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Scott Tournet and Ver La Luz

This self-produced solo album from the lead guitarist in Grace Potter & the Nocturnals is not what you might expect. VER LA LUZ (May 14, 2013) is not Scott Tournet’s “guitar record,” nor does it remotely resemble any of GPN’s LPs. To this listener, Tournet’s music as evidenced by this surprising record more closely resembles that of Wilco at its most soulful and like- embracing. The sound is unpretentiously sophisticated, a seamless fusion of the homespun and the experimental; the songs are earthy, heartfelt; and Tournet’s vocals have that aching vulnerability and natural humanity we’ve come to associate with Jeff Tweedy. But at the same time, there’s something here that belongs to Tournet alone. These 11 songs of struggle, abiding hope and hard-earned acceptance—each resolving into a memorable chorus resolution—chart an internal world that is deeply personal yet universally relatable.

Rayland Baxter

It’s hard to pinpoint the moment that songs are born, the day casual hummers become singers or scribblers become songwriters. Rayland Baxter certainly can’t, and he wouldn’t want to. Though he grew up in Nashville to the sounds of his father’s pedal steel, he didn’t dream of being a rock star. He loved music, of course, but he liked other things, too: being outside, playing sports, working at the bait shop to make spare change. He’d always just let things settle into place naturally, following his gut from Tennessee to Colorado to Israel and back again, not knowing that when he returned home he’d have a handful of songs and the knowledge that, at the end of the day, he didn’t want to do anything else but make music. He leads a life without reigns, his work always echoing the ease in which it came to be. “All of my music has come in a very natural way, by following the organic process of life and letting it just happen,” he says. “I jumped my fair share of ships, and the pieces came together slowly, not by study or design.” The result is a record inspired by a life lived, not one struggling to inspire life. “Down the mountains and the valleys like the breeze,” he sings on “the mtn song,” “we’re going where we want to go, doing anything we please.” He’s done just that, writing songs that are reflections of what he’s seen, felt and lived; the metaphors found in the hills, the slow strums born at home but blossomed across the sea.

Melissa Ferrick

Singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick caught her first big break when Morrissey was pressed for an opener at a concert and asked her fill in at the last minute. The former Smith’s frontman liked her so much that he took her on as an opening act for the rest of the tour. She became an underground success before the tour had even concluded. Two decades and 16 albums later, Ferrick shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.

Will Dailey

When is the last time you have heard a real Rock N Roll CD? Will Daily is a singer/songwriter that is writing and singing his way to a sound the world has been craving. This is rock at its finest.

Kung Fu

Proud to be firmly installed in the new-funk movement, KUNG FU is quickly popularizing their unique sonic contribution, blurring the line between intense electro-fusion, and blistering dance arrangements. Making fusion music "cool" again, the band draws on influences such as early Headhunters and Weather Report, and merges those ideas with a contemporary EDM informed sensibility. Imagine 70's funk-fusion meets a modern dance party!

A Tribe Called Red

Bursting forth from Canada’s capital, native Producer/DJ crew A Tribe Called Red is making an impact on the global electronic scene with a truly unique sound. Made up of three members – two-time Canadian DMC Champion DJ Shub, DJ NDN and Bear Witness – the group has created a signature style called powwowstep, a mix of traditional pow wow vocals and drumming with cutting-edge electronic music. DJ Bear Witness doubles as the crew’s visual artist and creates stunning, political and sometimes humorous videos that incorporate film and pop culture references to native people and reclaim the aboriginal image. They’re known for creating and running the Electric Pow Wow events in Ottawa, which showcased native talent and aboriginal culture, alongside an open and wild party, and are, in a sense, the most recent evolution of the pow wow event.

An Evening With Railroad Earth

Railroad Earth’s music is driven by the remarkable songs of front-man, Todd Sheaffer, and is delivered with seamless arrangements and superb musicianship courtesy of all six band members. They can jam with the best of them, but they’re not a jam band. They’re bluegrass influenced, but they use drums and amplifiers (somewhat taboo in the bluegrass world). RRE bristles about being lumped into any one “scene.” Not out of animosity for any other artists: it’s just that they don’t find the labels very useful. According to fiddle player Tim Carbone, “We use unique acoustic instrumentation, but we’re definitely not a bluegrass band – so that doesn’t fit. And I think the term ‘jam band’ probably refers more to the fans than to the band. I think these fans just like live music.” When the band does elect to “comment” on a song via an extended improvisation, they really cook – and have received the approval of no less than Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh, who knows a thing or two about jamming.

