Zac Brown Band: After self-releasing two albums in the early 2000s, Zac Brown Band hit it big with their smash single "Chicken Fried" in 2008. Ever since, they have been at the top of the charts and critics list. Zac Brown Band tour dates have been scheduled nationally and the band is eager to hit the road in support of their sophomore album.

Zac Brown was the second of twelve children from rural Dahlonega, Georgia. He developed an interest in country music at an early age and learned to play the guitar at seven years old. Zac moved to West Georgia to go to college and he started playing in local bars to make extra cash. Zac Brown formed the band in 2002 and immediately hit the road; Zac Brown Band's concert schedule included nearly 200 dates a year after being formed in 2002. The following year, Zac founded his own label "Southern Ground", and started releasing his music, his way.

In 2004, the band self-released, "Far From Einstyne", and in 2005 they issued the album "Home Grown". The band continued to tour extensively and released a live album, "Live From the Rock Bus Tour", in 2007. Zac even opened up a music club and restaurant during this time. It served as a venue for the bad to showcase their music and get some southern home cooking.

In 2008, the band signed with Atlantic Records who released their major label debut, "The Foundation". The album's first single, "Chicken Fried", was a smash success reaching #1 on the country singles charts, a rare feat for a debut single. The album went on to release four more singles, three of which also hit #1 on the singles charts. Of the album's massive success, Brown asserts that it "solidifies an achievement that has been more than a decade in the making." In 2009 Zac Brown Band concert dates were booked at Stagecoach Music Festival, California's largest country music festival, and Bonnaroo Music Festival.

2009 proved to be the year of Zac Brown's critical success. In one year, they went from relative obscurity to being named the Academy of Country Music's Top New Vocal Group and they won the highly coveted Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Off the heels of their success, Zac Brown Band tour dates were booked as the headliners on the "Breaking Ground Tour". Of their first headlining tour, Brown states that "For us to come into our own, we had to make it happen as a headliner."

After the successful tour, the band headed back to the studio to record the follow-up. Despite fears of the dreaded sophomore album curse, the band released "You Get What You Give", in September 2010 and the album immediately hit #1 on the Billboard 200. The lead-off single," As She's Walking Away", gave them their fifth #1 single and garnered them another Grammy for "Best Country Collaboration with Vocals" at the 2011 ceremony. Zac Brown Band concert dates were booked as the headlining act at the 2010 Detroit Hoedown festival and they performed "As She's Walking Away", at the Country Music Association Awards in November, 2010.

Zac Brown's meteoric rise has been nothing short of remarkable. Their latest single, "Colder Weather", recently gave them their sixth #1 single, a position they hope to occupy with the follow-up, "Knee Deep". Make sure you don't miss out on the ACM's Top Vocal Event of the Year when Zac Brown Band concert dates are scheduled in your area. Use Eventful as your source for Zac Brown Band tour dates and venue information.

Blackberry Smoke: We don't pull any punches about calling this Southern rock because that's what it is," says Blackberry Smoke frontman Charlie Starr. "It's what we think new Southern rock should sound like." Starr, guitarist Paul Jackson, bassist Richard Turner and drummer Brit Turner are indeed sons of the South, but their considerable chops recall The Swanee River Boys and The Stanley Brothers as well as Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers.

"We love all kinds of music - our CD collection in the van is extremely diverse," Charlie continues. "You can hear a bluegrass influence on our harmonies. We all grew up listening to that kind of music, and I started singing in church, so I think a little gospel flavor filters through, too. We like to mix it up and take some chances."

Still, discerning ears will detect a strain of Bon Scott in Charlie's upper register. "Our music is probably harder driving than what you'd call classic Southern rock," he concedes, "especially in the guitar and drum sounds." In fact, this ain't no gospel, this ain't no bluegrass, this ain't no fooling around: Blackberry Smoke is balls-out rock and roll.

The response of fans to the live performances on Bad Luck Ain't No Crime, the band's debut disc, is thrilling confirmation of that. Studio tracks "Testify" and "Sanctified Woman" may be attracting the most attention at rock radio, but these rough-and-ready versions of originals "Scare The Devil" and "Muscadine" and the standard "Freeborn Man" may better capture the essence of Blackberry Smoke.

