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Stolen Rhodes live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Several words and phrases come to mind when seeing a live Stolen Rhodes performance for the first time: fiery, sensational, tough as nails, hotter than a rattlesnake in a toaster oven… Combining blues and rock with a touch of country and a heap of nostalgia, Philadelphia, PA (USA) rockers Kevin Cunningham (guitar), Jack Zaferes (bass), Matt Pillion (vocals, guitar, keys, saxophone) and Larry Shotter (drums) have spent the past year and a half touring in support of their critically acclaimed Slow Horse EP. The tour included over 250 dates plus festivals such as SXSW, Sturgis, Daytona Bike Week, and Rocklahoma. They opened for iconic artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Robert Randolph, Drivin’ N Cryin’ and Blackberry Smoke. They also spent a month touring as support for the Marshall Tucker Band. Their energetic, crowd-pleasing performances subsequently led to spots on Skynyrd’s final Simple Man Cruise and the Lebrewski Cruise playing with Molly Hatchet, O.A.R. and Blackfoot. In January 2016, Stolen Rhodes returned to the studio to record their highly anticipated full-length album Bend With The Wind. Recorded at Dylanava Studios outside of Philadelphia with the assistance of producer David Ivory (Halestorm, The Roots, Silvertide) and mastered by Ted Jensen (The Eagles, John Mayer, AC/DC), Bend With The Wind includes several songs the group has road tested over the years, with a few that were written right in the studio, which was a first for them. “We took a kind of backwards approach to it,” explains Pillion. “Usually you have a song and play it live, then if it goes over well you put it on the record, but this was the exact opposite approach.” One track that Pillion was especially surprised by, however, was the slower tempo song “Save Me”. “I wrote it so quickly, it just seemed serendipitous. It’s a song that audiences have really responded to. It’s basically just about that feeling you get when things are going wrong, but there’s that one song that just takes the weight off your shoulders when you hear it.” Bend With The Wind concludes with two bonus tracks that were recorded in a cabin using a vintage tape recorder, illustrating their diversity and acoustic artistry. “We have a fan favorite song called “So Long”, says Pillion, “it’s high energy and straight-up rock and roll, but we decided to record a laid-back, stripped-down version with no electric guitar and recorded completely live.” Stolen Rhodes will be on the road throughout 2016 scheduled to play over 150 shows, including multiple stops all over the Northeast, Southeast, South and Midwest. They’ll be opening for bands like Blackberry Smoke, Gov’t Mule and the Marshall Tucker Band, along with touring on their own. Besides participating in large annual music festivals such as Milwaukee’s Summerfest, Rocklahoma and Alabama’s Toadlick Music Festival, Stolen Rhodes will be opening for the formidable Miranda Lambert at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally before heading across the pond in 2017 for their first European tour. With their fiery, gasoline-laden live shows and catchy songs, Stolen Rhodes will blow your mind and quite possibly bruise your soul, as well.
Sanctified Revival live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Hailing from a small town just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Sanctified Revival adds a southern twist to an otherwise melting pot of different genres. Forming in late 2013, the band has consistently kept busy, playing several different states around Georgia in their first year. Releasing their debut album "Nickels & Dimes" in early 2016, the band continues to move forward in their career. "Music is our passion and the fans are the fuel for that passion, we couldn't do it without them!." Says Harley Dills, guitarist and vocalist for the band. "It's like a brotherhood this band, everyone gets along just as well on a personal level, as we do on a musical level. We love what we do and we wouldn't change it for a thing." Says Owen Dills, drummer for Sanctified. Tried and true to their fans and their roots, Sanctified Revival strives to bring their passion to the audience.
