Grand Stafford Theater

International Poetics Symposium - Poetry vs Philosophy: Life, Artifact & Theory
2013-04-13 19:00 - 2013-04-14 00:00 (America/Chicago) | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
Witness the most diverse tribe of creative minds brought together in Bryan/College Station!
April 11–13 • Texas A&M University & Grand Stafford Theater
The International Poetics Symposium at Texas A&M University culminates at the Stafford on the 13th of April – this will, no doubt, be an unprecedented event, taking place in our beloved Downtown Bryan – 15 countries represented, 28 poets performing from 8pm to 11pm followed by a live band.
Sponsored by Advent GX.
POETS
ARGENTINA
Karina Maccio
Cecilia Maugeri
CHILE
Andres Fisher
Cristian Gomez Olivares
Eduardo Llanos
Armando Roa
Juan Carlos Villavicencio
Sergio Badilla
URUGUAY
Ida VItale
Eduardo Espina
Marcos Wasen
MEXICO
Julio Cesar Aguilar
Raul carrillo-arciniega
Alejandro Rosales
Arturo Davila
PERU
Xavier Echarri
Jose Antonio Mazzotti
Roger Santivañez
CUBA
Jose Kozer (Skype)
Pablo de Cuba Soria
SPAIN
Marcos Canteli
Benito Del Pliego
Jose Maria Antolin
Julio Prieto – (Germany)
Daniel Aguirre-Oteiza
CAMERUN
Alain Lawo-Sukam
ECUADOR
Ernesto Carrion
COLOMBIA
Oscar Berrio
USA
Charles Bernstein
Loren Goodman – (Korea)
Michael S. Collins
Jeff Stumpo
Paul Chistensen
Good Ghost Bill
Karla Kelsey
Forrest Gander (via Skype)
Yusef Reinosa-Cowhand
PALESTINE
Fady Joudah (via Skype)

Jake Miller w/ Kyle Lucas & Shawn Noize
2013-04-11 19:00 - 2013-04-12 00:00 | Grand Stafford Theater, 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
JAKE MILLER

Jake Miller, born November 28, 1992, is an American rapper, singer, musician and songwriter from Weston, Florida. He is currently attending the University of Miami. In high school the multi-talented musician who taught himself to play the drums and guitar at a young age, put out a few homemade music videos on YouTube which immediately created a buzz and attracted the attention of music business insiders who began to guide Jake on his journey.
Jake’s very first live performance was in March 2011 when he opened for legendary rapper Snoop Dogg in Pompano Beach, Florida and shortly after he opened for rapper Mac Miller in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In May 2011, Jake won the Samsung & T-Mobile national “Kick it with the Band” competition designed to highlight some of the best music talent on the verge of stardom across the country. As the grand prize winner, Jake was awarded $35,000.00 for use towards his music career and a music video with YouTube sensation Keenan Cahill. In November 2011, Jake performed alongside Flo Rida, Sean Kingston and Asher Roth at the “Think Pink Rocks” concert in West Palm Beach, FL which is sponsored by Steve Rifkind and SRC Records. In December 2011, Jake took the stage at the annual Y-100 Jingle Ball concert where Cody Simpson and We the Kings also performed. On December 31, 2011, he rang in the New Year at the Orange Drive Miami Beach Music Festival in which Jason Derulo, Cee Lo Green, Ne-Yo, Gym Class Heroes and Cobra Starship also performed. On March 11, 2012 Jake performed on both the Planet Pit Stage and Power 96 Stage at the famed Calle Ocho Festival in Miami, FL in front of an estimated crowd of 200,000+.
MTV Buzzworthy says “Jake Miller is about to blow up! Jake just released a brand-new video and we’re mildly obsessed, to say the least. Jake’s rap flow is serious, and we haven’t even discussed his vocals yet! Unsurprisingly, Jake’s also got a killer set of pipes.” The Miami Herald recently featured Jake in a full page article titled Young Rapper in the Fast Lane, and goes on to say “It’s Miller time! Get used to hearing the name Jake Miller. The Weston rapper is on his way. At just 19, the singer-songwriter is a Web sensation.” J-14 Magazine featured Jake in their weekly Hot Music Alert section while YoungHollywood.com says “South Floridian Teen Jake Miller (is) breaking through to the Music Mainstream.” WFOR-TV (CBS Miami) says “Jake Miller is a star on the rise whose catchy rap tunes are exploding all over the internet.” On March 6, 2012, MTV.com did the exclusive music video premiere of Jake’s single “I’m Alright.” Jake went on a Florida radio tour in March, 2012 to promote his single, “What I Wouldn’t Give,” and at one point, it was the only record near the top 50 on the Top 40 charts by a completely independent artist. A personal highlight for Jake (as he is an avid Miami Heat fan) was when he performed at the AAA arena during the NBA championship finals.
Jake Miller on Facebook | Jake Miller on Twitter | Official Website

