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Raelyn Nelson Band w/ The Underhill Family Orchestra live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Raelyn Nelson Band 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. The Underhill Family Orchestra is a rowdy, enthusiasticly heart-felt rock n roll band from Mobile, AL. Combining elements of unique vocal stylings with soulful beats and rambunctious instrumentation, their live performances keep you dancin' all night and leave you tappin' your toes on the way home.
Hot Rod Walt & the Psycho Devilles live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-DeVilles was formed in 2002. They have released 9 CDs... "Out of the garage and onto the street", "Psycho Cadillac", "Supercharger", "Night Prowler", "Rockabilly Rodeo", "Country Gold", "Rock N Roll Life", "Motor Honey" and "Swingin' On the Moon. He also takes great pride in playing nothing but Gretsch guitars........ Nothing else compares. Hot Rod Walt shares the stage with two talented and loyal musicians......Burford T Ogletree on the Upright bass and Steve "Burnout" Barnett the hard hittin' punk rock drummer that never runs out of energy. Together the Psycho-DeVilles perform a super high energy show. Singing songs about hot rod cars and mean women................. In 2010 The Psycho-DeVilles had the pleasure of being a part of two TV shows. "Auction Kings" on Discovery Channel. Where Hot Rod Walt auctioned off his Pink 1960 Cadillac. And "Cafe' Racer" on Discovery HDTheater/velocity, where they brought him a custom built Cafe Racer motorcycle to test ride and build a story on the band. In 2011 They sent HRW off to the famous Hawleywoods Barbershop for a story on the Pompadour . In 2012 they made and featured a Music video of there song "Ton UP". In 2013 The Psycho-DeVilles were featured as the "Tennesee Three" in the Lifetime Movie "Ring of Fire" with Jewel and Matt Ross as Johnny Cash and June Carter. in 2016 were featured in the TV show "Caffeine and Octaine" on Velocity Channel, Following Hot Rod Walt doing a flame job on a 50 Mercury and then live performance from the band. The Psycho-DeVilles are also sponsored by Miller High Life !! The Psycho-DeVilles have toured 9 countries on 4 continents extensively and have been privileged to meet many fine and generous people, and have shared the stage with some of the absolute best musicians. Hot Rod Walt is also a founding member of Florida's.... Slick Riddle and Acoustic boulevard
Selwyn Birchwood Band live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Birchwood, his father from Tobago, his mother from the UK, was born in 1985 in Orlando, Florida. He first grabbed a guitar at age 13 and soon became proficient at mimicking what he heard on the radio. But the popular grunge rock, hip-hop and metal of the 1990s didn’t move him, and he quickly grew bored. And then he heard Jimi Hendrix. “He was larger than life. What he did was mind-blowing. When I realized Hendrix was influenced by the blues, I found my path,” he says. By 17, he was deep into the blues, listening to Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, Lightnin’ Hopkins and especially Buddy Guy. As luck would have it, just as Birchwood was discovering Guy, the blues master had a concert scheduled in Orlando. Birchwood was there, front and center. “I was floored,” he recalls. “I completely connected with the blues. I knew I had to make this music.” As Selwyn’s guitar proficiency grew, a friend told him that his neighbor was a blues guitarist and had a band. The 19-year-old Selwyn went over to check it out and jam. The guitar-playing neighbor turned out to be the Texas-born blues legend Sonny Rhodes, who was instantly impressed with the enthusiastic young guitar slinger. Within one month’s time, Rhodes asked Birchwood to pack his bags and join him on the road. It was an incredible experience for Birchwood, as Rhodes took the young man under his wing, teaching him not only guitar and lap steel, but also how to conduct business, how to run a band, and how to reach an audience. “Sonny always said, ‘Play what’s in your heart.’ I’ve never lost sight of that,” says Birchwood. Rhodes insisted Birchwood go to college and always held the guitar spot in his band open for Selwyn whenever he was available. It was a win-win situation, as Birchwood—through hard work and scholarships—received his MBA from The University of Tampa. “I challenged myself to get that degree,” Birchwood says. “These days, it’s not good enough to just be a good player.” Combining the musical lessons learned from Rhodes and his business acumen, Birchwood created The Selwyn Birchwood Band in 2010, featuring veteran musicians older than Selwyn, testifying to Selwyn’s musical chops and his leadership skills. On stage, they play off each other with ease, feeding off each other’s energy, sharing the fun with the audience. In 2011 the self-released FL Boy helped the band land gigs outside of their Tampa base, where they were becoming local heroes. Birchwood and his band won their way to spots at the 2012 and 2013 International Blues Challenges in Memphis. After taking ninth place in 2012, they came back determined the next year, taking first place. Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer was sitting at the judges’ table at the time. “I saw Selwyn’s potential in 2012. He absolutely deserved to win in 2013,” he says. The victory opened more doors for Birchwood, increased his exposure and helped the band land a deal with Intrepid Artists booking agency, which led to more and better gigs. With his 2014 Alligator Records debut album, Don’t Call No Ambulance, Selwyn Birchwood announced his arrival on the international blues stage. The album is a fully realized vision of contemporary blues. Between his uninhibited sense of fun and adventure and his serious-as-a-heart-attack musicianship, Don’t Call No Ambulance opened a door into a bright future for the blues. Rave reviews ran in publications from Rolling Stone to The Wall Street Journal, from The Chicago Tribune to The San Francisco Chronicle. The Selwyn Birchwood Band has been touring non-stop since before the Alligator debut came out. The band has performed at festivals including The Chicago Blues Festival, The Waterfront Blues Festival, The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, The Tampa Bay Blues Festival, The North Atlantic Blues Festival, The King Biscuit Blues Festival as well as on The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise and Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping The Blues Alive Cruise. Internationally, they have performed at The Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival, Jazz a Vienne in France, the Rawa Blues Festival in Poland, the Moulin Blues Festival in The Netherlands, the Ottawa Blues Festival in Canada, as well as performing in Spain, Switzerland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Belgium and Mexico. Birchwood has opened for major blues stars including Robert Cray and Buddy Guy and has shared the stage with another friend and teacher, Joe Louis Walker. Not long ago, Selwyn had the opportunity, when performing in San Francisco, to bring his friend and mentor Sonny Rhodes on stage to sit in with his band. It was a moment Birchwood will never forget. “He did so much for me; it was a real honor to return the favor.” With Pick Your Poison’s urgent, uncompromising music, Selwyn Birchwood is forging new directions for the blues. The Washington Post calls him a “tough, indelibly modern next generation bluesman.” The Wall Street Journal says he is “fiery and original.” The hard-hitting, cutting-edge songs on Pick Your Poison, along with his incendiary live performances, prove without a doubt his status as the blues’ most sensational young talent.
Little Lesley & The Bloodshots w/ Matthew Paul Revere live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Little Lesley & The Bloodshots are an original Rockabilly trio from New York. Called “a welcome shot in the arm for the rockin’ faithful” by UK’s Vintage Rock Magazine, they’ve been taking the scene by storm with their fiery twang and high energy live show. Lesley Swift fronts the band, belting out her songs and slapping the upright bass like someone who was meant to. Her passionate performances, complete with jaw-dropping bass moves, have lit up stages around the world, including the Nashville Boogie, Viva Las Vegas, Summer Jamboree (IT) and the Hotrod Hayride (UK). She’s joined on guitar by ex-cowboy and punk-rock-n-roll veteran Brian “Swifty“ Swift. They met in Nevada where Swifty’s wild guitar style turned Lesley onto Rockabilly, and they ventured to NYC together where they found native Staten Islander Bobby Lee. Bobby’s big-band influenced drumming hopped up their guitar driven twangy sound. With two independently released albums under their belt, Little Lesley & The Bloodshots were signed by the legendary Western Star Records of the United Kingdom in 2016. Their “Doin’ Fine” EP recorded and produced by Alan Wilson has created quite a buzz and is in regular rotation on BBC radio Matthew Paul Revere Raw country outta the foothills of the North Georgia mountains Songs about life, love, and beer.