The Night Shift live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Established in Atlanta, GA in 2014, The Night Shift. is a regional touring alternative rock trio. From soft compositions to heavy rock grooves, The Night Shift. colors the air with sweet, sonic riffs atop a tight rhythm section creating many different musical timbres. The band has developed a universal sound incorporating influences from many genres including alternative rock, psych rock, folk, and jam music. The Night Shift. expresses deep human emotion and encourages connectivity, mindfulness, and love to everyone they meet. The band has had a revolving door of members over the years of passionate and extremely talented musicians. Initially starting as a grunge/garage/arena rock band, they’ve evolved immensely over that span of time. Having found further musical influences from other extremely talented locals of Athens and Atlanta, TNS. is an amalgamation of what their friends love and have created. Currently, The Night Shift. is working towards their first LP and creating more diverse and improvisational based live shows.
Backup Planet live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Rock ‘n’ roll epitomizes escapism in its purest form. It’s not just artistic anesthetization either, but rather a galvanizing force that inspires us to keep pushing through life’s trials and tribulations. That’s why we still listen to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Rush, and countless others all these years later. It’s the same reason audiences will be talking about Backup Planet’s second full-length album, Reactions, for a long time to come. The Nashville, TN quartet—Ben Cooper [keys, vocals], Chris Potocik [drums, vocals], Gavin Donati [guitar, vocals], and Blake Gallant [bass, vocals]—write arena-size anthems echoing with progressive intricacy, funk swagger, and even a little metallic edge. Giving listeners an inspiring and invigorating aural haven, their moniker couldn’t be more apropos… “I worked at a liquor store all through college,” remembers Ben. “I was sitting there one night in a funk because of school work and a fight with my girl at the time. Every channel on TV decried, ‘The end of the world is nigh!’ I thought, ‘Man, I wish I had a Backup Planet where I could go and escape.’ It dawned on me. That’s what naturally happens when you play music; you’re transported somewhere else. It’s a shared experience where everybody goes together.” The name perfectly fit the tunes Ben and his college buddy Gavin wrote starting in 2013. Rounded out by Chris and Blake, Backup Planet became a local favorite around the University of Tennessee Knoxville. They independently released their full-length debut, Element, during 2015 and began sharing the stage with the likes of The Revivalists, Papadosio, and more in addition to headlining countless packed shows. Relix proclaimed them “On The Verge,” and one fateful gig led to signing with powerhouse management firm Red Light Management [Dave Matthews Band, My Morning Jacket, Dopapod, Phish,]. However, tragedy struck Backup Planet only weeks after this big milestone. “I had a weird sense of premonition,” admits Ben. “We had just left a show, and within 30 seconds, our van was flipped over on the interstate sliding. There were sparks, glass, and metal flying everywhere and people screaming. Fortunately, we were all alive, but we lost our van, gear, and trailer. It flipped our entire lives figuratively and literally on their sides.” Rather than engage audiences via crowd-funding, the band quietly saved throughout the rest of the year by performing local headline gigs to re-build their infrastructure. Bruised but not broken, they entered Syncromesh Studios in Birmingham, AL with producer Jason Elgin [Collective Soul, Maylene & The Sons of Disaster,] to record Reactions during 2016. In four weeks, they tracked everything analog the old-fashioned way. “We love production in all of its forms, and working with Jason was an awesome learning experience,” the singer goes on. “He knew every in-and-out and possible thing you could do in the studio, and it became like a creative sanctuary.” The title REACTIONS evokes the devotion of these four musicians, facing a near death experience and bouncing back with a deeper appreciation for their craft and a definitive body of work. “It plays into the laws of physics and thermodynamics,” he says. “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You never know what’s going to happen. Everything can change in an instant. It’s about how you react. There are those thematic elements in the music and songwriting. That’s been the story of the last year and ties into what we created.” As these four talents continue “reacting” at the highest level, listeners everywhere fall into an escape fueled by mind-blowing musicianship, poetic songwriting, and hooks that resound past the heavens. “This is what we live by musically,” Ben leaves off. “We say this all the time, ‘You can play to three people or three-thousand people, but if you’re not enjoying it and connecting with your band mates, what’s the point?’ Our approach is to take something negative and turn it into a positive by using the language of music. It comes down to overcoming adversity. This makes us complete, and we hope you feel that.”
