Bourbon & Beyond

Hootie & The Blowfish is a rock band which formed in 1986 in Columbia, South Carolina, United States at the University of South Carolina. The band consists of Darius Rucker (vocals, guitar), Mark Bryan (guitar, vocals), Dean Felber (bass, keyboards) and Jim Sonefeld (drums). The band has released five albums, "Cracked Rear View" (1994), "Fairweather Johnson" (1996), "Musical Chairs" (1998), "Hootie & The Blowfish" (2003) and "Looking for Lucky" (2005). Their debut album Cracked Rear View" is currently the 15th best selling album of all time in the United States, and was for several years the best selling debut album of all time. Hootie & the Blowfish formed in 1986. The quartet met when they were freshmen at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Bryan heard Rucker singing in the showers of the dorm they shared and was impressed by his vocal ability. They began playing cover tunes as The Wolf Brothers; eventually they collaborated with Felber, a former high school bandmate of Bryan's, and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld as Hootie & the Blowfish. Brantley Smith was the original drummer for the band. He left the group to pursue music ministry, but he has made scattered guest appearances with the band (he played cello on their MTV Unplugged performance in 1996, and played drums at Gruene Hall in Gruene, Texas, on June 27, 2008). The group independently released two cassette demo EPs in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, they pressed 50,000 copies of a self-released EP, Kootchypop. Their mainstream debut album was Cracked Rear View (1994). It was an instant success, ultimately going platinum 16 times in the U.S. and becoming the best-selling album of 1995. The album was propelled by four hits, "Hold My Hand" (U.S. #10), "Let Her Cry" (U.S. #9), "Only Wanna Be with You" (U.S. #6), and "Time" (U.S. #14). Miami Dolphins' Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino appeared in the band's video for the song "Only Wanna Be with You", along with several other athletes. The band won the "Best New Artist" award at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Hootie & the Blowfish appeared on MTV Unplugged on the eve of the release of their second album, 1996's Fairweather Johnson. Though sales began promisingly, and it contained the hit single "Old Man and Me" (U.S. #13), the album sold four million copies in the U.S. In 1995, Hootie & the Blowfish contributed the song "Hey Hey What Can I Do" to the Encomium tribute album to Led Zeppelin. Their cover of Canadian group 54-40's "I Go Blind", originally released on the soundtrack to the TV series Friends in 1995, did not appear on Cracked Rear View or Fairweather Johnson, but nevertheless became a hit at radio in 1996 after three singles from Fairweather Johnson had been released. Both "Hey Hey What Can I Do" and "I Go Blind" were later released on the collection Scattered, Smothered and Covered. Hootie and the Blowfish started their own record label, Breaking Records, in 1996 as a subsidiary of Atlantic. They had planned to focus on signing local Carolina acts. Edwin McCain and Cravin' Melon were both associated with the label at one point, but did not release any material on it. Meat Puppets, Jump, Little Children, Treadmill Trackstar and Treehouse released one album each on Breaking Records. The label folded in 2000. In 1998, they performed on Frank Wildhorn's concept album of the musical The Civil War. In 200, the band released a B-sides and rarities compilation in 2000 entitled Scattered, Smothered and Covered. The band covered the 1968 Orpheus hit "Can't Find the Time" in 2001 for the soundtrack of the Jim Carrey movie, Me, Myself and Irene. Orpheus leader Bruce Arnold performed the song with the band during several concerts on the West Coast of the United States in 2001. In 2009, Hootie and the Blowfish performed live in a ballet which chronicled their rise and success in the 1990s. In 2008, Rucker announced in an AOL Sessions interview that Hootie and the Blowfish would be going on hiatus so Rucker could pursue his solo career as a country music performer. Although the band will no longer be recording or touring, Rucker confirmed that they will still perform their scheduled charity concerts, stating, "We have four charity gigs every year and we will still do them, but we will not do a record or tour." Rucker also said that the split will last "for five or six years, or until I record three or four country albums". He later amended his statement, saying, "To be honest with you, we're not even split up right now, and we're not really thinking about splitting up."

Counting Crows is an American rock band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of rhythm guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, multi-instrumentalist David Immerglück, bassist Millard Powers, and lead guitarist Dan Vickrey. Past members include the drummers Steve Bowman (1991–1994) and Ben Mize (1994–2002), and bassist Matt Malley (1991–2005).

