program. While on and off the road, Paul enjoys doing landscape photography.

Bert Lams, originally from Belgium, graduated from the prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, winning awards in classical guitar performance. Bert Lams currently lives with his family in Jupiter Florida.

Tom Griesgraber, the only California native in the group, is from Encinitas. Tom is a virtuoso player of the Chapman Stick, a guitar/bass hybrid tapping instrument invented in California by Emmett Chapman. Tom is a graduate of the Berklee School of Music on Boston.

Tokyo-born Hideyo Moriya began his guitar journey with surf music and British rock, before relocating to Boston to study at Berklee. Hideyo is currently on hiatus from touring and lives in Chiba Japan.

Lams, Richards and Moriya felt the call to push themselves to the limit by enrolling in Robert Fripp's challenging Guitar Craft courses, where they first met in 1987. They went on to tour together as part of Fripp's League of Crafty Guitarists, before forming the California Guitar Trio in Los Angeles four years later.

Recently, the trio expanded its collaborative possibilities by working within a six-guitar format with the Montreal Guitar Trio. During these groundbreaking, highly-entertaining shows, the acts perform inventive arrangements of each other's repertoire, and new music for guitar sextet. In 2019, this powerful "phenomensemble" released In A Landscape featuring innovative arrangements for six guitars.

31 years and 2000+ gigs later, the CGT remains intensely committed to explore, evolve and communicate a wide-ranging musical worldview. -- Anil Prasad

When he calls, Bob Mould is finishing work on his 15 th solo album, Here We Go Crazy. A distillation of the unfailing melodic skill, the emotional lucidity and dynamic fluency he's developed over more than four decades, it's also a typically bold realignment of his sonic paradigm. Its turbulent vignettes are scored by Mould's familiar bruised tunefulness, but the sound is pared back to its fundaments, 11 songs blistering past in just over 30 minutes. "I've stripped things back to what excited me as a young guitarist," he explains. "The energy, the electricity."

Part of the inspiration for this more primal aesthetic is the heavy itinerary of touring he's lately undertaken, several years spent circling the globe, either in the company of bandmates Jon Wurster (drums) and Jason Narducy (bass) or just by himself. "I was really throwing myself in the songbook and feeling where the audience is at," he says. "And they were really responding to this very simple, just-me-and-a-guitar setup. And I thought, maybe I shouldn't be overcomplicating things, 'word'-ing or 'craft'-ing it up. Just grab for the simple bits of life we still have control over: our emotions, our relationships."

After shows, Mould would hang out signing merch and talking to fans. "Sometimes people bring a lot of their lifetime emotional content to me," he says, "like they've compressed all this coal into a tiny little diamond. Sometimes I'm surprised at the weight of it, the heaviness. I'm like, 'I'm here for you. I'm listening.' I'm shocked and grateful they share so readily with me. I don't know what I did to earn that trust."

Mould has earned that trust with every record he's made, channelling his own "lifetime emotional content" for songs of wisdom, honesty and volcanic intensity. His first band, Hüsker Dü, bared his angst over furious noise and turbulent melody, an indelible influence on generations that followed. But by the time Nirvana infiltrated the mainstream, Bob Mould had already moved on, having sequestered himself in a farmhouse to lick his wounds and learn new ways to sing his songs. His solo debut, 1989's folk-rock masterpiece Workbook, was a record of depth and sophistication. Then he pulled another sharp turn, his power-trio Sugar alloying his most melodic songs with his fiercest noise, yielding his most commercially successful work yet.

Over the solo career that followed Sugar's own mid-90s flameout, he's displayed a maturing gift for songwriting, transcending the 'alternative' tag and recognised alongside key influences like Pete Townshend and Pete Shelley. He's adrenalized classic forms, alchemised angst into something addictive and powerful. "I'm just trying to figure myself out," he says. "After 64 years of life -- 55 spent writing songs -- it's what I do." The concepts that shaped the songs of subsequent albums reflect those years. The ruminative Beauty & Ruin (2014) and Patch The Sky (2016) were written in the wake of losing his parents and other loved ones. 2019's Sunshine Rock was a homage to the early Capitol singles of the Beatles and the Beach Boys, constant companions through his turbulent childhood. The terse, political Blue Hearts (2020) was written and recorded amid the dying days of the first Trump administration.