Big Texas Nights feat. Halleyanna and the Tennessee Volunteers w/ Hunter McKithan
2013-04-07 18:00 - 23:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
HALLEYANNA AND THE TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERSHalleyAnna Finlay simply sings like her songs were stamped on her heart at birth. Evidence: The Country. HalleyAnna’s superb debut collection swaggers (“So Heavy”) and sways (“Fast Train”) with effortless elegance. The album, which deftly spotlights her meeting point between Patsy Cline and Emmylou Harris, serves as a shining introduction to a skyward bound emerging talent. High watermarks – particularly, “Back in Your Arms Again” and “Peace Is Lonely, Love Is War”– already show HalleyAnna growing exponentially sharp as a songwriter. “Experience is what happens when you don’t get what you want, so songwriting makes me feel better,” she says. “Any time I’d go through a heartache growing up, my dad would say, ‘Well, you’ll get a good song out of it.’ Sure enough, I really did. You can’t write every single song about how somebody broke your heart, so some of the stuff I’ve done is more serious. ‘Back in Your Arms Again’ may sound like a song about somebody who dumped you, but it has a much deeper, eternal, death-related theme about meeting in the next life.” For the last decade, HalleyAnna has honed her songwriting skills at Cheatham Street Warehouse, the legendary Central Texas listening room owned by her father, singer-songwriter Kent Finlay. She now leads the next generation of compelling writers who follow James McMurtry, Todd Snider, Bruce Robison and others who started out at Cheatham Street. “I grew up listening to people who play music in Texas,” says the youthful singer-songwriter. “I really love the traditional stuff that’s going on in East Nashville like Elizabeth Cook and Caitlin Rose and Hayes Carll and Slaid Cleaves here in Austin. They embody the same traditional country that I like.” All personify the literate storytelling so identified with the Texas music tradition and HalleyAnna has put her creative writing studies to good use following their footsteps. Look for further proof one her sophomore effort (due in early 2013). Americana all-star Bill Chambers (Kasey’s father) produced the collection. “Working with Bill is so easy and great,” HalleyAnna says. “Bill came up and was here for the summer touring with Kasey and he had about a week window to make a record with me. He brought this really nice microphone that Kasey used on ‘The Captain’ and ‘Barricades and Brickwalls’ and we did vocals pretty much live. We cut the album in five days in the Wood Shed in San Marcos.”HalleyAnna on Facebook | HalleyAnna on Twitter | Official WebsiteHUNTER MCKITHANHunter McKithan & the Offenders are a rising force with well-seasoned songwriting skills to back up their gifted musical and instrumental talents. With roots buried deep within the genres of blues, alt. country, americana, soul, and a major influence of old-fashioned American rock and roll, it’s extremely hard to describe exactly what brand of music you’re hearing coming from whatever stage or stereo system the Offenders are occupying. But one thing is for sure. It refuses to go unnoticed. And what good is music once it’s been labeled anyway? The guys released their debut album, ‘Shape of it All,’ late in the summer of 2007 and have sent several songs to the top requested lists – including the number 1 song of 2008 on radiofreetexas.org, ‘Fallin From High.’ The band spent much of 2009 gearing up for the release of their much anticipated ‘Lee Road Sessions’ EP to be followed up with a full length album of entirely all new material. Now, after teaming up with famed producer Mike McClure, the third record is complete and will be released January 18th, 2011. ‘Not Broken Yet’ is a 13 track (12 new, 1 re-recorded) album of material unlike anything you have ever heard from Hunter McKithan & the Offenders. Be sure to grab a copy of the album and catch a live show next time they’re in your area.Hunter McKithan on Facebook | Hunter McKithan on Twitter | Official Website

GOREFEST 2013
2013-04-06 13:00 - 2013-04-07 01:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
GOREFEST 2013
This is B/CS’s heaviest day all year. Originally started in 2005, this event continues to bring some of the heaviest bands to the Brazos Valley. This is the 6th year in continuation since there was a 3 year hiatus for it. But its back and heavier than ever. With bands like In The Trench, Giant of the Mountain and more. Aggieland Metal Productions is teaming up with Rock 1039 to bring a Homebrewed metalfest. The doors open as noon and admission is only $10 for all these great bands.
1:30pm – 2pm – BIRTH AT THE MASSACRES HOUSE (Bryan, TX)
2:15pm – 2:45pm – APHOTIC CONTRIVANCE (Caldwell, TX)
3pm – 3:30pm – SPECIAL GUEST SATAN (Copperas Cove, TX)
3:45pm – 4:15pm – MYRA MAYBELLE (College Station, TX)
4:30pm – 5pm – IRRECONCILABLE SUFFERING (Houston, TX)
5:15pm – 5:45pm – CRITICAL MISFIRE (College Station, TX)
6pm – 6:30pm – ANXIOUS FATE (College Station, TX)
6:45pm – 7:15pm – SEVER THE SILENCE (Houston, TX)
7:30pm – 8pm – PREDOMINANT MORTIFICATION (College Station, TX)
8:15pm – 8:45pm – FLESH HOARDER (San Marcos, TX)
9pm – 9:30pm – HELL’S CONSPIRACY (College Station, TX)
9:45pm – 10:15pm – GIANT OF THE MOUNTAIN (Dallas, TX)
10:30pm – 11pm – OCEANS OF SLUMBER (Houston, TX)
11:15pm – 11:45pm – IN THE TRENCH (Temple, TX)
12am – 1am – SHAWN WHITAKER (Houston, TX)

First Friday feat. Pat Ryan and the Jaded Kind w/ These Mad Dogs of Glory, Larynx and Taz & Co. -- FREE CONCERT ALL NIGHT
2013-04-05 18:30 - 2013-04-06 01:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
Grand Stafford Theater presents as part of downtown Bryan’s First Fridays Friday April 5th, 2013 Doors at 6:30 PM, Music starts at 7:00 PM FREE SHOW ALL NIGHT LONG! NO COVER ALL NIGHT!