"We recorded those during the motorcycle rally in Sturgis [South Dakota], at The Full Throttle Saloon," Charlie informs. "We took an RV, parked it behind the stage and just lived there for a week. We opened for everyone who came through. It's outdoors and the weather was beautiful. There's no charge to get in and lots of booze flowing. What that audience sounded like - we couldn't have asked for better live recordings. Technically, there are some warts, but the energy was so high that we didn't care. We aren't brain surgeons - it ain't pretty sometimes, but it sure does feel good."

Even when Charlie's singing about hard times, there is joy in the music. You can't help thinking that he, Paul, Richard and Brit were born to play together.

The road to Blackberry Smoke winds through Lanett, Alabama, where Charlie was raised, LaGrange, Georgia, where he met Paul, and Atlanta, longtime stomping grounds to brothers Richard and Brit. Growing up in Lanett, a textile mill town ringed by fields of corn, peas and butterbeans, Charlie began his training as a singer before he could talk. His mother's uncle is Bluegrass Hall Of Famer Buford Abner, lead singer for the aforementioned Swanee River Boys; great uncle Merle Abner sang bass.

"My dad has played guitar and sung bluegrass my whole life," Charlie adds. "I spent a lot of years going to bluegrass festivals. Every weekend we'd drive to Virginia or Kentucky. It was a fun thing to do. When I got to be a teenager, I said, ?I don't want to play this kind of music; I want to play "Smoke On The Water."' But after a while, I think you always come back to whatever sparked your interest in music in the first place."

He vividly remembers his mother singing along to the radio, with The Rolling Stones, The Faces, The Beatles and Bob Dylan among her favorites. He notes that his own idols range more toward Hank Williams - of whom he says, "I don't think a better songwriter has ever walked the earth" - and Steve Earle, but the Bad Luck Ain't No Crime track "Normaltown" is indisputably reminiscent of the Beatles' psychedelic awakening.

Charlie recollects: "When I was growing up, we'd all sit around the piano singing, and I'd grab my dad's guitar every time someone put it down. About the time I turned six, I guess he figured he'd better get me one before I broke his."

The boy learned how to play on his own after a few lessons from Dad. He graduated to the electric guitar in his teen years. By then Charlie was getting into the Allmans, Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot and 38 Special, whose material he calls "a little more pop, riding-around-in-your-Camaro stuff."

He naturally gravitated toward other rock musicians. "Paul and I have been buddies for a long time," he says. "He's always been a great guitar player. We'd go down to Atlanta to see bands. There's a couple of late-night watering holes where musicians would convene after concerts, and that's where we got to know Brit and Richard. We kept saying we should all jam and when we finally did, there it was; the band just kind of fell together."

Blackberry Smoke's creative approach remains a collaborative one. "Sometimes I'll come in with a basic idea, just play some chords and a melody on an acoustic and a song will grow from that," Charlie explains. "But most of the time I'll write with Paul - we live within 15 minutes of each other - or we'll be in rehearsal and just start jamming on something and magic will happen."

The band members have a similarly easygoing, give-and-take personal rapport. Charlie says he knows it's a clich', but he nonetheless attests: "We're like a little family, like four brothers. We all just get along really well. We've all been in cover bands, and in every cover band there's somebody ya hate. There's nobody in this band like that ? unless I'm the guy and they haven't told me! We could never stay on the road for 40 days if we weren't laughing and having a good time. All our dads were in the service and they taught us respect for other people. Hell, Brit and Richard's dad is a retired Air Force colonel; they really walked the line."

During their travels, the Blackberry Smoke boys have headlined all over the U.S. and opened for a slew of rock acts. The band got their name from another likeminded artist, former Black Crowes singer-songwriter Chris Robinson.

Superchunk: erhaps no band was more emblematic of the true spirit of American indie rock during the 1990s than Superchunk, the pride of Chapel Hill, NC. Following the D.I.Y. ethic to the letter, the group operated solely by their own rules, ignoring all passing trends by sticking to their trademark sound -- typified by the buzzing guitars and high, impassioned vocals of frontman Mac McCaughan -- and rejecting all major-label advances in favor of the unlimited freedom afforded by owning their own company, the highly successful Merge Records. Although Superchunk's resistance to the overtures of the music industry may have deprived them of the wider audience their work clearly deserved, perhaps their greatest legacy remains their unwavering dedication to the indie tradition, a model which all up-and-coming bands should strive to emulate.