The Matt Brantley Band w/ Free Lance Ruckus live at The Hummingbird
Two of Middle Georgia's favorite bands in one night at The Hummingbird Stage and Taproom. The Matt Brantley Band with their Honky Tonk Rock n' Roll combined with Free Lance Ruckus and their Southern Alternative Americana Rock is guarantee to make for an amazing night of music in Downtown Macon.
Roxy Roca live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
No one leaves a Roxy Roca show dissatisfied. A sonic shot to the arm of Texas infused, powerhouse-southern soul and funk complete with a certain tightness only achievable after playing an average of more than 220 shows a year. Roxy Roca shows are like stepping into a tent-revival somewhere in the Deep South, and crooner Taye Cannon is here to speak the gospel. Each tune flows over with hooky guitar riffs, funky backbeats, slammin’ horn lines, and lyrics of love, heartache, and a message of choosing happiness above all else sung with a conviction and sincerity as only Roxy Roca’s green-eyed Soul-Cannon can deliver. Hailing from Austin, Texas, the band has come a long way in the short time it has existed. 2015 brought with it the release of Roxy Roca’s latest album, Ain’t Nothin’ Fancy, on Stag Records. Recorded at EAR Studio in Austin with producer Lars Goransson at the helm, the record captures the classic sounds reminiscent of Stax, Motown, and Domino Records. One might say the band wears its influences on its sleeve, and any member of the six-piece soul outfit would happily list off the forefathers of soul and funk. Now two albums deep, and hundreds of shows later, Roxy Roca has had the good fortune to share the stage with some incredible acts ranging from outright classics such as B.B. King, Tom Jones, and Lee Fields to more modern acts like Fitz and The Tantrums, Mayer Hawthorne, Trombone Shorty, and Vintage Trouble. The future looks bright for Roxy Roca, and there is no end in sight.
Locals Only featuring HOWL, Walk Thru Walls, and Magnolia Moon
The Hummingbird Stage & Taproom would like to invite you all to our Locals Only night featuring strictly Middle Georgia bands. We're excited to have HOWL, Walk Thru Walls, and Magnolia Moon apart of this great event! Come out and support local bands and venues!
Flux Capacitor live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Emerging from the Pennsylvania music scene, from the outskirts of the City of Brotherly Love, is the phenom band known as Flux Capacitor. Their fiery, distinct sound has catapulted the group with lightning speed into the National Music Scene. This band of brothers consistently inspire and evoke a new and wildly addicting sound resonating with elements of rock, improvisation and electronica. They redefine musicality with positive prophetic vocals, complex guitar work, innovative keys/synths/bass stylings, with feverish syncopated drum rhythms. Flux Capacitor concerts are filled with improvisation, musical segues, spontaneous covers, and teases creating a unique, one of a kind experience at every performance. The essence of the brothers music is fueled by their dedicated practice of meditation and lucid dreaming which keeps them fueled by a higher power. Their electric vibe transcends the stage and extends into the crowd creating a magical musical ambience. . Flux Capacitor have grown tremendoulsy since the bands inception in 2007. From a hand full of shows to playing hundreds of shows, and fine tuning their craft culminating in their first full length release 2009`s "They Know We Know" and subsequent tour from Pa to Chicago Il playing 15 shows made possible through their fast growing buzz and fan-base through the internet and roots promotion. This first tour resulted in strong internet sales on iTunes and CdBaby helping to broaden their fanbase. In 2011 the brothers were invited to Seattle to work with Jack Endino for their second Release "Monolith". Following that release the band spent all of 2011 and 2012 Touring with 11 Dates throughout the UK and Canada and over 45 Shows outside their home region. Flux Capacitor won Jam Band of the Year at the highly esteemed 2013 TriState Indie awards in Philadlephia PA and has been nominated once again for this distinction in 2014. Flux has recently released their third album "Cycle 9" showcasing the band's most ambitious and