PAT RYAN AND THE JADED KINDPat Ryan is a texas country artist from Lexington, TX. Playing nonstop since the age of 9, Pat developed his unique talent early. Raised on southern rock and blues, Pat then took his bluesy background and brought it the texas country scene. In January of 2012, he then formed a band out of College Station, TX. known as Pat Ryan & The Jaded Kind. Pat Ryan is currently recording their first EP Album to be released in the summer of 2013.Pat Ryan and the Jaded Kind on Facebook | Pat Ryan and the Jaded Kind on Twitter
THESE MAD DOGS OF GLORY“Sweet Appalachia” is the follow-up to These Mad Dogs of Glory’s self-titled premiere EP of early 2011. Since then the line-up has shifted to include a new bassist and the opportunity to record with local reputable producer Erik Wofford of Cacophony Studios (The Black Angels, White Denim, Explosions in the Sky). This collaboration at Cacophony is documented via a music video of tracks “Appalachian Funk #1” &“2” filmed by Aaron & Jaime Brown of Onion Creek Productions. “The songs on ‘Sweet Appalachia’ were written as a way to recapture the love of growing up in New England, dealing with the death of a loved one, & accept a life, living on the road”, says chief songwriter Ryan O’Sullivan. The earthy rock n roll grit of “Sweet Appalachia” serves to be a great testament to the roads that have led to this new era of These Mad Dogs of Glory.These Mad Dogs of Glory on Facebook | These Mad Dogs of Glory on Twitter | Official WebsiteLARYNXAfter humble beginnings in the small town of College Station, Texas the Band now known as “Larynx Music” began what they thought would be a slow and steady growing process. Playing their original music at various open mic nights, and other events in the college town home of Texas A&M University, Larynx’s music went viral and made it way across the map… On Monday August 20, 2012 Larynx Music recorded their first single “The One” along with “Circles” for their First EP ” Cosmic Love ” at ” New Fiction Studios” in Dallas, Texas with Producer Bryan David. This platform propelled their music off the ground like never before… Larynx Music seeks to inspire and to make the listener feel the pleading vocals, and thoughtful arrangements of every song. Their music will surely tap at you heart until you let them in.Larynx on Facebook | Larynx on Twitter | Official WebsiteTAZ & COMPANYTaz is no newcomer to the Bryan/College Station music culture as he’s performed shows and open mics since he began his college career at A&M. As a multi-instrumentalist, Taz’s lush harmonies and unique instrumentation have, over time, created a signature sound; a concoction of suave jazz, r&b, and almost anything else that can be played on six strings. His music can be described as electric and innovative, a blue fire pirouetting to be witnessed. This Friday he will be joined by fellow musicians Amy Westwick, David Johnson, and Brenton Kim to reinvent the craft of the acoustic experience. Using a wide variety of songs and instruments, this group will have you singing along to the classics.Taz & Co. on Facebook | Official Website

Johnny's Body w/ Wes Taylor and Friends & Zac Vacek
2013-04-04 20:00 - 2013-04-05 00:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
Johnny’s BodyJohnny’s Body is an American indie-rock band from Gatesville, Texas, formed in 2006. The band consists of Jordan Rhudy (lead vocals, guitar), Carrie Burt (keys, backing vocals), Taylor Branch (guitar, backing vocals), Jeremy Tillery (bass guitar), and Steven Calvillo (drums, percussion). Johnny’s Body was born in the summer of 2006 as a two-piece guitar and drum duo consisting of brothers Jordan and Ben Rhudy. In the years following, additional members joined the ranks, filling out a cohesive sound without losing their dirty country essence and rock n’ roll grit. Johnny’s Body released their debut EP, Always Moving Never Stopping, independently in 2008. The band released their first full-length album, Swing Low Rock & Roll, in October 2009. Following a brief hiatus, Johnny’s Body is again writing and performing in anticipation of its currently untitled sophomore release in the summer of 2013.Johnny’s Body on Facebook | Johnny’s Body on TwitterWes Taylor and FriendsWes Taylor is a local musician/songwriter/worship leader that was born and raised right here in the heart of the Brazos Valley. For the past 6 years Wes has been actively involved in the Bryan/College Station music scene and has expressed his love for music through songwriting, performing, leading worship, running live sound, and working as an audio engineer in the area. Since 2009, Wes has written, recorded, and produced three albums with brother Josh Taylor at their home studio in Bryan, TX. The past couple years has brought about a lot of new music along with a 5 piece blues/rock band that have hopes to fully return to the secular music world and quickly develop into a well known group in the area.Wes Taylor on FacebookZac VacekZachary Vacek come from so many different places musically that it’s hard to put a finger on anything that he is not influenced by. As a little kid, his idea of music was exclusively limited to country music because that’s all that his dad cared much for, and country is all that ever got played on the radio at home. When he was finally old enough to buy my own cd player, he rebelled against his country roots and started listening to any punk rock that he could sneak past his parents. When high school came around, he and his friends started recruiting members for a third-wave ska band, horns and all. They played all over Texas for the next four years and their following in Houston slowly grew over time and after a ton of hard work. After doing the ska thing for a long time, He decided to try something new, so he teamed up with another friend of his and started an electro-pop band, which lasted a good two years before they called it quits. After my high school days ended, I decided to take a break from music to explore the things he really loved about it in the first place. Zac realized that what he love about music isn’t where music can take him, but where he can take music. It’s creation and expression, experience stripped down to its most basic form. Music is something he needs to do for himself. It isn’t who he is, but it is necessary in learning who he is. Zachary Vacek’s music is a simple mix of the Texas country musicians he grew up listening to like George Straight and Charlie Robison, along with modern folk music such as the Avett Brothers and the Civil Wars. He keeps it simple, while still being Dynamic. Zac is a songwriter at heart.Zac Vacek on Facebook