Superchunk was formed in the college town of Chapel Hill in 1989 by singer/guitarist McCaughan, bassist Laura Ballance, drummer Chuck Garrison, and guitarist Jack McCook. Initially dubbed merely Chunk -- the "Super" prefix was later added to avoid confusion with a similarly named New York City avant-jazz band -- the group's debut single, What Do I, was soon issued on Merge, a label jointly run by McCaughan and Ballance. The follow-up was 1990's epochal Slack Motherfucker, MacCaughan's blistering tirade against a lazy Kinko's co-worker; the single was immediately hailed on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the definitive indie anthems of the era; and with the subsequent release of their self-titled debut LP, Superchunk was widely celebrated among the most promising young bands in America.

As the success of acts like Nirvana and Pearl Jam made their hometown of Seattle the early-'90s music scene du jour, label heads scrambled to locate the next alternative rock hotbed; Chapel Hill became the consensus choice, and Superchunk was tapped as the Next Big Thing. The quartet -- which had subsequently exchanged McCook for guitarist Jim Wilbur -- soon found themselves in the middle of a major-label bidding war, but they defiantly stuck to their guns, remaining on Merge for their brilliant 1991 sophomore effort No Pocky for Kitty, recorded by Steve Albini and distributed by Matador. A singles collection, Tossing Seeds, followed in 1992, and a year later Superchunk -- now with new drummer Jon Wurster -- returned with the superb On the Mouth, highlighted by the singles "Mower" and "The Question Is How Fast."

In addition to Superchunk's relentless tour itinerary and prolific recording schedule, McCaughan released the 1994 LP I Hope Your Heart Is Not Brittle, the first full-length release from his side project Portastatic. Even as media attention shifted elsewhere, Superchunk forged ahead, following the release of 1994's Foolish with Incidental Music, a second compilation of singles, B-sides, compilation tracks, and other assorted offerings. 1995's Here's Where the Strings Come In heralded a subtle refinement of their core sound, and was supported by a tour on the second stage at that summer's Lollapalooza festival; the first single and video, the surging "Hyper Enough," was even a minor hit. A brief hiatus preceded the release of the 1996 EP The Laughter Guns; the full-length Indoor Living appeared the next year, and Superchunk returned again in 1999 with Come Pick Me Up. Ten years on, Superchunk remained as prolific as ever with thier eighth full length, Come Pick Me Up, arriving in 2001. Their third collection of singles, a two CD set titled Cup of Sand, followed in 2003.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/superchunkmusic#ixzz0qxpKw95i

The Wallflowers: The Wallflowers is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Jakob Dylan. Formed in 1989 and originally known as The Apples, the ensemble has gone through numerous personnel changes with Dylan the only constant.

They have released five studio albums, one compilation album and have had various songs on television and movie soundtracks. They have won two Grammy awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Rock Song for their song "One Headlight" in 1998.

Fitz and The Tantrums: Fitz and The Tantrums is bringing the Motown sound back to modern music. While Fitz and The Tantrums haven't had an all-star concert schedule yet, their fresh sound is garnering attention on tour dates in 2011. The band's frontman, Michael Fitzpatrick, has described his music as "soul-influenced indie pop" and also reiterated that the sound is similar to Motown Records, but that he's not trying to recreate it. In no way is a resemblance to Motown music a bad thing; in fact, it's one of the many reasons that Fitz and The Tantrums have struck a pleasing chord with fans and critics alike. The band's popular sound is also the reason Fitz and The Tantrums have had a full concert schedule since the release of their newest album Pickin' Up The Pieces, including upcoming tour dates for 2011. The remaining concert schedule for 2011 includes tour dates in North America, and even a stop off in Australia.