VillaNova live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon!
VillaNova turns rock 'n' roll upside down. Hailing from Columbia, SC, the band distills elements of funky pop and rock into a hypnotic hybrid. Villa*Nova prides itself on making music with solid grooves and soulful, dynamic lyrics provided by lead vocalist/guitarist/song writer BC Villa*Nova, fluid and funky bass lines by Bobby Dredd bombastic fantastic, rock solid drummer (and backing vocals) Young Sean, amazing harmony vocals and rhythm guitar by Brandon Hooker, and turntable wizadry and keyboards by DJ Able One. Their infectious sound has earned them thousands of fans nationwide. Villa*Nova, currently independent, was previously signed to Universal Republic (now Republic) and recorded their 2012 debut "WTF the EP" in LA with super producer Howard Benson (Papa Roach, Daughtry, Hoobastank, Seether) under the band name Weaving The Fate. They have shared the stage with everyone from Korn, Shinedown, Evanescence, Slash, AWOLNATION, Staind, Chevelle, Filter, Crossfade, Dirty Heads, Nappy Roots, REHAB, and the list goes on.
Atlas Road Crew live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
South Carolina rock 'n' roll shot with southern soul accents. Formed in fall of 2011, Atlas Road Crew (A.R.C) is rapidly building one of the most loyal fan bases on the East Coast, packing venues to capacity from South Carolina to New York City, and expanding rapidly to major US cities in between. The overwhelming positive response to the band’s latest recorded effort Halfway to Hopkins,produced by Grammy Award winning producer Rick Beato, has this young band quickly becoming the South East’s “must see” live act of 2015. Halfway to Hopkins is a sonic blast from start to finish, bringing swampy southern accents to fresh, contemporary tunes while managing to capture the band’s blistering live show prowess on tape. The title refers to a small community outside Columbia where the band lived for several years after graduating from the nearby University of South Carolina. “That house, which was halfway between Columbia and Hopkins on the southeast side of town, was where we really began to come together,” Says drummer Patrick Drohan. “We knew then we wanted to become more than just another bar band.” Riding the momentum of the record release, Atlas Road Crew’s constant touring led them to a 6 week European tour in early 2016 followed by an aggressive US club and festival run. Aussie rock ‘n’ roll blog 100 Percent Rock sums it all up nicely in their review, saying in no uncertain terms “This is EXACTLY the sort of music we should be listening to right now: bands taking old favourites and adding new directions, writing great songs, delivering ace performances. This is the good stuff.”
Universal Sigh live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Universal Sigh is a high energy, metamorphic rock show. Hailing from Athens, GA the foursome features a two-guitar attack and driving rhythm section, producing versatile music which reflects a deep fondness for artists such as Radiohead, Snarky Puppy, and Umphrey’s McGee. Influenced by a myriad of musical styles, the quartet has crafted a diverse catalog, which includes both lyrical tunes and instrumental arrangements. Each song is a voyage, with harmonious melodies soaring through epic peaks and dramatic descents into electrifying funk grooves. Fluid and dynamic, the Sigh is equipped with an abundance of compositions to energize any musical atmosphere. Universal Sigh’s guitarist and drummer Pace and Jones Maynard, developed together as young musicians playing long hours in their parents’ basement. In high school, Jones met songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Steve Terry, and the two took playing together like fish to water. The expansive music scene in Athens paved the way for the band to meet Austin Parker, a soulful vocalist with a love for laying down the bass. Pace, Steve, Jones, and Austin have been at the forefront of all song writing and live performances. However, the band frequently collaborates original music with special guests, including full brass sections, percussion, and guest vocalists. Their openness allows every show to be a special surprise. May 2016 ushered in the anticipated release of Universal Sigh’s first album, Atoms & Void. While improvisation is a staple component of the live show, Atoms & Void displays a thoughtfulness to innovatively diversify arrangements of rock songs, blues tunes, and futuristic jazz alike. The debut album explores the uncanny nature of song structure and provides lyrical content inspired by the turmoil and beauty of the human condition. The core four presents Atoms & Void, as a material extension to connect the listener to the inherent music within everyone.