St. Cloud (Shane Walker from the Gougers) CD Release Show w/ Elijah Ford and the Bloom & Kristy Krueger
2013-03-30 20:00 - 2013-03-31 00:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
St. Cloud (Shane Walker from the Gougers)St. Cloud is the name of the musical partnership of Brian Beken (Milkdrive, South Austin Jug Band) and Shane Walker (The Gougers). Coming off alternately as indie/alt country and modern experimental rock (sometimes within the same song), St. Cloud has parlayed big sonic ambitions and acute attention to lyrics into a sound that speaks to hillbilly hipsters and the NPR crowd alike. “This project is the culmination of an idea that started with a record called JUAREZ by Terry Allen,” says Shane Walker, the band’s lead singer, speaking about the concept record originally released by the Lubbock artist/songwriter in 1975. “The idea was to put a band together as a side project to perform the songs from JUAREZ live, while we hired our friends to interpret the action on stage. Like a play. We got together a few times to practice and ended up writing a few songs together. It snowballed from there and St. Cloud was born.” Snowball, indeed. Branching off from their acoustic and folkie roots (Beken is a fiddle/flatpicking champion, while Walker is a Kerrville Folk Festival winner with a Top- 10 Americana record in 2008), St. Cloud wraps its ruminative lyrics in a blanket of volatile guitar tones and driving rhythmic compositions that channel bands like My Morning Jacket and Wilco. “Being creative is all about starting over,” says Walker. “We came up from the acoustic country/bluegrass/Americana world. And while we could never escape those roots – we would never want to – somewhere along the line we wanted to get beyond some of the restrictions that you find in the traditional styles.” The result is a sophisticated new indie release, Tilting at Windmills, produced by Beken and set to release in March 2013. What began as a nod to a true Texas artist has culminated in a band intent on charting new ground for itself and making interesting and unique rock ‘n roll along the way.St. Cloud on Facebook | St. Cloud on Twitter | Official WebsiteElijah Ford and the BloomElijah Ford is a California native turned Austin based musician who began his solo career after breaking from touring with Oscar & Grammy winner Ryan Bingham. Ford put out his first solo record Upon Waking in 2011 and his new EP Ashes in October of 2012. No stranger to the industry, Ford is the son of former Black Crowes’ guitar heavyweight Marc Ford, and toured as part of Ford Sr’s Fuzz Machine at the age of 17 before getting the gig with Bingham, where he stayed until 2012. The younger Ford has surely taken some valuable rock n’ roll notes from his father, but has also put together a pop rock vibe that’s completely his own. Ford’s unique vocals and dynamic melodies are immediately reminiscent of Canadian crooner-Rufus Wainwright, while the honest and poetic, say-more-with-less approach to lyrics comes from one of his biggest musical influences, David Bazan. In addition to Wainwright and Bazan, Ford’s songs draw inspiration from The Shins, St. Vincent and The Strokes, all packaged into a cohesive, melodic and cinematic sound that he carries throughout both of his solo records.Elijah Ford on Facebook | Official WebsiteKristy KruegerSongwriter and artist Kristy Krüger has an extensive history in music that spans classical, jazz, folk, and rock genres. Throughout the course of her career as a pianist and composer, Krüger won a multitude of state, national, and international awards for jazz and classical composition and performance. When she shifted gears into the world of the singer/songwriter, she brought a broad spectrum of influences with her, ranging from Hank Williams, Sr. to Miles Davis as she criss-crossed the country, touring alone for over six years. Her untraditional jazz-influenced approach to folk music has carried her throughout the United States, and secured her status as a favorite in her hometown of Dallas, Texas. The Dallas Morning News says she has grown into one of the most eclectic singers in the area, citing her as a “female Tom Waits.” Krüger has also received two nominations for Best Acoustic Act and recently won the 2006 Dallas Observer Music Award from Dallas’ leading entertainment weekly for Best Female Vocalist. After six years of touring the country alone, Krüger recently released her fourth album, Songs From a Dead Man’s Couch, a title which came about from her writing songs on the second-hand couch of a dead man. The title suits this collection of dark and deliberate songs and her voice sounds of a lone, well-traveled woman. She gives a nod to her Texas roots, offering up a sullen, classic country influence on several numbers. There is also a definite hint of New Orleans in her writing, inspired by the traditional jazz she heard while living there. Other tracks offer a fusion of dark Americana and electronics, a sound Krüger is calling “Ameritronica.” Engineer Ethan Allen, who has worked with countless artists, including Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, and more recently Gram Rabbit and the 88s, put the finishing touches on the record. Krüger produced the record, leaving some tracks raw and layering others with ambient electric guitars, keyboards and her latest instrumental endeavor, the pedal steel.Kristy Kruger on Facebook | Official Website