Railroad Earth started out in 2001, a bunch of talented friends interested in strumming some rootsy music together. It began rather informally, but then picked up the pace when their five song demo earned them a spot at the prestigious Telluride Bluegrass Festival that June. Taking advantage of the opportunity, they quickly recorded five more songs, combined it with their demo tracks and released it as their debut, 2001’s The Black Bear Sessions. That debut piqued the interest of Sugar Hill Records, who signed them and released two highly acclaimed albums, Bird In A House in 2002 and The Good Life in 2004.

Since then, they’ve cultivated a huge fan base, wound up by the band’s unique acoustic hybrid sound. Railroad Earth has come to thrive in a live setting; as evidenced on their 2006 live double album Elko (SCI Fidelity Records, 2006).

Amen Corner (SCI Fidelity Records, June 2008), the band’s fourth studio album, was written and recorded in the winter of 2007 at Sheaffer’s 300-year old farmhouse in the rural New Jersey countryside. Compared to the sterility and stress of a commercial studio—where the cost-clock ticks and the pressure of performing under a budget looms large—recording at home is like heaven on earth… and Amen Corner captures that feeling from beginning to end. “Normally,” Sheaffer explains, “you come home after six weeks on the road and jump into the studio, all frazzled because you don’t have much left in the tank. This time I feel like we’ve invited our friends into our living room and that’s basically how we recorded it." Amen Corner may be the early creative pinnacle of a gifted young band, and has all the makings of an Americana classic. It’s a collection of crisp and crafted Americana and acoustic roots sides that resonate in all the right places.

"Even in the new millenium, Railroad Earth's instantly classic sounding songs and timeless vocals could sound at home in any generation." (Felton Pruitt - XM Satellite Radio)

The Soul Rebels

The Soul Rebels formed when Lumar LeBlanc and Derrick Moss, originally members of New Orleans’ iconic Dejean’s Young Olympia Brass Band, decided they wanted to play the new, exciting music they were hearing on the radio while respecting the tradition they loved. Both New Orleans natives, the pair was steeped in the fundamentals of New Orleans jazz, but inevitably, contemporary styles of music began to seep into their psyches. While LeBlanc attended the famed St. Augustine High School, Moss went to Lil’ Wayne’s alma mater McMain High School, and paraded alongside soon?to?be Cash Money Records CEO Ronald “Slim” Williams in the school’s marching band. New sounds were all around and they found them as exciting as the horn?combo style featured in jazz funerals since the turn of the Twentieth Century.

“We wanted to make our own sound without disrespecting the brass tradition,” LeBlanc recalls, “so we knew we had to break away.” They found a stylistic middle ground when they spun off and formed a band of young, like?minded local players from all over New Orleans. Graduates of university music programs throughout the South, the band took the marching band format they had learned in school and incorporated influences from outside the city as well as late?breaking local styles – R&B, funk and hip?hop – especially through half?sung, half?rapped lyrics. “Most of our originals have vocals,” says LeBlanc. “You wouldn’t have done that in a traditional brass band.”

Soon, the Soul Rebels’ contagious originals and updated takes on standards won them a loyal local audience. They began rocking some of New Orleans’ most beloved live music venues. A chance gig opening for the Neville Brothers got them a real start—and an official name. It was youngest brother Cyril Neville who first called them “Soul Rebels,” a good name for a band that strived to incite positive change in its treasured musical heritage.

Since those days, the band has settled on an eight?piece lineup, building a career around an eclectic live show that harnesses the power of horns and drums in the party?like atmosphere of a dance club. Their weekly show at Uptown New Orleans spot Le Bon Temps Roulé has been known to descend into a sweaty shout?along as the band mixes up songs from its five studio albums with hits by Jay?Z and OutKast.