Here We Go Crazy, meanwhile, arrives at another moment of uncertainty, a time of disruption and fear. Mould sees the songs unfolding like the three acts of a play, each act exploring distinct but related themes. The first handful of songs concern "control versus chaos", Mould explains. The opening title track contrasts images of nature -- deserts, mountains, fault-lines -- with the tumult of human life. Inspired by a riff that Mould says "sounded like a fistfight", 'Neanderthal' is "a snapshot from inside my head as a young kid: growing up in a violent household, everything being unsettled, feeling that fight-or-flight response at all times," while 'Breathing Room' is "about feeling isolated, cramped-up, and literally needing that breathing space".

The furious, dynamic 'Fur Mink Augurs' signals the second act, where the darkness descends. The song channels claustrophobia, and "the cold, crazy, late-winter feeling I grew up with in the Adirondacks and in Minnesota. When the cabin fever really sets in deep -- when the permafrost is set and it never gets warm -- you become frayed, and things can really unravel, quickly." 'Lost Or Stolen' chronicles lives undone by "people losing themselves in their phones," Mould explains. From this focus, he pulls back and digs into "ideas about depression, addiction, self-medication and collapse... The words just fell out of me." This anguished middle-passage of the album concludes with the cathartic 'Sharp Little Pieces', exploring "the end of innocence, the idea of a young child's trust being violated. For those of us who lost trust as children, it disappears in a flash, and we spend years struggling to regain that innocence. And maybe it never comes back."

The song ends bluntly (Mould says the album's "lack of sophisticated ornamentation is key -- I was trying to stay out of the way of the songs, to strip away all the things I used to think were important, all those extra colours and complexities. I didn't want to get deep into decorating the tree. I wanted to keep it simple, to use the simplest words"), raising the curtain on the closing act. The theme here is lifting oneself out of the darkness; 'You Need To Shine' is a song about "looking for the bright sides, the good parts of life, despite everything that's happened", Mould says, a sentiment borne out by the song's spirited holler that "all that madness doesn't matter anymore". 'Thread So Thin' is "about trying to protect the one you love, and trying to feel protected", Mould explains, while the closing 'Your Side' is a powerful love song from the edge of the darkness, Mould howling "If the world is going down in flames, I want to be by your side". "We're heading into a great unknown here," Mould says, of the wider geopolitical and climate anxieties that inspired these songs. The message here is, simply, focus on that which can save you and deliver you from this moment. "This album talks a lot about uncertainty, helplessness, being on edge," Mould adds. "How much can we control? How much chaos can we handle? In the end, the answer, the remedy, is placing your trust in unconditional love."

Mould knows Here We Go Crazy is an album freighted with darkness; "There's soothing melodies, and there's lyrical discomfort," he deadpans. "It's manic, frantic, complex." But no one ever came to Bob Mould for good news, for the easy answers. Pop music runs through his veins, as surely as the electricity that drives his chiming hooks into the realms of distortion, but he's here to give you the truth, his truth. To give you songs that ring true when howled against a tornado of guitar, that compress all that "lifetime emotional content" into some kind of sonic diamond. There's eleven of those precious gems here, sculpted to make the heaviness easier to bear, somehow. Treasure them.

David Barbe is an Athens musician sometimes referred to as having the widest involvement of any single figure in the Athens, GA music scene. David Barbe has appeared on over 400 albums as producer, engineer, or musician, frequently working at his Athens studio, Chase Park Transduction. At various times he has made music either live or in the studio with hundreds of artists including Sugar, Deerhunter, Drive-By Truckers, Kevn Kinney, The Glands, Son Volt, Cracker, Ill Ease, Bloodkin, Stef Chura, Bettye LaVette, Booker T. Jones, Lee Bains, Olivia Tremor Control, Mercyland, Bar-B-Q Killers, and Harvey Milk to name a few. Barbe's most recent release '10th of Seas' (Orange Twin) was released to high critical praise. He has most recently finished recording projects with Stef Chura, Shehehe, and Drive-By Truckers.

Mike Silverman (a.k.a. That 1 Guy) is a classically trained bassist. From the age of 15, this gifted musician seemed destined for a musical career his parents could be proud of: playing bass in promising ensembles, winning a Dave Brubeck Jazz Scholarship competition, studying classical upright at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and jazz bass at Los Medanos College. But at some point on the path to respectable mainstream success, something went fantastically wrong.