Homebrew Live feat. Hindsight w/ Hounds of Jezebel, Brothers N Arms & Critical Misfire
2013-03-29 20:00 - 2013-03-30 02:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
HINDSIGHTThe riff and percussion driven hard rock band “Hind§ight” formed in Sugar Land, Texas at around the turn of the millennium with a group of young musicians desiring to make music that would both rock hard but melodically inspire the minds of an audience. Hind§ight’s music is focused on the life experiences of each of the band members. So, if you are at a Hind§ight concert, feel free to ask them about some of the stories behind the songs. If you are looking for disingenuous Disney pop music written by industry song writers for pop singers who need auto-tune just to get out of bed in the morning, this is not your band and may god have mercy on your soul. If you want some rock music that you can jam to and relate to in your daily life come and rock out with us.Hindsight on Facebook | Official WebsiteHOUNDS OF JEZEBELHounds of Jezebel formed in the summer of 2010. John Curry(vocals, guitars), Chris Loveless(guitars), “Rooster” Rodriguez(bass, vocals), and Mike Neyra(drums, vocals) met through a mutual friend and quickly developed a unique friendship and a distinctly original sound. Having been seasoned pro’s, (goneblind, Earshot, Scott Stapp), these guys have obviously seen the big stage. But it’s their chemistry, only having been together for a short time, that draws you to them. Their ability to connect. To Play. To Rock. It’s the undeniable……Hounds of Jezebel.Hounds of Jezebel on Facebook | Official WebsiteBROTHERS N ARMSBrothers N Arms is not just a band. It is a system of thought, an experience, a journey. At the beginning an idea, along the way awesome people, places, and relationships, and at the end….who knows? BNA is Jesse James on the bass guitar, Hoss on the drums, and Daniel Vines on guitar and vocals. The trio is based in the central Texas cities of Bryan/College Station and Austin and performs across the state. The music is hard hitting drums and loud guitars, carefully choreographed chaos, and vocals that aim to show a better way. Each member of the BNA team brings their own perspective that has been formed in the fire of trial and triumph. Jesse lays down bass lines that are as powerful as his hulk-like presence would suggest, Hoss pounds the drums with the force that matches the intensity of the engines that power the souped-up cars and motorcycles he prefers, and Vines bends the guitar with intensity as he brings to the front the message of hope and reality that is the reason for BNA.Brothers N Arms on Facebook | Official WebsiteCRITICAL MISFIREIn a town full of country and heavy metal acts, Critical Misfire sticks out like a sore thumb, filling the gap left between the two musical factions. With a healthy dose of 90’s inspired grunge rock and a taste for punk and pop, Critical Misfire delivers where other bands fall short…catchy hooks and hard-driving delivery. After hijacking an open mic night and following up the next week with a full set, Critical Misfire is making progress at an accelerated pace.Crtical Misfire on Facebook | Official Website

Shinyribs (Kevin Russell from The Gourds) w/ Ben Morris and the Great American Boxcar Chorus
2013-03-28 20:00 - 2013-03-29 00:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
ShinyribsKevin “Shinyribs” Russell is front man for he Austin-based country band The Gourds. You already know & love him, Shinyribs is the solo project of Kevin Russell, the frontman of the Gourds.Shinyribs on Facebook | Official WebsiteBEN MORRIS AND THE GREAT AMERICAN BOXCAR CHORUSBen Morris & the Great American Boxcar Chorus – a long name, but it’s one worth remembering – are still in the early years of their collective musical mission, but they’ve already made their way around Texas with the scrappy grace of a young band that will go to any length to make themselves heard. With over a hundred and fifty full-band gigs already under their belt, and with their first proper full-band album (Underground Railroad, self-released) set for release in Spring 2009, the College Station-based band is looking to retrace their steps across the bars, music halls and festivals of the Lone Star State (and beyond) while blazing new trails, winning over new fans as they introduce a new set of tunes and ideas to the world. The Boxcars’ (for short) music is easy to enjoy but difficult to define, drawing on countless influences and touching on many genres. Different songs evoke different combinations of driving bar-band country, adventurous indie-rock, catchy mainstream rock and lyrically driven folk. The depth and resonance of Morris’ baritone vocals have earned comparisons to Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, but he stops short of imitating such musical legends (aside from the occasional cover song) and instead collaborates with his bandmates to create something original and new.BM+GABC on Facebook | BM+GABC on Twitter | Official Website

CANCELLED: Big Texas Nights feat. Susan Gibson w/ Jana Pochop
2013-03-24 18:00 - 23:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
This concert has been cancelled, see Susan Gibson’s website for more info. We apologize for any inconvenience.
SUSAN GIBSONSusan Gibson is a Grammy award winning singer/songwriter from Wimberley, Texas and a respected performer and writer with one of the top-selling country songs of all time under her belt – she wrote “Wide Open Spaces” that the Dixie Chicks cover and has four solo albums released nationally. Susan tours year-round and performs at a variety of festivals, listening rooms, and house concert venues. This past year she has toured the U.S. through the Midwest, northwest, southeast, and eastern Canada as well as regionally all over Texas. She was also inducted into the West Texas Music Hall of Fame as 2009’s Entertainer of the Year. She released her 4th album, “Tightrope,” in February 2011.Susan Gibson on Facebook | Susan Gibson on Twitter | Official Website
JANA POCHOP“Her last name is as original and unique as she is…the real deal.” – Terri Hendrix
Jana Pochop (that “h” is silent) is a singer-songwriter, blogger, traveler, and experiencer based in Austin, Texas. Jana grew up in New Mexico and sought out Austin after getting a history degree. J-Po, as she has come to be known in certain Texas music circles and on the streets of major urban cities, offers a dynamic mix of thoughtful writing and powerful musicianship both on her EPs and in her live show. She has shared the stage with the likes of Susan Gibson, Michael O’Connor, Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines, and many others.Jana Pochop on Twitter | Official Website