While touring the U.S., the Soul Rebels have shared the stage with notable artists from many corners of the pop and jazz worlds, including Arcade Fire, The Roots, Bootsy Collins, Robert Plant & Jimmy Page, Counting Crows, Green Day, Drive By Truckers, James Brown, Roy Hargrove, Allen Toussaint, Chuck Brown, Terence Blanchard, The Gap Band, Better than Ezra and many more. Averaging around 250 shows per year, the Soul Rebels have brought the party to stages as far away as South Africa and Europe, playing some of the world’s best?known music events, including, Umbria Jazz Fest, Antibes Jazz Festival, The Montreal Jazz festival, Bonnaroo, the Wanee Festival and, of course, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

When Hurricane Katrina struck their hometown in 2005, the band scattered across the region. Though a few members relocated to cities in Texas, the band frequently reconvened for gigs in New Orleans, this time with a renewed purpose. “Music has been the number one vehicle for Katrina recovery,” says LeBlanc. “That catastrophe has brought so much world wide attention to our music.”

Indeed, since the storm, the band has been more successful than ever serving as an international ambassador of the New Orleans sound. Now a hardcore touring band with a solid?as?ever lineup, the band has recently represented its hometown on television, appearing in the season finale of the HBO series Treme, the Discovery Channel hit After the Catch, and the NBC broadcast of the parade before the Saints’ winning 2010 Super Bowl.

In January of 2012, the band will finally release its first international album, Unlock Your Mind, on Rounder Records. This new song?driven studio effort includes guest appearances by Cyril Neville, Trombone Shorty and Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli. The album was produced by Rounder VP of A&R Scott Billington, who was also at the helm of many of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s groundbreaking albums.

The Soul Rebels continue charting new territory today. Called “the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong” by the Village Voice, the Soul Rebels combine top notch musicianship and songs with grooves that celebrate life in timehonored New Orleans style.

Tea Leaf Green

The longer one lives the greater the number of scars and scrapes one accumulates. It’s the same with a band, where the years build up layers one could never have expected when they set out in a van back in the day. So it is with San Francisco’s Tea Leaf Green, whose own journey began as a jam-minded party on legs in the late 1990s and now finds them some of the Bay Area’s most thoughtful, dedicated craftsmen. As sharply carved and musically robust as any rock unit today, TLG have harnessed their surefire live prowess and ability to seize an audience into a bustling, emotionally dense, ear-snagging studio form with In The Wake (in stores May 14), a complete vision that represents the great skill and open-minded invention in this quintet - Trevor Garrod (keys, vocals), Josh Clark (guitar, vocals), Scott Rager (drums), Reed Mathis (bass, vocals) and Cochrane McMillan (percussion) – placing them alongside contemporaries like Delta Spirit, Everest and Dr. Dog in marrying honesty, artistry and grit in music that hums with bruised but unbowed life.

Thomas Wynn & The Believers

Thomas Wynn & The Believers personify rugged, yet uplifting spirited rock, sprinkled with southern soul R&B. Tunes brutally honest & heartfelt, the themes go beyond years of drugs, heartbreaks & hypocrisy to deliver a message of hope. “Soulful, gritty tunes, some as sweet as honeysuckle and others ferociously jagged ...reminiscent of Levon Helm, Neil Young and the Allman Brothers, but they still boldly radiate a sound and southern charm all their own.” Metromix

Umphrey's McGee

"Umphrey's McGee stand revealed as consummate musical alchemists, deftly reconfiguring sounds from rock's vast panoply of styles." (Entertainment Weekly).

Fans who have followed Umphrey's McGee for any period of time know that there are only two guarantees: you never know what you’re going to get, and Umphrey’s always delivers.

How else can a band be relentlessly innovative in both music AND fan relations for 13+ years? The latest expected twist arrives in the form of their newest studio album (and first with ATO Records) ‘Death By Stereo’ (9/13), the follow up to 2009's ‘Mantis.’ ‘Mantis’ surprised fans with a collection of music never before played, and surprised the music industry with an innovative marketing campaign that catapulted the album PAST the Heatseekers chart, debuting at #62 on Billboard's “Top 200” chart without any radio play or television appearances.

‘Death By Stereo’s concise melodic approach and accessible songwriting is everything fans had hoped for, but not what anyone expected. ‘Death By Stereo’ is disarmingly straightforward. Sure, you can dance to it, but the clever arrangements, meticulously crafted chordal interplay, and virtuoso instrumentation put Umphrey's McGee in a category all their own.