Foster the People is an alternative rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, United States in 2009. The band consists of Mark Foster (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Cubbie Fink (bass, vocals) and Mark Pontius (drums). The band released their debut self-titled EP in January 2011. The band's debut full length album, Torches, was released on May 24, 2011 on Star Time/Columbia. Their first single "Pumped Up Kicks" was a sleeper hit during the summer of 2011 and peaked at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart, #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #18 on the UK Singles Chart. Initially the solo project of Mark Foster, he later added Fink and Pontius in 2009, forming a full band in the process. Two other musicians, Sean Cimino (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Isom Innis (keyboards, vocals), tour with the band as additional members. Discography: 1. Albums: 2011 - Torches 2014 - Supermodel 2017 - Sacred Hearts Club 2024 - Paradise State of Mind 2. EPs: 2019 - Pick U Up 2020- In The Darkest Of Nights, Let The Birds Sing 3. Singles: 2011 - Pumped Up Kicks 2011 - Call It What You Want 2012 - Don't Stop (Color on the Walls) (Remixes) - EP 2014 - Coming Of Age 2014 - Pseudologia Fantastica Official website: http://www.fosterthepeople.com/ twitter: @fosterthepeople facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Foster-The-People Go to www.fosterthepeople.com and join their email list if you want to get involved or just want a free download of "Pumped Up Kicks"!

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit is an Americana / Southern rock band originating largely from the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama, and led by former Drive-by Truckers singer / guitarist Jason Isbell. The band consists of Isbell (vocals, guitar); Sadler Vaden (guitar); Jimbo Hart (bass); Derry DeBorja (keys, accordion); Chad Gamble (drums). Fiddle player and singer Amanda Shires features regularly as a session player and occasional touring member. The band is named for the colloquial name of the psychiatric ward of Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence, Alabama. The band are credited as such on five of Isbell's eight studio full-lengths, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (2009); Here We Rest (2011); The Nashville Sound (2017); Reunions (2020); Weathervanes (2023). Though some or all of the members feature on Jason's three "solo" albums, 2007's Sirens of the Ditch, his 2013 breakthrough Southeastern, and 2015's Something More Than Free. The band tour regularly in the United States and internationally, including and annual week of shows at Nashville's legendary Ryman Auditorium supported by Shires and a variety of up and coming country, folk, and soul artists.

Angus & Julia Stone are an Australian acoustic folk-pop duo consisting of siblings Julia Stone and Angus Stone from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Their decision to collaborate was taken at the beginning of 2006. Prior to that, both had performed as solo artists at open mic nights but utilised the other as a backing partner. Ultimately they came up with the same idea, “Why don’t we play together? It kind of made a lot of sense”. In terms of composing the material, they write on their own, then work together on structure and harmonies. They have released three studio albums, A Book Like This (2007), which peaked at No. 6 on the ARIA Albums Chart; Down the Way (2010), reached No. 1; and their self-titled album (2014). At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 they won five awards from nine nominations: winning Album of the Year, Best Adult Alternative Album, Best Cover Art and Producer of the Year for Down the Way and Single of the Year for "Big Jet Plane". Released in March 2010, their album “Down The Way” debuted at #1 on Australia’s ARIA Charts enjoying a remarkable 12 months inside the ARIA Top 20 albums chart. It went on to pick up Album Of The Year at the 2010 ARIA Awards and includes the platinum selling Single Of The Year ‘Big Jet Plane’; which was most notably voted No.1 on the 2011 annual Triple j Hottest 100. The album has hit triple platinum (210,000+) sales in the Stones’ home country, the only Australian artist album to reach this milestone on the current ARIA Top 50 albums chart. European audiences have also fallen head over heels in love with “Down The Way”. Reaching platinum (100,000+) album status in France, supported by a hugely successful film sync with ‘Big Jet Plane’ for the movie, Les Émotifs Anonymes. Extended sold out tours are not limited to native Australia with the 2011 French tour including 5 ‘Le Trianon’ Paris shows selling out 2 months before the tour commenced. The UK, Germany, Austria, Spain & Portugal are all just a taste of the frequent European tour destinations with sell out shows. In the US, their dramatic and lush soundscapes have found homes on prime time dramas; Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice and key slots at iconic US festivals Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo and Coachella. Travelling has been an integral part of the Stone’s musical story, so it’s not surprising they opted to record “Down The Way” in a number of diverse locations around the globe; an old sawmill on the river banks of Fowey in Cornwall, a studio in Brooklyn, a water tank in Coolangatta, London - and Queens in New York. “Down The Way” marked their debut as producers, taking full control of their sound without losing the spirit of what made the first record ‘A Book Like This’ so special. There has been a subtle shift of gear, represented by a growing confidence in their abilities as artists and the music follows suit as it flows easily through sparse and rich textured arrangements without losing any of its etherealness and charm. With an incredible response to “Down The Way” from all corners of the globe, Angus and Julia Stone will take some well-deserved time off and prepare for their next step along a remarkable musical journey. “Simple yet inspired tunes, a heart-felt soundtrack to their folk adventures and lessons learnt along the way” Rolling Stone Australia *** “Aussie siblings continue to enchant’. ‘Sweet and savoury blend to warm the soul.. innocently Joyous” MOJO UK **** ”The pair melt in to one another to create a spectral and lush backdrop” Clash Magazine UK “If A Book Like This compounded their future, consider Down The Way the fulfilling realization of all” FILTER USA Website: www.angusandjuliastone.com www.myspace.com/angusandjuliastone www.youtube.com/angusandjuliastone