Michael Fitzpatrick - or Fitz - had been working as a singer and songwriter in Los Angeles for a few years, without any major claim to fame. One fateful day, Fitz received a call from his ex-girlfriend, whose neighbor had to move out quickly and was selling most of his things, including an old church organ. After hiring and pleading a group of people to move it into his living room, Fitz sat down at the organ and was struck by wave after wave of inspiration. "Breakin' The Chains of Love" was the song that first flowed from the organ and became the single off of his first EP, Songs For a Break Up, Vol. 1. While he liked the electric guitar on the track, Fitz felt it was the saxophone that shone through brightest, giving him the idea to create songs without any guitar at all (excluding a funky bass). Before recording, Fitz had to find some Tantrums; he recruited the sultry voice of Noelle Scaggs (former singer for The Rebirth, whom he produced), drummer John Wicks, keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna (former musical director for Macy Gray), saxophonist James King (who has backed De La Soul), and bassist Joseph Karnes. He recorded all the songs for the EP in his living room in 2009, and the album slowly began to spread to the east coast. It made its way to New York, where the EP found its way into the hands of a tattoo artist who was inking Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. The artist urged Levine to listen to the album and the singer was immediately impressed, personally inviting Fitz and The Tantrums to open for Maroon 5 on their 2009 tour.

Fitz and The Tantrums was signed to Dangerbird Records in 2010 and shortly after released their first full-length album, Pickin' Up The Pieces. The album has become a huge success, including the single "MoneyGrabber," and brought Fitz and his Tantrums a fair amount of fame and headlining tour dates in 2011. The group is about to experience even more fame this summer as they fill up their concert schedule with even more tour dates in 2011, this time with up-and-comer April Smith and the Great Picture Show. The tour is underway on the west coast of the US and will head to the east coast on April 9. Fitz and the Tantrums will make their way down the east coast and loop through the south until April 23, when they'll head to Europe to play shows in Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, and London in early May. On May 24, Fitz and the Tantrums will return to the US to play the Northwest and Canada before traveling to Australia for tour dates on July 27. The last scheduled 2011 tour date for Fitz and The Tantrums is set for Austin, TX on September 17, with the possibility of an extended concert schedule in the near future. Those interested in seeing Fitz and the Tantrums should check them out on their current concert schedule, as the next time they tour, you might have to pay a lot more for a ticket after they hit the big time.

Bob Mould: Guitarist/singer/songwriter Bob Mould was initially a member of Hüsker Dü, one of the most influential American bands of the '80s. Hüsker Dü was a post-hardcore punk band that helped define the sound and ideals of alternative rock. After Hüsker Dü broke up, Mould signed a solo contract with Virgin Records in 1988. The following year, he released his first solo album, Workbook, which represented a major shift in sonic direction. Workbook was an introspective collection, featuring keyboards, acoustic guitars, and even strings. The album received excellent reviews and spent 14 weeks on the charts, peaking at 127; "See a Little Light" became a Top Ten modern rock hit. Mould returned to loud, guitar-driven rock on his second solo album, 1990's Black Sheets of Rain. Featuring the Top Ten modern rock hit "It's Too Late," Black Sheets of Rain received mixed reviews.

Frustrated with the business operations of major record labels, Mould left Virgin after the release of Black Sheets of Rain; they would later release a compilation of the two albums, Poison Years. Mould then formed an independent record company, SOL (Singles Only Label), which released 45s from new, developing bands as well as cult bands. In 1992, he formed a new trio, Sugar, with bassist David Barbe and drummer Malcolm Travis; the band signed with Rykodisc in the U.S., Creation in the U.K. Sugar's first album, Copper Blue, was released in the fall of 1992 to enthusiastic reviews and became Mould's most successful project to date. Copper Blue nearly went gold and spawned several alternative radio and MTV hits, including "Helpless" and "If I Can't Change Your Mind." In the spring of 1993, Sugar released the mini-LP Beaster, a more abrasive collection than Copper Blue that was recorded at the same sessions. Around the time of the release of Beaster, Mould was forced out of the closet by various gay publications, with hopes that he would embrace their political cause; he rejected their requests.