“Our live show is malleable and every night is its own thing, where you never know where things are going to go,” keyboardist Joel Cummins explains. “People aren’t used to us playing three-and-a-half to four-minute songs back to back, so this album is a completely different experience than our live show, which is certainly something we were trying to do.”

Whereas this band’s stellar reputation is based on marathon concerts that mix original, technically demanding tunes with complex epics and, playful covers (ranging from Toto to Metallica), it has chosen the same kind of attention to melody, songcraft, and musicianship that make those artists stand apart. Umphrey’s chemistry, however, is something all its own, built upon a relentless live schedule of 100-plus shows a year, a solid base of musical training, and friendships that go back to when they walked in the shadows of the Golden Dome at the University of Notre Dame.

“The thing we realized pretty quickly is that music is secondary to our relationships,” guitarist/vocalist Brendan Bayliss points out. “If our relationships aren't strong, it heavily affects the music. Some bands don't speak to one another, they aren't friends, and I just don’t know how that works.”

While competition was admittedly slim when they formed at Notre Dame in 1997, the band immediately became a campus favorite. When Umphrey’s moved to Chicago, it brought its Fighting Irish bonafides with it, so its initial hometown Windy City shows were packed to the gills with South Bend alumni and friends. The underground network of tapers helped spread the word about the band, and the ND connection also served the guys on the road.

“The first time we went out west it was crazy,” Bayliss recalls. “It didn’t matter what town it was -- we knew somebody. I didn’t realize the reach of Notre Dame until after I graduated. I didn’t appreciate Notre Dame when I was there. Back then, I wouldn’t be caught dead in Notre Dame gear, but now I’m swimming in it and I wear it with pride.”

These days, the band plays for crowds from all over the US and beyond, and incorporates a sophisticated mix of cutting-edge technology, including a stellar light show. Its Stew Art concerts redefine live music as we know it, with fans texting to choose the direction of the band’s set, while the four-quarter UMBowls (each quarter has a different interactive theme) have quickly become landmark events not to be missed.

Umphrey’s tight-knit relationship with its rabid fanbase includes the band making recordings available of every live show since 2006, monthly podcasts, an extremely active presence on Facebook and Twitter, and digital “Easter Egg” hunts. This has led to a strong following throughout the U.S. and to successful international tours of Europe, Australia and Japan, where fans screamed out song titles even though they couldn’t speak a lick of English.

To date, the band has sold more than nearly 2 million tracks online and ‘Death by Stereo’ will only increase their reach. The album is produced by sonic wizards Manny Sanchez (Smashing Pumpkins, Fall Out Boy) and Kevin Browning, whose deep knowledge of analog and digital gear has helped the band craft its sound for years. With the band members also assisting with production, ‘DBS’ was recorded at Sanchez’s The IV Lab Studios in Chicago, with the exception of the raw Rolling Stones-y “Wellwishers,” which was done at Cinninger’s home-studio in Michigan.

The band now makes it a habit to keep at least some material fresh for the album, and the powerful one-two punch of multi-layered “Miami Virtue” and hard-charging “Domino Theory” do so on ‘DBS.’ Umphrey’s also offers a muscular studio version of “The Floor,” which was an indisputable hit of 2009’s Rothbury Festival where the band had 40,000 fans captivated. Moving from the Zeppelin-like groove of “Conduit” to the soulful “Booth Love” and the panoramic “Deeper,” ‘DBS’ reveals an incredibly broad range to the band’s songwriting.

Bringing it all back home for both fans and the band, the album closes with “Hajimemashite,” a song that’s title translates from Japanese as “nice to meet you” and whose origins can be traced all the way back to the band’s earliest days.

“Hajimemashite’ is one that we’ve been playing since our first show,” Cummins says. “It’s morphed and we’ve given it a unique studio treatment that captures its essence, but isn’t how we play it live. I think that will have some resonance with our fans. I like the idea of getting our fans excited with a mix of new and older material.”

One of the perks of Umphrey’s McGee is that it allows the band members to be fans themselves, having shared the stage with heroes like Huey Lewis, guitarist Stanley Jordan, John Oates, and jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman, to name a few. Umphrey’s has even backed Lewis, gospel legend Mavis Staples and Sinead O’Connor for a classic version of “I’ll Take You There,” and they are regularly joined onstage by their peers.