Fitz and the Tantrums is an American soul group from Los Angeles, California. The group was founded in 2008 by Michael Fitzpatrick, who had begun writing soul music for a solo project on an old church organ he had purchased. He added friend James King to the group as an arranger and soon after expanded the band to a seven-piece, including several horns. Fitzpatrick shares the vocal duties with Noelle Scaggs. Other members include Joseph Karnes, Jeremy Ruzumna, and John Wicks. The group's debut EP, Songs for a Breakup, Vol. 1, was released in 2009. Dangerbird Records signed the group in 2010 and issued their first full-length album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, in August of that year. The album reached #15 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Los Angeles Times music critic Ann Powers wrote, "Fitz & the Tantrums is the kind of band that communicates best in concert, but this album serves as a fine proxy and party-starter." Aly Comingore of the Santa Barbara Independent wrote that the band members craft "soulful, nostalgia pop that's not only infectious, but just fresh enough to make it stand apart from its predecessors." In 2010 the group opened several dates on tour with Maroon 5. On January 12, 2011, Fitz & the Tantrums performed the songs "MoneyGrabber" and "Don't Gotta Work It Out" on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live in Los Angeles. In 2010 the groups music video for the song "MoneyGrabber" was incorporated into the opening scene of a sixth season episode of the CBS crime-drama Criminal Minds entitled "Safe Haven". Fitzpatrick has said that the band's musical style can be fairly described as "soul-influenced indie pop". He noted that while the band is influenced by the classic songs of the Motown and Stax record labels, the band is not trying to create an exact replica of that music. In another interview, Fitzpatrick talked about his decision to not use guitars in the band. "I did want to try and make a big sounding record without guitars," he said. "For me, I just feel like in any music that has a band, the guitar is always there, it's always featured, it's always prevalent. I'm just sick of hearing it." In 2012, the band signed to Elektra Records, and started to record their major-label debut More Than Just A Dream, which will be released on May 7, 2013.