Mould wrote the material for the second Sugar album during 1993. The band began recording in the spring of 1994, but the sessions ground to a halt and the tapes were erased. Mould decided to give the album one more try, and it was recorded quickly late that spring. The album, File Under: Easy Listening, appeared in the fall of 1994. Although it received good reviews and was moderately successful commercially, it didn't match the performance of Copper Blue. In the spring of 1995, it was announced that Sugar was on hiatus. Besides, a collection of rarities and B-sides, was released that summer. By the fall, Mould had broken up the band and begun to work on a third album entirely by himself. Mould played all of the instruments on his self-titled third album, which was released in the spring of 1996. The Last Dog and Pony Show followed in 1998. In 2002, after a long period of musical inactivity, Mould returned with the electronics-heavy Modulator, followed by the more conventional Body of Song in 2005. After a dance project with Richard Morel (Blowoff Project), Mould returned to his guitar roots and paired up with Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty to record District Line in 2008.

The Wood Brothers: No biography provided

Bonerama: Even in a city that doesn’t play by the rules, New Orleans’ Bonerama is something different. They can evoke vintage funk, classic rock and free improvisation in the same set; maybe even the same song. Bonerama has been repeatedly recognized by Rolling Stone, hailed as “the ultimate in brass balls” (2005) and praised for their “…crushing ensemble riffing, human-feedback shrieks and wah-wah growls” (2007). Bonerama carries the brass-band concept to places unknown; what other brass band could snag an honor for “Best Rock Band” (Big Easy Awards 2007)? As cofounder Mark Mullins puts it, “We thought we could expand what a New Orleans brass band could do. Bands like Dirty Dozen started the “anything goes” concept, bringing in the guitars and the drum kit and using the sousaphone like a bass guitar. We thought we could push things a little further.”

New Orleans’ fertile club scene was directly responsible for Bonerama getting together. Trombonists Mullins and Craig Klein were both members of Harry Connick’s band, where they’d been since 1990. Both were looking to supplement this gig with something a little less structured. “Harry sets the bar pretty high, and you have to play it the same way every night for everyone to follow.”

The big chance came in the summer of ’98, when Mullins had a weekly residency at Tipitina’s in the French Quarter. The club was then turning weekly slots over to some of the city’s favorite musicians, including Allen Toussaint and Cyril Neville; Mullins got charge of Wednesdays. Word got out one week that he and Klein were staging their trombone super-session and everybody they knew wanted to get involved. “It seemed that half the trombone players in town showed up,” Klein recalls. “At the end of the night we had them all onstage, maybe fifteen trombones at once. It sounded like a freight train; a big wall of sound coming right at you.”

Along with his jazz connections, Mullins is Bonerama’s resident rock ‘n’ roller: It was Mullins who instigated the offbeat classic-rock covers that have become a band tradition. Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein” was the first nugget to get the treatment and songs by Hendrix, Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and the Allman Brothers Band have since appeared in their set right alongside the funk and jazz-flavored numbers. “There’s definitely something about the guitar and the trombone that are related,” Mullins figures. “You compare the fretboard to the slide; there’s a lot of similarity there.” Indeed, the sounds Mullins makes by playing through a guitar amp and wah-wah pedal may explain why he’s named Jimi Hendrix as one of his favorite trombonists. “It’s great to grab people with the rock songs, and then turn them on to some New Orleans music at the same time,” Klein says.

The buzz on Bonerama grew with hometown acclaim (with the band winning numerous OffBeat Magazine Awards; and Mullins regularly topping OffBeat’s trombone category), lots of roadwork, and three live albums – the first recorded close to home at the Old Point in Algiers; the second on tour in New York and the third album, Bringing It Home, recorded live from New Orleans’ world famous nightclub, Tipitina’s. The Boston Herald called them a “bonehead’s dream”; the Vail (CO) Daily noted that “the sound is fat and wet; sometimes downright lusty.” As hometown music zine OffBeat put it, “That nerdy kid in the band room with the trombone just might have the last laugh after all.”

The new EP Hard Times contains four studio tracks including the title track, “Hard Times,” the instrumental number “Folly” and “Lost My House” which was co-written by Craig Klein and Dave Malone from the Radiators. These three new originals along with a cover of Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" marks the band's first ever studio recordings. A bonus fifth track features a live performance of "Turn on Your Love Light" captured live from the stage at The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

“’Lost My House’ is a true story inspired by the levee failures in 2005. The verse was written by Dave Malone, who knows the story of the Rugalator. In the song, it is symbolic of losing everything, but still having the things you love and cherish. Some things can't be taken away," says Klein.