In 2003, Silverman wrote, recorded, produced and mastered the debut album from his demented alter ego That 1 Guy -- a magnificently insane one-man show that has been making waves across America since the late '90s. He made the record with an unwieldy homemade instrument called The Magic Pipe, wrote songs called "It's Raining Meat" and "Weasel Potpie," and titled the disc�Songs In The Key Of Beotch. Whatever drove the mild-mannered Silverman to do this is debatable, but one thing is for sure: fans of the musically bizarre will be forever grateful.

That 1 Guy began quickly and unexpectedly, after Silverman finished a gig with his beloved Bay Area group The Fabulous Hedgehogs. After the club owner paid the 5-piece band a meager $50, Silverman joked that the next time around he'd play the show alone. The owner took him up on the offer, and right then and there, That 1 Guy was born. In a fit of experimentation, Silverman removed all his bass strings except for one and picked up a drum machine as accompaniment. That 1 Guy's first show, at Dr. Bombay's in San Francisco's Mission District, was a learning experience. The club had no stage, so Silverman performed standing on the bar, his head touching the ceiling, his microphone plugged into the jukebox. "It was the worst gig ever, yet somehow my greatest musical accomplishment up to that point," Silverman reminisces.

Since that fateful night, Silverman has worked hard on perfecting his one-man show and building the beautiful monstrosity that is The Magic Pipe. Seven feet of galvanized steel and hardware store trinkets, the metallic, one-stringed instrument is brought to life by an array of electronic gadgets. Silverman claims the pipe, "not only has a limitless harmonic and sonic range, but limitless rhythmic possibilities as well."

When That 1 Guy performs live, his imagination is what truly seems limitless. On top of his infectious, innovative style, the artist throws more avant-garde treats into the mix, like impassioned Whodini covers and electrified cowboy boots. His indisputably original show has attracted the attention of a wide range of artists, and as a result, Silverman has shared the stage with the likes of Ani DiFranco, Soul Coughing, Saul Williams, Bob Weir and Ratdog, Yo La Tengo, Fabolous, Drums & Tuba, Naughty By Nature and countless others.

An evening of songs and storytelling, heartstrings and laughter, A Winter's Evening with Ryanhood is a live holiday touring show based on the duo's record, On Christmas, that showcases the high-energy, big-harmony, dueling acoustic guitar approach that Ryanhood fans across the country have come to expect.

Featuring a blend of original holiday compositions, wintry covers, and reworked classics woven together with holiday stories and memories, Ryan David Green and Cameron Hood invite audiences to experience the joy, depth, intimacy, and excitement of the holiday season by sharing A Winter's Evening with Ryanhood.

Named 'Best Group/Duo' in the International Acoustic Music Awards, acoustic-duo Ryanhood got their first break more than a decade ago as street-performers at Boston's Quincy Market. It was there that they were spotted by a college booking agent and thrust into the college touring scene, where Campus Activities Magazine would name them "one of the most requested acts by college buyers all across the country." They've since gone on to perform more than a thousand shows in 46 U.S. states over the past decade, and have shared stages with Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Train, and many more.

And, their star is still on the rise. Ryanhood was recently named the "Discovery of the Year" by John Platt at WFUV in New York City, and was a featured act at Australia's National Folk Festival in 2018.

Their latest album Under the Leaves, sees the pair's lead guitarist Ryan David Green stepping into the role of sole producer, weaving a tapestry of lush strings and rich harmonies. The album, like their shows, is driven by strong acoustic guitar performances and is at turns energetic, hopeful, and quietly moving--a musical invitation to breathe, and to soak in a river of melodies and harmonic hooks.

Cameron Hood, the band's primary lyricist, has waded into those musical rivers with dream-like verses about seeds and forests, breath and wind, and the cycles and seasons that frame our lives. Throughout the album's songs, a question is asked: How do we create meaningful and lasting change in a world filled with division and turmoil? The offer on Under the Leaves is to slow down and face the one thing we have the power to change -- ourselves -- as the duo sings on the album's second track, "the only revolution is the one within."

Green and Hood currently reside in their hometown of Tucson, Arizona, where they have won more than a dozen Tucson Music Awards including "Best Folk Band" and "Best Rock Band" (you can decide for yourself which is most accurate).

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