epic material to date. "Cycle 9" was recorded with John Becker of Anomoulous Audio. All three Flux Capacitor Cd's are available on iTunes, CDbaby and Bandcamp.com as well as many record stores around the east coast. Flux is a dedicated family group that believes in music, joy and consciousness. Under these guiding principles Flux Capacitor has seen nothing but growth giving killer performances and creating ecstatic dance floors at every show. Flux Has Shared The Stage With Umphrey`s McGee, Railroad Earth, Keller Williams, Rusted Root, The New Mastersounds, Tea Leaf Green, Karl Denson`s Tiny Universe, Ozomatli, Conspirator, Stanton Moore, JGB with Melvin Seals, Particle, David Grisman Quartet, Ivan Neville`s Dumpstaphunk, Kung Fu, Papadosio, the Movement, Splintered Sunlight, Dangermuffin, Lukas Nelson and many, many more!. Interview excerpts from POP VULTURE magazine with Pete Specht: "I was always singing since I was kid, walking around endlessly singing and making up songs. As I got older I got more serious and could never shake the call and the vision to be playing in a band. I had really crazy "night terrors" as a kid and I saw lots of really strange or far out stuff that really freaked me out at first. I began writing all my dreams down when I was around 13 years old and now I see them more akin to astral travel and I bring everything I see in those experiences contributes to the songs' mood and lyrics. These experiences have married me to music and my brothers, Jason (Drummer) and Mike (Keys). They have been witnesses to this creative process and have been the rhythmic core and co-creators of the music since day one." "The most important lifelong influences on me have been Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley. I love hundreds of artists greatly but these two had a huge trans-formative effect on my growth as a performer. My eyes get wet every time I see a video of them performing and it never gets old or ceases to inspire me. As a group as a whole we were definitely inspired and influenced by Tool, Phish, Radiohead, Floyd as well as many others." "Some of my proudest accomplishments are Winning the Tri-State Indie Music awards for Jam Band of the Year 2013 in Philadelphia, there were many amazing and talented musicians nominated and it felt good to receive the recognition. Working with Grammy award winning producers Jack Endino (Nirvana) in Seattle and David Ivory (The roots) (Phila.) were exceptionally great experiences. Touring England was a huge event for us, we played 11 shows in the U.K. and we made a ton of new fans overseas. We felt so much energy from the experience playing our music on an international level. Playing the House of Blues in Atlantic City for the first time was a high point for us. As well getting to play and headline many festivals on the east coast while watching our fan base grow." Flux Capacitor 2014
Hill Country Revival w/ The UnExplainable Billy Eli live at The Hummingbird
Hill Country Revival is a Southern Rock/Red Dirt Country act featuring musicians from Montana, Georgia and Texas. Touring the central Texas circuit, you can get a chance to see HCR if in the North Austin to downtown San Antonio areas.
Holey Miss Moley live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Holey Miss Moley is a ten piece Funk-Flavored Rock-Soul Infused Groove Factory based out of Everywhere, Florida (St.Petersburg to Orlando to Jacksonville). Their high-energy sound is reminiscent of old school 70's funk, melded with elements of Disco, Jazz, Soul and Hip-hop creating a superb fusion that delights and energizes the crowd getting people up and dancing all night! The musicians in Holey Miss Moley have collaborated together for years and it shows through their tight-knit sound and well orchestrated music. Even better, they enjoy playing together and it creates an atmosphere of funky fun for everyone. The band has spreading their wings throughout Florida playing festivals like Hulaween, Orange Blossom Jamboree, Connection Festival, Roosevelt Collier's Getdown and Zach Deputy's Disc Jam at Suwannee, Tropical Heatwave, Earthdance, MindSpring, The Great Outdoors Jam and Hometeam events. March 1st, 2017 - HMM hit the road for their 11 state, 38 venue 'Shake It With Me' Tour. Check the event pages, we may be coming to a city near you!