“The song “Hard Times” is really about the antithesis of hard times and flipping our fears over to optimism. To those that say all hell is breaking loose, we say kick out the demons and embrace all the positives that are always around us but often ignored in this world," says Mullins.

www.BoneramaMusic.com

The Legendary JC's: The Legendary JC’s (commonly The JC’s) started flooring Central Florida crowds with their brand of soulful rocking blues in 2000. Founding members Eugene Snowden and Brian Chodorcoff started out with a band of roving musicians but always delivered quality high-energy rock n’ roll performances. Part of the magic of the shows is never knowing who is going to show up.

Such over-the-top shows have garnered the band headlining slots at three consecutive years worth of NOLA Jazz Fest late-nights, Florida Music Festival and Macon’s Bragg Jam. They have also headlined: a month at Monte Carlo Casino – Las Vegas, Tropical Heatwave in Tampa, Milledgeville BBQ Festival, Crawfish Fest in Tallahassee and community events throughout the southeast. The JC’s have also headlined radio-station events for WMNF, WLOQ and WMMO. Other festival performances include Voodoo Music Experience, Langerado, Down on the Farm and Dunedin Mardi Gras.

Chodorcoff says, "A typical show touches on rootsy-blues music and rockin' the f--- out, balls to the wall. We are not a jam band by any means, but we improvise a lot. So a typical show is really two -- the opening set we keep our songs four to five minutes long, but when we get deep into it, we can go for three or four hours.”

Hip Kitty: http://www.myspace.com/hipkitty http://www.facebook.com/pages/hipkitty

Florence and The Machine: Florence + the Machine's sole release, "Lungs", has taken the music world by storm. Florence's booming voice is well complimented by the Machine's rock infused melodies and their marriage make for a rousing live experience. Florence + the Machine concert dates are currently scheduled on the final leg of their "Lungs" tour in which they will be visiting US venues throughout July, 2011.

Florence + The Machine is the stage name of British singer Florence Welch and her back-up band of session musicians. After generating much buzz with performances in London, the band released their debut album, "Lungs" in 2009. It peaked at #1 on the UK charts and was an immediate success. The album's first official release, "Kiss with a Fist" was featured on the soundtrack to "Jennifer's Body". Subsequent singles off the album include "Dog Day's of Summer", "Drumming Song" and "You've Got The Love".

Florence + The Machine gained traction in the United States with performances on David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmell. The band's single, "Dog Days Are Over" was re-released and became their biggest US hit to-date. In 2009, Florence + The Machine concert dates were booked on the Cosmic Love Tour which served as the group's first headlining tour. What began as an eleven-date United Kingdom Tour in 2009 evolved into a worldwide outing that has culminated in 18 international legs and continues throughout 2011 in North America.

In 2011, Florence + The Machine's cache rose with several high profile performances which generated a lot of buzz in the US. In February, Florence replaced Dido at the 83rd Academy Awards to perform A.R. Rahman's original song "If I Rise", which was nominated for the Best Original Song at the ceremony. Florence also teamed up with Martina McBride, Christina Aguilera, and Mary J. Blige to perform a tribute to Aretha Franklin during the opening performance at the Grammy Awards. Florence, who suffers from anxiety, rose to the occasion and proved that she can perform on the world's largest platforms alongside the world's greatest talents and hold her own.

More recently, Florence + The Machine have announced that they are back in the studio working on the sophomore follow-up to their highly successful debut. They hope to release new material by the end of the year. For those fans waiting in anticipation, Florence + The Machine tour dates are scheduled on the final leg of the "Cosmic Love" tour which will be in North America throughout the summer. In addition, Florence + The Machine concert dates are scheduled at various stops along U2's summer tour. Their debut album has been one of the UK's hottest sellers for the past two years now, they have won numerous awards, and have performed at the world's most coveted stages. Come out and see Florence, the queen of rock-soul, and the Machine when they are in your area. Use Eventful as your source for Florence + The Machine tour dates and venue information.

D.L.P.: LET ME SEE YOU WAG YOU WAGON !