Tyler Bryant And The Shakedown w/ Leogun & The Docs
2013-03-23 20:00 - 2013-03-24 02:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWNTyler Bryant was born to play music. The 21-year-old guitar prodigy has been playing since he was six and was bred on the roughneck blues of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown, has critics and fans alike clamoring to hear the next project. Wild Child, the band’s shin-shattering full-length debut, is set for a January 2013 release. “We tracked the whole thing in 13 days with engineer Vance Powell (Jack White, Danger Mouse, Kings of Leon) at his studio in Nashville,” says Tyler. Wild Child was recorded the old fashioned way, on analog tape. But as Tyler says, its sessions felt entirely fresh. A 12-cut collection, Wild Child is, above all, a culmination of intense bonding, both musically and personally, between Tyler and his bandmates, whom he calls his brothers. Bryant had toyed with the idea of a solo career, but his bandmates, he says, add an immeasurable element. “They were bringing something to the table that I really dug,” he says of his motivations for forming a band. “It wouldn’t be the same without Caleb back there beating the drums or without Graham standing over at the side of the stage looking at me after a guitar solo going ‘I can play that better’ and making me want to play my next solo better. There’s something so much cooler about a band.” The next move for Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown, says the frontman, is to continue building its fan base. Tyler says “the band is more concerned with sustaining a long-term career than having a hit song and flaming out. We want to be one of those bands that builds true fans that stay with us for a long time.” Through it all, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown has pushed the musical limits of guitar, vocals, and performance, and captured the attention of the music scene with their spectacular talent and rare showmanship. In the words of the iconic Vince Gill, “To play like this kid [Tyler Bryant] is the rarest of the rare. Hands down, a future guitar god.”Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown on Facebook | Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown on Twitter | Official WebsiteLEOGUNLEOGUN singer and guitarist Tommy Smith might characterize it as “cheeky”, but it all comes down to the same thing. The history of rock and roll is earmarked by countless musicians who took a risk and lived through a life-changing night.
Smith’s big evening was in 2009. He managed to talk his way backstage at an Eagles of Death Metal gig in his native London. While behind the proverbial “velvet rope,” he met Dominic Fairbanks-Weston of Fairbanks Endorsements. Weston was completely taken by the young rocker’s audacity and talent, and he introduced Smith to Rocket Music Management founded by Elton John. Soon after, LEOGUN had become a client of the international management powerhouse and inked a record deal with Yamaha Entertainment Group.
Smith’s unwavering confidence remains completely warranted. LEOGUN distill gritty rock, swaggering blues, and haunting soul into anthemic and artful songs. The music remains strong, sexy, and staggering, echoing Jack White and Queens of the Stone Age with personal panache.
There’s nothing quite like seeing the group on stage. They’ve won over crowds at massive festivals such as Sonisphere, Bestival and SXSW. As their four-song EP drops October 16th 2012 and a full-length hits in early 2013, they’ll be ruling the road for quite some time to come.
In many ways, their entire ethos can be traced back to their name. LEOGUN means half-man and half-lion. It’s rather apropos with what’s roaring from their amps.Leogun on Facebook | Leogun on Twitter | Official WebsiteTHE DOCSWhen the Docs are playing, the sheer energy coming from the stage will pull you in, and the aura they create in the room will keep you riveted. Pulling from a wide range of influences and diverse backgrounds, they evoke the full range of emotion in their audiences with a raw, passionate sound that fuses the soft, harmonious tones of traditional Southern music and the aggressive energy of progressive rock. This is a tight-but-loose four-piece band that stretches and pushes the boundaries of current rock and roll. But The Docs didn’t start out as a high energy, in-your-face modern rock band. Each member brought his musical influences and professional background to the mix.The Docs on Facebook | The Docs on Twitter | Official Website

