Calendar
The Ides of June w/ Silver Tongue Devils live at The Hummingbird
The Ides of June are a rock & roll band based out of Atlanta, Ga. The band's combination of Southern, Blues, and Stoner Rock make for a unique rock n' roll sound. Think Black Keys meets Queens of The Stone Age. Swaggering out of the Backwoods of upstate South Carolina, The Silver Tongue Devils are bring you rock n roll, pure and sweet, loud and mean. Featuring Michael Miller and Blake Webb from Alias For Now and Green Jello, Jesse James Worley from The Lucky Strange, and Duncan Morrow from The Hill Country Funk.
Frazierband live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Original, bluegrass/roots/rock band from Nashville, TN founded and fronted by John Frazier, 2016 Nashville Scene Instrumentalist of the year.
Tesheva live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Complimentary musicianship and a unique sound brought four individuals together as the self-described Southern Psychedelic quartet, Tesheva. Drawing influence from funk, rock, blues, and progressive instrumental music, the local favorites create a one-of-a-kind atmosphere which lends itself to groovy vibes and spacey jams while not skimping on the rock-n-roll. Originally a trio, Vaughan Brenner on drums, Matt Dunaway on bass, and Caleb Hutson on guitar laid the foundation for the band and it's sound. With the induction of Michael McCoy in the spring of 2015, the four piece group began to identify and refine their brand of music dubbed "Southerndelic." Tesheva has seen success in Mississippi and Alabama after releasing their EP, and playing with local and regional acts. The band aims to play many more shows and release a full length album in the coming year.
The Mammoths w/ The Voodoo Fix live at The Hummingbird
Raelyn Nelson Band live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
As an aspiring female country artist in Nashville, history suggests that the quickest path to success is somehow aligning oneself with one of the major publishers, producers, songwriters, labels, or managers that are the heart of Music Row. So what do you do if you are an aspiring female country artist in Nashville, and also happen to be the granddaughter of musical icon, Willie Nelson? You hook up with an independent producer and veteran of the rock/punk scene, write some songs that are part Loretta Lynn, part Cheap Trick, and form the Raelyn Nelson Band. "I've been told by more than one person in the 'biz' that I'm stubborn like my grandpa. I kind of like that" -Raelyn Nelson. Raelyn Nelson has been singing since she can remember. Having been raised on a steady diet of traditional country and gospel music, a gift from her grandpa in the form of a guitar during her teenage years was the inspiration she needed to begin writing her own country and folk songs. Looking for a place to record these songs, a chance meeting through a mutual friend would provide the backdrop for the next step on her non-traditional career path. Jonathan Bright, veteran of the underground rock scene and independent producer recorded some of these early songs, and they decided to try to write some things together to see what happened. The result? A completely fresh and original sound, a true hybrid and referred to by some critics as "the first installment in what is surely to be the next hip genre in music: Country/Garage Rock." With songs written and sound and sound discovered, Jonathan recruited his bandmates (Paulie Simmons and Preach Rutherford) from hard rockers, Defense Wins Championships, and and a rarity in Nashville materialized: A true, honest to goodness BAND, and not a Music Row creation. "I don't really have any desire to be a 'solo-artist'. Everyone in my family who plays music has always placed a lot of importance on band chemistry, on stage, off stage and in the studio. Our band can almost read each other's minds. Why would I mess with that?"
Soul Mechanic live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Soul Mechanic brings a progressive rock sound with influences from all across the board. Keeping you groovin' for an entire set with an innovative soul sound, heavy on the bass and light on the heart. Soul Mechanic's main focus is having a good time with our crowd, and dancin' the night away with them.
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.”