Jon Roniger & the Good For Nuthin’ Band live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Jon Roniger is to NEW ORLEANS what Dante is to the inferno's paradise. He thrives, and gets his energetic sustenance from the visceral underbelly swooning in the pastels and watercolors of the ever-changing canvas of the NOLA hurricane. Jon, a New Orleans native, buccaneer, and cosmic swashbuckling songwriter hammers harmonic heaven five nights a week in the horn dazzling bistros and back-beat clubs of the original sin city. He's infamous for original songs of debaucheries and poetic mayhem straight out of the devil's den. Simply stated in his song “ NEW ORLEANS LULLABY “, he says, “ I love the calamity, that holy insanity, I’m honored to swim in her angelic profanity”. As goes the voodoo ham hock and the unholy trinity, so goes the sum of the soulful music of Jon Roniger. With his vast repertoire of seven albums to date, including “Live at the Mint” in 2015, the 2014 “Gypsyland” in which he sings primarily in French, “Dirty Gypsy” in 2013 which boasts an ambitious track listing of 28 acoustic songs, and “NOLA Rolls” as his 2012 EP, versatility comes to Roniger as naturally as eating oysters and howling at a wrecking ball moon. His primary co-writer is the talented gyspy swinger Chris Gantry, who had a #1 hit, “Dreams of the Everyday Housewife” in 1968, and worked with musical legends including Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson. When Roniger is not busy stewing concoctions of jazz, folk and blues for his own albums, or writing in a variety of styles for others, he can be found writing and composing music for film and television. You can hear his work in the feature film "Island of Fantasy" (2010), the TV show “Platinum Babies” (2012), various songs on HGTV and a theme song for UK Based company, Bedford for Beds. In addition, he can be seen in a small acting roll for a Belvita Breakfast Snacks commercial from 2014. A renaissance pirate on the ship of gypsy dreams, Jon Roniger sways with creative mojo. If you can wrap your cocktail umbrella around this blazing comet, do it! Your DNA will thank you!
Balkun Brothers w/ The Buzzards of Fuzz live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
After coming onto the music scene with their powerful brand of psychedelic rock n’ roll, Balkun Brothers are creating a style of music all their own in the USA and worldwide. Founding members Steve Balkun (guitar/vocals) and Nick “The Hammer” Balkun (drums/vocals) are gaining followers across the world, becoming known for their high-energy live shows. Balkun Brothers bring a fresh mixture of funk, rock, blues, and intense improvisation that has been impressing crowds from Paris to Amsterdam to New York City. Balkun Brothers have been featured alongside acts such as Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa, Iggy Pop, Gogol Bordello, Vapors of Morphine, Motley Crüe, Slayer, Eric Sardinas, Dopapod, James Cotton, and many more. Their new album, 'DEVIL ON TV', is due for release on May 30th 2017 on the French label, Dixiefrog Records. The band recently completed their 3rd European tour, which was followed by a full East Coast United States tour. The band will embark on a full US tour until October 2017 when they will be returning to Europe for their 4th tour in Germany, France and Holland. The Buzzards of Fuzz want to party with you… For fans of Queens of the Stone Age, Blue Oyster Cult, or Roky Erickson – The Buzzards of Fuzz is a four piece rock outfit from Atlanta with the sound of a ‘72 Corvette Stingray plowing through the desert on half a tank of bourbon. Their legendary live shows and blistering singles have earned the group slots opening for Yawning Man, Truckfighters, Cage The Elephant, White Reaper, Gov’t Mule, Low Cut Connie and Primus . The band is currently putting the finishing touches on their first full length album, “Debbie Does Fuzz”, with Adam McIntyre (The Pinx, Stonerider, Demonaut), due Late 2018.
Sanctified Revival live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Hailing from a small town just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Sanctified Revival is a three piece rock band. 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. Sanctified Revival strives to bring their passion to the audience.