Better Than Ezra is an alternative rock trio based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band was formed in Baton Rouge in 1987 by Kevin Griffin while he and the other original members were attending college at Louisiana State University. By 1988 Better Than Ezra had released a demo cassette tape, Chime Street Studio Demo Tape. In 1989 the band released a cassette-only album, Surprise. They released their first nationally-distributed album Deluxe in 1993 (Swell Records / 1995 Elektra). It was released on 2 different labels, the independent Swell Records first, in 1993, and later national label Elektra Records, in 1995. That same year, "Good" became a major pop hit, reaching the #1 position on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. Subsequent album releases include Friction, Baby (Elektra, 1996), How Does Your Garden Grow? (Elektra, 1998), and Closer, (Beyond Records, 2001). The band also released the B-Sides and rarities collection artifakt on its own "Ezra Dry Goods/Fudge" label in 2000. Late 2004 saw the band simultaneously releasing an official live concert DVD, as well as an official live album, both entitled Live at the House of Blues New Orleans (Sanctuary Records). Recent releases include a Greatest Hits collection (Warner Brothers, March 15, 2005), and a new album entitled Before the Robots (Artemis Records, May 31, 2005.) Like many bands in the then-burgeoning alt-rock movement of the mid-'90s, Better Than Ezra enjoyed their period of greatest chart success immediately following their debut major-label release (Deluxe), which spawned their highest-charting hits. At least commercially (and in terms of mainstream radio play), the band has experienced slightly diminishing returns with each successive release; however, unlike the majority of their contemporaries, Better Than Ezra's extremely loyal fan base has kept the group from dropping off of the musical map. Ezra's followers, who refer to themselves as Ezralites, have never cared whether radio stations play the band or not--in fact, many fans follow the band religiously, attending scores of their performances. It is Ezra's loyal fans and a relentless touring schedule which has allowed them to continue to produce new music, remain extremely viable in the music world, and out-live their projected shelf life. Additionally, Better Than Ezra's independence and survival in a business that has chewed up and spat out many bands who they used to jockey for chart position seems to indicate that the band will be around to satisfy their fans' rapacious appetite for their music for many years to come. In addition to vocalist and guitarist Kevin Griffin from Monroe, Louisiana, the current members of Better Than Ezra are bass guitar player Tom Drummond and drummer Travis McNabb. Original drummer, Cary Bonnecaze, left the band after the release of Deluxe. Original lead guitarist, Joel Rundell, committed suicide in 1990. Multi-Instrumentalist James Arthur Payne also from Monroe, Louisiana tours with the band, fills in vocal, keyboard, guitar, and harmonica parts, and is a fan favorite. Who or what Ezra might be is a mystery that the band members have no interest in clearing up. Drummond once told a reporter that the meaning of the band's name is "so lame you wouldn't even want to print it." However, it has also been said that the name came into being when the then nameless band entered a battle of the bands in competition with a group named Ezra. Needing a name to register they simply said that they were better. In 2005, Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry used the band's song "Juicy" as the background music for the second season of the show's promotional advertisement. The band is slated to headline A Taste of Fort Collins in Fort Collins, Colorado. _____ _____ _____ In 2009 there were line-up changes and a new album released. Drummer Travis McNabb left to tour with the Country music group Sugarland. The split was friendly and McNabb still serves on the Ezra charitable organizations. McNabb was replaced by Michael Jerome as touring and ?future? drummer, with Blair Sinta filling in on parts of the album Paper Empire and 2 dates of the bands summer 2009 concert tour. Travis McNabb played his last show with Ezra on Feb. 15, 2009 in Metairie, Louisiana. Paper Empire was released on May 12, 2009.

Avery Anna Rhoton (born March 3, 2004) is an American singer-songwriter from Flagstaff, Arizona who is signed to Warner Music Nashville. She gained attention when her single "Narcissist" became popular on social media, and for "Indigo", a duet with Sam Barber, which reached the top ten of the Hot Country Songs chart, the top fifty of the Billboard Hot 100 and charted in several international markets. Her music blends elements of country, rock, and acoustic pop music, and focuses on confessional, relatable songwriting largely based on her own experiences. Anna's debut album, Breakup Over Breakfast, was released on July 19, 2024. Anna started singing at ten years old growing up in Flagstaff, Arizona and began playing guitar and piano at an early age. She gained prominence in 2021 posting videos of herself performing covers from artists such as Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Taylor Swift, and Kelsea Ballerini in her bathtub on TikTok and quickly amassed a sizeable online following, leading to her record deal with Warner Music Nashville. She also opened for Josh Turner, Parmalee, and Martina McBride in 2022, which further increased her profile. Anna made her Grand Ole Opry debut on September 30, 2022. She released her debut extended play, Mood Swings, on October 7, 2022. Of the project, Anna stated: "Mood Swings is made up of songs that are inspired by moments in my own life where I have felt either really happy, really in love, really confused, or even really sad. These songs come straight from the heart, so I am so excited for you to hear them!" On June 10, 2024, Anna announced that her debut album, Breakup Over Breakfast, would be released on July 19, 2024 via Warner Music Nashville. In a post to Instagram accompanying the announcement, Anna stated: "These songs mean the world to me. It’s a little bit of rock, country, acoustic, pop, and everything personal. You have given me the safe space to write honestly and from the heart, thank you for always supporting me and sharing your stories and experiences with me through the music." She co-wrote all seventeen of the album's songs including singles "Make It Look Easy", "Two Sides of the Story", "Blonde", "Breakup Over Breakfast", and "Girl Next Door". The project also features collaborations with Parmalee, Dylan Marlowe, and Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose, and Lori McKenna (known collectively as the Love Junkies). On October 31, 2024, Sam Barber released "Indigo" from his debut album Restless Mind which features and was co-written with Anna. To date, it is the highest charting song of both artists, peaking at number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 8 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song also became popular on the video-sharing app TikTok, propelling it to international success in various countries. Anna also features on the album's title track. Anna released "Mr. Predictable", the lead single from her upcoming second album and her first solo music since Breakup Over Breakfast, on February 21, 2025. Anna subsequently announced her second album, Let Go Letters, would be released on May 16, 2025 alongside the debut of "Danny Don't", a single inspired by one of her fans who was struggling with his mental health. The title of the album is named after an initiative Anna began at her concerts in which fans would write down things they were struggling with as a way to process and let go of them, with each song on her album based on one of these letters.