Sons of Fathers w/ Buxton & Blue Bear
2013-03-22 20:00 - 2013-03-23 02:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
Sons of FathersTrends and styles may change in music, but there are just some things that are timeless…like songwriting from the heart with ear-catching melodies and rich harmony vocals. The team of David Beck (a stage name as his real name is David Whitbeck) and Paul Cauthen has created Sons of Fathers, a band with a soaring, original sound that belies their young age. They have been compared to the Avett Brothers, The Byrds, and The Everly Brothers, albeit with an infusion of Texas grease. Beck and Cauthen came together when each was working on a solo project in San Marcos, Texas. Though the two had met casually, a chance encounter at Thompson’s Island in a park on the Blanco River led them to join forces. Paul remembers, “I was walking in with my guitar and my writing notebook and Dave was walking out with his guitar and book.” As soon as the Texans starting writing and singing together, they realized that they had found something special. “We knocked out an incredible number of songs in two days,” says Paul. Singing together came just as easily. “It’s the weirdest thing. The harmony is the last thing we worry about. We just fall into sockets of harmony naturally,” says Paul. Originally called Beck & Cauthen, the group received a letter from representatives of Beck (the artist who performed ‘Odelay’ and ‘Mellow Gold’). “We had used the phrase ‘Sons of Fathers’ long before we wrote the song and we have changed the band name. It was a sign for us to change the name to something that included the whole band, not just a duo. We are all in this together and we all play a role.” Augmented with Regan Schmidt on guitar and lap steel and Dees Stribling on drums, the band functions as an organic unit. Sons of Fathers is an especially appropriate name as Beck and Cauthen’s heritage has helped make them who they are. Cauthen, a native of Tyler, Texas, began singing in the church at the age of seven and learning guitar from his grandfather, a preacher. He says, “Granddad was a hell of a musician. He chose the Church of Christ instead of the church of rock and roll. I remember learning to sing harmonies in the bathtub at six years old in Tyler, Texas.” Paul now has a tattoo of his grandfather’s signature on his arm and says that his grandfather influences his sense of spirituality to this day. Beck was raised in San Marcos, Texas, the son of Bill Whitbeck, a respected and renowned touring musician. “It was a different lifestyle for a young son. Dad was always on the road for business. We’ve learned from what our fathers and grandfathers have done and put those lessons into our lives,” he reflects. The band also has tremendous respect for their matriarchs, having written the poignant song “Mother Dear.” David says, “We have really similar mothers, working hard every day, sacrificing for her kids.” Paul is also grateful, saying, “We both had solid rocks for moms. They were always there.” As they worked up their original compositions, they began to include finely tuned elements from their live show, incorporating tight Everly-esque harmonies and high energy live arrangements. In the spring of 2011, the band ventured into the studio in the hill country town of Doss, Texas. David says, “Being up there focused us and cleared our minds.” Legendary producer Lloyd Maines joined them to co-produce their debut album. “Lloyd put the old soul way of doing things on our record, made sure everything was flowing,” says David. For a new band, they have accomplished much in a short period of time. Most notably, they made their live radio debut on WXPN’s Free at Noon series in August, 2011, a rare event for a new band without a record out. WXPN’s Bruce Warren said, “Their rich vocal harmonies are nothing short of moving.” They have also played at the legendary Gruene Hall. Soon, the music of Sons of Fathers will not only be timeless, but a timely reminder of how great music can be.Sons of Fathers on Facebook | Sons of Fathers on Twitter | Official Website
BUXTONBuxton, a five piece folk-rock ensemble from Houston, TX. Buxton’s music is a study in contrasts: rock and folk, subtle yet eccentric, lush harmonies over prickly guitar. The band toured extensively in support of 2012’s release of “Nothing Here Seems Strange”. The band’s debut LP on New West Records was critically well received and continues to grow. Buxton’s fusion of lovely harmonies, jarring explosions of energy and meticulously applied instrumentation is led by Sergio Trevino on Vocals/Guitar with Jason Willis on lead Guitar/Mandolin, Chris Wise on Bass Guitar, Justin Terrell on Drums and Austin Sepulvado on Guitar/Vocals. The band, with two self-released albums, is already garnering critical praise with the Houston Press declaring “Simply put, these guys are getting ridiculously good.”Buxton on Facebook | Buxton on Twitter | Official Website
BLUE BEARBlue Bear is a 5-piece indie/folk band based in Austin, Texas. Following in the footsteps of their biggest influences, Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear, Blue Bear has quickly gained a reputation for their infectious melodies and impeccable four-part harmonies.
Band founders, and former high school classmates, Brandon Aguilar and Jeremy Holmsley started the band in the Summer of 2011, quickly recruited another former classmate, Casey Arthur, and played as an acoustic trio for several months, performing at open mic venues in Austin. The three recorded the first EP in January and by February of 2012, the full band performed for the first time (with yet another former classmate, Jeremy Wilkinson, on drums and Holmsley on bass). They quickly recruited bass player and vocalist Khoury Moore, not only to hold down the bass, but to add a fourth harmony.
In May of 2012, Blue Bear won The Recording Conservatory of Austin’s 6th Annual “Unsigned Artist Competition,” after competing against bands from across the country in an online vote-getting contest, as well as a final 4 showcase in front of industry reps. In June, they were handpicked to be the featured band at The Art Institute of Austin’s “Summer Studio 2012,” a week of master classes and workshops for high school students interested in pursuing audio engineering, photography, graphic design, and more.
Blue Bear has mesmerized crowds all over the central Texas area with their unique sound and intricate harmonies. They are quickly building a dedicated fan base in the Austin area and are currently working on their second EP.Blue Bear on Facebook | Blue Bear Band on Twitter | Official Website