“I can’t believe that we are 13 and half years in,” Bayliss points out with a mix of wonder and pride. “If someone told me that I would have been thinking: ‘No way! But sign me up. I’ll take it.’”

The Lumineers

IMP Presents

The Lumineers “Wesley Schultz, 9, who wants to be an artist, said, ‘I spend a lot of time on my drawings and it turns out good ’cause I’ve been practicing a lot.’” -The New York Times, 3/15/92

Twenty years ago, Wesley Schultz saw the future.

Back then, growing up in the New York City suburb of Ramsey, New Jersey, Wesley spent his days drawing. Today, as bandleader of The Lumineers, Wesley’s replaced his pencil with a guitar and his drawings with songs. He still practices a lot, and it still turns out good.

In the spring of 2005, childhood friends Wesley and Jeremiah began to collaborate, writing together and playing gigs around New York. After battling the city’s cutthroat music scene and impossibly high cost of living, the two decided to expand their horizons. They packed everything they owned—nothing more than a couple suitcases of clothes and a trailer full of musical instruments—and headed for Denver, Colorado. It was less a pilgrimage than act of stubborn hopefulness.

The first thing they did in Denver was place a Craigslist ad for a cellist, and the first person to respond was Neyla Pekarek, a classically trained Denver native. As a trio, they began playing at the Meadowlark, a gritty basement club where the city’s most talented songwriters gathered every Tuesday for an open mic and dollar PBRs. Neyla softened Wes and Jer’s rough edges while expanding her skills to mandolin and piano. And so The Lumineers sound took shape; an amalgam of heart-swelling stomp-and-clap acoustic rock, classic pop, and front-porch folk.

In 2011, an eponymous, self-recorded EP led to a self-booked tour, and before long The Lumineers started attracting devout fans, first across the Western US, then back in their old East Coast stamping grounds. Young, old and in-between, they’re drawn by songs like “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love,” Americana-inflected barnburners in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. They’re drawn by songs like “Slow it Down” and “Dead Sea,” slow, sultry ballads that suggest the raw revelations of Jeff Buckley and Ryan Adams. They’re drawn by the live Lumineers experience—a coming-together in musical solidarity against isolation, adversity, and despair.

The roots revival of the last few years has primed listeners for a new generation of rustic, heart-on-the-sleeve music—the kind that nods to tradition while setting off into uncharted territory. The Lumineers walk that line with an unerring gift for timeless melodies and soul-stirring lyrics

Powered by passion, ripened by hard work, The Lumineers have found their sound when the world needs it most.

Xavier Rudd

When he debuted in 2002 with the album To Let, Xavier Rudd began a journey that would see him become one of the most iconic voices in Australian music, literally and figuratively. With each new album, this journey has wound like a river making its way toward the ocean - twisting and turning, flowing and cascading as it relentlessly pushes forward.

Introducing himself as an artist of both imagination and conscience, To Let was definitive of Rudd's ability to marry uplifting music with thought-provoking themes and concepts. It was music that, one way or another, made you feel good. With an array of guitars, yidaki's (didgeridoos), stomp box and percussion, Xavier Rudd re-introduced a lot of Australians to the sounds and stories of the land's original owners, while introducing the rest of the world to an entirely new sound altogether.

Solace, Rudd's sophomore album of 2004, showcased the raw power of his songs by stripping them back to bare essentials. Recorded in Vancouver with friend and producer Todd Simko, Solace – far more than just a singer-songwriter album – captured the essence of Xavier Rudd's one-man-band dexterity. Rudd's spirituality permeated the songs on Solace with a masterfully emotional touch. Singles Let Me Be and Shelter captured a sentimental heart in wonderfully warm songs that resonated strongly with fans - the album debuting in the top 20 of the ARIA charts and having three of its songs voted into triple j's annual Hottest 100.

The next evolutionary step forward came a year later with the ARIA-nominated album, Food In The Belly. Once again recording in Vancouver, Rudd found a perfect middle-ground between the first two albums, but also introduced a more haunting and mournful sound to his repertoire. His ability to weave genres together had strengthened to the point where a once-undefined mixture of blues, reggae, indigenous and folk music was now simply his trademark.

