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Baby Baby live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon

Channeling the Beastie Boy’s silly irreverence and Andrew W.K.'s party-rockin’ spirit, Baby Baby blend their homemade Fun Rock songwriting with a hip-hop swagger and an emphasis on the live experience. Imagine if National Lampoon directed the next Legally Blond and you'll start to get an idea of what BABY BABY is all about. Baby Baby convened in the summer of 2009, when singer/guitarist Fontez Brooks and drummer Grant Wallace shook off the sleepiness of the suburbs of Carrollton and set out to bring a new element to the Atlanta scene. Packed with broody self loathing artists, haters galore, the crossed-over-arm generation and the strip-club rap scene, The ATL simply needed some fun rock. And that’s what Baby Baby — which now includes Ryan Burruss on Keys, Colin Boddy on percussion and Hsiang Wen on bass — delivers on their sophomore album, Big Boy Baller Club, the follow-up to 2011’s Money, out April 1 on the Gospel of Rhythm Recordings. Baby Baby is a big, inclusive tent. There’s room under it for friends, foes, Nickleback fans, even haters; we all need someone to keep us in check, don’t we? All they ask is that you come ready to dance and make some new friends on the floor. They’ll take care of the rest.

The Dog Apollo w/ Analog Existence live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon

Trae Pierce and The T-Stones live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon

Trae Pierce began playing music at the tender age of 7. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, his first instruments included the piano and guitar before finding his calling on the bass guitar at age 9. After playing with many local bands, groups, and churches, Trae went on the road at 13, sharing stages with the Blind Boys of Alabama, Sugarfoot & the Ohio Players, Dr Hook featuring Ray Sawyer, Emmylou Harris, Susan Tedeschi, James Brown, Peter Gabriel, and more. In addition, Trae has produced toured and recorded with artists such as Flo-Rida, Jodeci, Mavis Staple, Susan Tedeschi, Michael Franti (Spearhead), Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Flava Flav, Ce Ce Peniston, Robert Plant, Robert Randolph Lexxus, Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs & Harmony, K-Ci & Jo Jo, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Randy Travis, Lou Reed, E-Town Live, and the Mighty Clouds of Joy. Trae has made appearances on several national television shows, including the Jay Leno Show, the Wayne Brady Show, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Regis & Kelly, and many more. His movie credits include the Fighting Temptations, Brother Bear, and HOP, which is in theaters now. Trae’s efforts have earned him four Grammy Awards, three Dove Awards, an NAACP Image Award, and in 2010 he was inducted into the Alabama Hall of Fame. Heavily influenced by Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, John Patitucci, and Victor Wooten, Trae has expanded his talents to the next level, and is currently working on a bass-oriented solo project featuring some of the friends made during his 30 years of touring and playing music. Trae, who still tours with the Blind Boys of Alabama and Sugarfoot's Ohio Players, is known for sporting a top hat on stage and wowing crowds with his blistering riffs played on slide (yes, slide!) bass, as well as playing/singing talk box bass. Trae's versatility is well-utilized with his solo project, Trae Pierce and the T-Stone Bnad, which can be found touring and performing at major venues nationwide and worldwide.

Dynamo live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon

Dynamo is Nashville-based, nationally touring band whose music fuses jazz, rock, and funk with elements of soul and R&B. The culmination is a sound that’s both spontaneous and composed—and an energy that’s undeniably infectious. Formed in late 2012, Dynamo consists of nine core musicians. When they’re not performing or recording in Nashville, the band is on the road, spreading their unique brand of feel-good music to audiences all over the world. Group members include Kevin Gatzke (Tenor sax), Andrew Golden (trumpet), Joshua Blaylock (Keyboard/Trombone), Ryan Connors (Piano/composer), John Murphy (Guitar), Hank Born (Guitar), Adam McPhail (Guitar), Zach Witcher (Bass), Ross McReynolds (Drums/Perc.) Nathan Felty (Drums/Perc.) and Dain Ussery (vocals).

Slow Parade w/ Pony League live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon

Slow Parade is a new project from a group established atlanta/athens musicians headed up by songwriter Matthew Pendrick. After calling upon bassist Andrea Demarcus (Cicada Rhythm) and multi instrumentalist Paul Stevens ( Grand Vapids ), Slow Parade was formed out of the need for a new extension. The goals were explicitly implied through means of analog conversion : follow sonic bliss until it exceeds the order of 38 db RMS above unity gain, translate the oft mud caked melodies back to silver vibrations of which they were born , catch the tail of the echo loop that does knows no decay.

Coyote Anyway live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon

A Coyote chorus howls against a fading summer swelter. The mellow jangle of rusty strings picked with a fierce intuition Coyote Anyway makes music like that. Both fresh and familiar. With a tip of the hat to a hundred years of American music, their sound is informed by classic wax from both sides of the tracks. A lazy country shuffle, a touch Bo Diddley flavored mambo, a few barnburner blues romps. Maybe when the lights go lower and the bar is filling, they turn up a bit and this potent blend sounds a bit like Rock & Roll, the way your grandpappy thought of it. The story of Coyote Anyway is a long road with many forks. Comprised of Dave Kirslis , Matt Garrison, Zeke Sayer and Matthew Pendrick, the group has roots that run deep. All born and raised in Georgia, the members of this coyote collective have steeped in the rich music culture of the south, and digested its potent tonic to heart. It’s the sound of old friends coming together to play what comes naturally and what feels good. Over the years they have shared a thousand stages with some of the best around. “A real appreciation for tradition doesn’t mean you must be tied to the past…really it’s freeing. To use those sounds and ideas as spring board to our own twist on it, not unlike the way any one of our heroes did in their day.“ "Every member of this group is doing really great things on their own and with other projects and such,” says Pendrick. “I think that’s part of what makes it so fun. There’s a lot of mutual respect for each other as players and writers, so when we have a chance to get together, there’s a genuine excitement that comes from being in such good company.” Audiences around the South who have been privy to the bands live set have said much the same. Toes get to tappin. Hearts get to bumping. Everybody have a real good time.