Uncle Lucius is an American Southern rock/jam band based in Austin, TX. Formed in 2005, the group was on hiatus from March 2018 until the band announced a new tour in late 2022. The band features Kevin Galloway on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Hal Vorpahl on bass, Mike Carpenter on lead guitar and vocals, Josh Greco on drums and percussion and Jon Grossman on lead vocals, and keys. The band released "Something They Ain't" in 2006, followed by 2009's “Pick Your Head Up”. The band's third album, “And You Are Me,” was released on 28 August 2012 and was recorded in Austin and Nashville The band released "Like It's The Last One Left" in 2023.

Paula Dorothy Cole is an American singer and songwriter. After gaining attention for her performances as a vocalist on Peter Gabriel's 1993–1994 Secret World Tour, she released her first album, Harbinger, which suffered from a lack of promotion when the label, Imago Records, folded shortly after its release. Her second album, This Fire (1996), brought her worldwide acclaim, peaking at number 20 on the Billboard 200 album chart and producing two hit singles, the triple-Grammy nominated "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?", which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997, and "I Don't Want to Wait", which was used as the theme song of the television show Dawson's Creek. Cole was a featured performer in the 1996 prototype mini-tour for Lilith Fair, and also was a headliner for Lilith Fair in 1997 and 1998. She won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1998, and that same year became the first woman to be nominated for "Producer of the Year" without a male collaborator.

hey, nothing originates in Georgia outside of Atlanta. The Band consists of Tyler Mabry (vocals, guitar), Harlow Phillips (vocals, guitar). The name of the band is a reference to the book and movie “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” in which the character Patrick insists to his shop teacher that he calls him Patrick or he calls him nothing. After that, multiple people do indeed call him nothing.