The further into the world he travelled, the more Xavier Rudd's music became refined and seasoned with new influences. People were connecting strongly with what Xavier had to say, and what those words meant. Better People, the first single from the 2007 ARIA-nominated album White Moth, saw Xavier examine his position in this connectivity, singing 'and what I have could be a message / or just some words from my heart'... a recurring theme in Xavier's philosophies. Musically, however, it would be White Moth's edgier songs like Stargaze that would be the shape of things to come.

Released in 2008, and stunning fans with the heaviest musical departure of his career; Dark Shades Of Blue was unlike any previous Xavier Rudd album. Gritty, dark and incredibly dynamic, the album redefined Rudd as a lapsteel player and lyricist alike. While still deeply spiritual in his songwriting, Rudd presented a more introspective side on Dark Shades Of Blue that deeply connected with fans.

Returning to lighter shades for sixth album Koonyum Sun, by 2010 Xavier's music had, in a sense, come full-circle. Recorded as Xavier Rudd And Izintaba; Koonyum Sun featured a newfound collaboration with bassist Tio Moloantoa and percussionist Andile Nqubezelo, and saw Rudd return to his blues and roots foundations. Themes of love, respect and peace – a fixture throughout all of Rudd's work – were once again at the fore of his expression.

And so the journey continues....

Encompassing all of his musical and spiritual gifts; 2012's Spirit Bird is Xavier Rudd at his best.

Shaped by his history but continuing to break new ground, Xavier Rudd is at his most creative on Spirit Bird – once again painting breathtaking pictures with vivid, unmistakable tones. Hypnotic ceremonial rhythms ease effortlessly into tender folk songs. Gritty guitar blues sits perfectly alongside entrancing yidaki passages. Rudd's voice, and the voice of his ancestors, yet again bearing truth and knowledge.

At times Spirit Bird recalls the simplicity of Solace, and at others the electricity of Dark Shades Of Blue. There is the youthfulness of To Let, but the wisdom of Koonyum Sun. It is Xavier Rudd by every measure. And whether it is a message, or just some words from the heart; Spirit Bird is a defining moment in the evolution of one of Australia's most important artists. The moment where the river meets the ocean.

Nahko and Medicine For The People

Oregon-native Nahko, born a mix of Apache, Puerto Rican, and Filipino cultures and adopted into an American family, suffered an identity crisis from an early age. But the unifying power of music entered his life as a healing remedy, when he took up the piano at age six. Armed with his newfound talent, he set out to bridge the cultural gaps dividing his own psyche and began producing a public, musical journal of his journey toward personal, spiritual, and communal healing.

From his hometown of Portland to the shores of Hawaii or Bali, wherever he has traveled, Nahko is joined by a tribe of culturally alienated truth seekers for whom Nahko's story resonates with their own, and who find redemption in his voice, guitar, flute, and drum. Whether solo or with the dynamic group of musical troubadours known as "Medicine for the People," Nahko delivers a soulful dose of curative vibrations that moves audiences to dance, laugh, and cry. His 'spirited redemption music' lays bear the scars of cultural wounds, environmental wrongs, and social injustices. His lyrics bear the burden of heavy messages, but the load is lightened by agile melodies and driving rhythms that coerce all who bear witness into spirited, purifying, movement. His humor disarms, and his lyrical stories open listeners to the power of "Real Talk Music"—songs that reveal an honesty and depth so raw, it inspires an internal revival that echoes out into the world. Sometimes exuberant, sometimes savage, but always transformational, Nahko makes the movement move.

Acoustic & Electric Evening with The New Potato Caboose

"It all started in 1983 at Catholic University. Doug Pritchett, Don Laux, and John 'Red' Redling crossed paths. One saw another walking across campus with a guitar case, and each having long hair, kind of made an instant connection. So, in the dorm rooms and stairwells of Catholic U, these three started jamming and singing and they were all kinda blown away at how good it sounded and how easily they all fell in together. Thus, Wood 'n' Steel was born. An acoustic trio with three part harmonies playing everything from CSNY, the Beatles, the Dead, and Bob Dylan. Parties around campus turned into gigs at the Kerry to Derry pub.

Over the course of 1985-1986 drummer Chris Armenio, guitarist Rich Della Fera, and bassist Dana Smith became involved and the New Potato Caboose was born.