Caught halfway between amplified Americana and heartland roots-rock, Jason Scott & the High Heat create a sweeping, dynamic sound that reaches far beyond the traditions of their Oklahoma City home. Too loud for folk music and too textured for Red Dirt, this is the sound of a genuine band rooted in groove, grit, and its own singular spirit, led by a songwriter whose unique past — a Pentecostal upbringing, years logged as a preacher-in-training, and an eventual crisis of faith — has instilled both a storyteller’s delivery and an unique perspective about life, love, and listlessness in the modern world. Case in point, in 2018 Scott earned critical acclaim as a songwriter when the second track “She Good To Me” off his DIY EP Living Rooms (2017 landed on NPR World Cafe’s Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can’t Stop Playing alongside songs by MGMT, Moby, and Jade Bird. It was only the beginning of a new life on a new kind of stage. A multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, and session musician, Scott spent a year balancing life on the road and life in the studio, where he produced albums for Americana artists like Carter Sampson, Ken Pomeroy, and Nellie Clay. Things began to expand as he assembled the High Heat, a band of multi-faceted musicians and roots-rock Renaissance men who, like their frontman, juggled multiple artistic pursuits. Together, Jason Scott & the High Heat have since become a self-contained creative collective whose talents include songwriting, music production, photography, video direction, and more. In 2022 the band made a pronounced impact with their debut album Castle Rock, a melting pot of sounds from the heartland sweep of Tom Petty to the story-driven Americana of Jason Isbell, the nostalgic hooks of ’90s country music to the sharp songwriting of James Taylor mixed with John Prine’s lyrical blend of cutting insight and laugh-out-loud humor. The album also spent two months in the Top 50 of the Americana chart reaching all the way to #36 and outlets across the globe started taking notice of this groove oriented, rock-infused band with crazy brilliant songs. NPR, The Boot, Holler, BBC Radio Scotland, Wide Open Country, Bluegrass Situation, Farce The Music, Ditty TV, Americana Music Show and Gimme Country all applauded the band’s first full length effort with emphasis on the bright future to come. During this time their live show was catching equal recognition branding them as “the band to see” pretty much anywhere they played. In short order they were on the road performing at some of the most renowned music festivals includong the Stagecoach festival, Born and Raised Fest, Mile 0 Fest, Norman Music Festival and the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, and supported a variety of bands including Band of Heathens, Eli Young Band, Gin Blossoms, Josh Abbott, Vandoliers, The Damn Quails, MIPSO, Parker Millsap, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Kaitlin Butts. Jason Scott & the High Heat continue to pick up speed, most recently with their latest single “Me & The Bottle” off their forthcoming album American Grin slated for release on July 19th. The single has drawn massive attention hitting the Top 10 on the Texas Music Chart, and tripling the band’s social media numbers in just a few short weeks. To date it has amassed over 100,000 spins online. Scott puts the song’s popularity into perspective. “We recorded ‘Me & The Bottle’ (Hungover You) near the Rio Grande, at Sonic Ranch Studios on a Motown console, and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s old Esquire. This song is meant to be listened to with a little bit of chicken fried, cold beer on a Friday night, and a pair of jeans that fit JUST RIGHT… It’s a tongue and cheek narrative about a man stuck at the bottom of a bottle with his stubbornness, and antiquated views on masculinity.” Co-produced by Jason Scott and Taylor Johnson, American Grin is an audio maverick cloaked in the band’s trademark style of intelligent musings soused in fine grooves and palpable textures. Jason Scott & the High Heat are: Jason Scott (lead vocals, guitar), Gabriel Mor (guitars), Ryan Magnani (bass), Bobby Wade (drums), Garrison Brown (guitars, keys), Taylor Johnson (guitars, keys, aux)

A quintet who cheerfully disregard every kind of one-dimensional label that might be attached to their music, Fireside Collective has been on a roll since emerging seven years ago from the fertile roots music scene of Asheville, North Carolina. In quick order, the progressive bluegrass group released its debut album, won the 2016 Band Contest at MerleFest, earned an International Bluegrass Music Association Momentum Band of the Year nomination and embarked on an ambitious touring schedule that’s earned an enthusiastic reception from traditional bluegrass to wide-ranging, eclectic music festival audiences alike. ​Blending the characteristic interplay of bluegrass instrumentation and harmonies with strong original material and exuberant energy, Fireside Collective has drawn on folk, blues, funk and a wide variety of bluegrass sounds to create a distinctive body of work that’s all their own. Each member—Joe Cicero (guitar); Jesse Iaquinto (mandolin); Tommy Maher (resonator guitar), Carson White (upright bass), and the newest addition Mike Tillis (drums)— brings a strong, original voice to his instrument, and the unique contributions of different lead and harmony vocalists complement the variety in the group’s many original songs. “Depending on where you come from and your experience with folk music, you may think we’re very traditional, or on the other hand, consider us a progressive act,” says Iaquinto. “We appreciate both ends of the spectrum and may lie on a different end on any given night.” But whether they’re bringing the classic sound of bluegrass or exploring new musical territory, Fireside Collective delivers a fresh, energetic approach and a blast of enthusiastic creativity that’s electrifying audiences across the country.

Haircut One Hundred (also known as Haircut 100) was a pop rock band formed in 1980 by Nick Heyward, Les Nemes, Graham Jones, Phil Smith, Mark Fox, and Blair Cunningham, known as one of the forerunners of the popular new romantic movement. They were successful from the beginning, with their 1981 single "Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)" setting the stage for the breakthrough success of the album 'Pelican West' (1982). The single "Love Plus One" was even bigger and Haircut 100 seemed poised for stardom just as Heyward decided to seek a solo career. The remainder of the band tried to continue with the album 'Paint and Paint' (1984), with percussionist Mark Fox taking over Heyward's vocal duties, but they broke up soon after. Although somewhat dismissed as a 'one hit wonder' due to the spread of blockbuster hit "Love Plus One", the band proved influential by the late 00s when new wave revivalist bands such as Vampire Weekend and No Kids emerged employing a similar style of preppy, afrobeat-like guitar pop.