Back in the Day ... Did you know that bands like Widespread Panic, Blues traveler Dave Matthews, and Phish used to open up for NPC? The Caboose blazed a lot of trails up and down the east coast paving the way for a lot of jam bands who are really crankin' now. Cities including New York, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Boulder, Nashville, Atlanta , and Tuscaloosa were rocked and rocked hard by monthly recurring Caboose gigs that opened the eyes of college kids and club owners alike to the fact the rock & roll was still very alive and well and comin' to a town near you.

The hard work of Manager/Lyricist Mark Mondok, Booking Agent/Publicist/Promotion Director- Greg Robinson, and Promotion Assistant,Chris 'Lightnin' Rod' Lee, Road Manager Jimmy Paratore, and the excellent road crew of Jeff Wagner and Jeff Aquillia (sound), John Bartol (stage), and Chris Weber (lights) all worked behind the scenes in helping to make this band what it was. Of course the music was where it was at. Anywhere from 2 to 6 hours of driving, four and five hours of setup, and two hours of tear down was average for a standard three hour Caboose show.

A Benefit For Believe In Music featuring Dark Star Orchestra

Performing to critical acclaim worldwide for over 13 years and more than 1800 shows, Dark Star Orchestra continues the Grateful Dead concert experience. Their shows are built off the Dead's extensive catalog and the talent of these 7 fine musicians. On any given night the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead's 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show. This allows fans both young and old to share in the experience. By recreating set lists from the past, and by developing their own sets of Dead songs, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within this musical canon. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra's members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations.

Dark Star Orchestra offers much more than the sound of the Grateful Dead, they truly encapsulate the energy and the experience. It's about a sense of familiarity. It's about a feeling that grabs listeners and takes over. It's about a contagious energy, ... in short, it's about the complete experience and consistent quality show that the fan receives when attending a Dark Star Orchestra show.

Dark Star Orchestra has performed throughout the United States and Europe. They continue to grow their fan base by playing at larger venues for two and even three nightstands as well as performing at major music festivals including Bonnaroo, All Good Festival, Gathering of the Vibes, Mountain Jam, Summer Camp, Wakarusa and 10,000 Lakes. In addition, Dark Star Orchestra hosts its own annual gathering, Gratefulfest, where they headline three nights and are joined by a mix of established and up and coming national touring acts.

Fans and critics haven't been the only people caught up in the spirit of a Dark Star show. The band has featured guest performances from original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten and even toured with longtime Dead soundman, Dan Healy. Other notable guests have included Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman of Phish, Keller Williams, Warren Haynes, Steve Kimock, Peter Rowan, Ramblin' Jack Elliot and many more...

The Bridge

The fearless leaders of The Bridge have traveled an enormous distance to get where they are; all the way from living off-the-grid on a remote Hawaiian farm—in Kenny Liner's case—and chafing in the buttoned-down corporate world—in Cris Jacobs'—to making a formidable album that's fed by hometown roots and laced with wanderlust. It's called National Bohemian, a nod to both the Baltimore-based sextet's beloved local brew and their creatively rewarding but often unglamorous hard-touring lifestyle. It's also the work of a dexterous band of players to be reckoned with. And it's available February 1, 2011 on Woodberry Records/Thirty Tigers.

From the eleven new, original tracks, this much is clear: Jacobs (vocals and guitar), Liner (mandolin and beatboxing), Dave Markowitz (bass and vocals), Patrick Rainey (saxophone), Mike Gambone (drums) and Mark Brown (keyboards)—otherwise known as The Bridge—have come into their own, covering unbounded musical territory with no shortage of verve and striking a rare balance between high-quality songs and sharp instrumental interplay. They have the tools to see their expansive musical vision through, starting with the unorthodox nature of their lineup: string band elements powered by a plugged-in R&B- and roots rock-ready rhythm section, heated by keyboard and horn and, here and there, seasoned with syncopated beatboxing.

No less important is the fact that there are two distinct songwriting voices at the heart of the group—Liner's and Jacobs'. Says Steve Berlin, the forward-thinking Los Lobos multi-instrumentalist and producer who the band asked to helm the new project, "You get the two poles of Kenny and Cris being very different songwriters. Then you get also the wonderful places where they meet and interact and each affects the other. So you really get the nice Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards dichotomy."