Ben Rector w/ Alpha Rev
2013-03-21 19:00 - 22:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
BEN RECTORCritically acclaimed singer-songwriter, Ben Rector, from Tulsa, Oklahoma is releasing his fourth album and is embarking on a headlining tour in 2013. Rector is no stranger to the road; he has toured incessantly, rapidly growing a legion of fans and selling out most dates on his previous two headline tours. This rapid growth culminated in the release of Something Like This on September 13, 2011. The record was the #1 Singer Songwriter album 5 minutes after its official release, and it climbed above Lil’ Wayne’s Tha Carter IV to the #4 spot on iTunes overall album charts, bested only by Lady Antebellum’s same-day release, Coldplay, and Adele. Following the release of Something Like This, Rector hit the road again, opening each night on NEEDTOBREATHE’s coast-to-coast “The Reckoning” tour. Rector released his third album Into The Morning in February 2010, and it quickly climbed to #5 and #10 on the iTunes Pop and Overall charts and #11 on Billboard Magazine’s Top Heatseekers chart. In a year and a half, the record went on to sell 15,000 albums, and over 60,000 singles independently. Rector’s songs have been featured on networks such as ABC, USA, Lifetime and MTV.Ben Rector on Facebook | Ben Rector on Twitter | Official Website
ALPHA REV
“I want the band to mark a moment in time, to celebrate the being of something new;
The light at the end of the tunnel, the first step toward revealing something that needs to be seen,” says singer-songwriter Casey McPherson of Alpha Rev. Following the Triple A Radio success of New Morning (2010), the band’s third album Bloom (March 19, 2013 on Kirtland Records) is a set of personally transformative and redemptive songs, born in the spirit of creative expansion, and a mandate to blossom and grow.
“To bloom implies something beautiful is going to happen, but it’s a process—just like our own journeys,” says McPherson.
“Casey and I met when we were really young, and have been playing music with each other off and on over the past 13 years,” explains guitarist Zak Loy. “That growth comes across in the music the group is creating now,” he says. Rooted in lyrical wisdom, the more recent addition of drummer Tabber Millard—trained by master percussionists—is credited for the band’s contemporary tribal rhythms. “Tabber means drummer boy in Arabic and his life revolves around this gift he has,” says McPherson. Newest Alpha Rev addition Jeff Bryant rounds out the band, playing pedal steel, piano, organ, and bass.
With a glistening rock sound that is at once fragile and tough, Bloom picks up threads from the past while it takes a big bite into the eternal here and now. Drawing from the wellspring of American history, the grandeur of its landscape, and life’s sweet and tragic mysteries, McPherson leans into his personal challenges as well as the wages of the 21st Century and emerges with a triumphant statement on the ways in which music can serve as a constant source of strength and inspiration.
The shimmering, hymn-like “Sing Loud” – created with songwriter/producer Jamie Kenney (“He’s cut from the same stone I am,” says McPherson) – confronts a failing relationship, “But with the belief that you’re going to experience freedom again,” McPherson explains.
Love and death informs the heart-wrenching “Lexington,” based on actual historical love letters from Civil War soldiers to their wives and families. “The amount of pain they were in to be away from those they loved while their lives were at stake was incredible,” says McPherson.
“’Black Sky,’ is about dealing with losing everything you have from a fire. ‘Lonely Man,’ is about losing your family from working too much and ‘When You Gonna Run,’ is about losing the ability to look good in front of somebody,” he says.
“Alpha Rev is a collective of musicians,” explains McPherson, “Once you join, you’re never really gone.” On Bloom, Alex Dunlap holds down the bass, while Brian Batch (violin, viola) and Dave Wiley (cello) serve as the band’s string section. The players were joined in the studio by a longtime friend of McPherson’s, Dwight Baker (Brandi Carlile, Bob Schneider); he oversaw the project in his Austin studio. Producer Jamie Kenney (Marc Broussard) also worked with the band for two songs on Bloom. “Austin is a great city that takes care of musicians; it helps foster ideas and creativity,” says McPherson. Producer Jamie Kenney (Marc Broussard) also worked with the band for two songs on Bloom.
Since his beginnings in Jackson, Texas, where he was classically trained on piano, McPherson has traveled the distance: Working in a recording studio by age 16, at 17 he was touring overseas as a keyboard player; at 19 he formed Endochine, its name translating from its Latin and Greek roots as “to explode from within.” Turning once again to ancient alphabets for his band’s handle, “Alpha Rev is a combination of the Greek word for the beginning, and the incredible Latin prefix rev, as in revolve, revolt, reveal,” he says. The band’s Hollywood Records debut, New Morning (produced by David Kahne) rose to #3 on the Triple A chart, reaching an audience 40 million listeners-strong. The title song and “Phoenix Burn” also entered the charts.
Yet while scaling his own dreams, McPherson lost both his father and brother to suicide. Forming in 2005, Alpha Rev, became a vehicle to grapple with the outpouring of grief that results from losses of that magnitude. Today, McPherson helps others who’ve lost family to depression and suicide as a volunteer spokesperson for the National Institute of Mental Health organization, Mental Health America of Texas [http://mhatexas.org].
“Music changes people,” says McPherson. “We’re trying to find happiness in music as opposed to self-destruction,” he says. “It’s my desire, and has always been to be a part of our group, that we make each other better musicians, we make each other better men, we challenge each other, we fight and we forgive. Everybody in the band has really adopted that ideal,” says McPherson. “Alpha Rev is more than a band name—it’s a motto.”Alpha Rev on Facebook | Alpha Rev on Twitter | Official Website

Joshua James w/ David Ramirez & Votary
2013-03-20 19:00 - 2013-03-21 00:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
JOSHUA JAMESRaised in hard-bitten Nebraska, Joshua James’ work reflects a distinctly American ache, a yearning for a big sky and an open road. Beckoned westward out of his heartland home by the voices of Jim Morrison and Isaac Brock, he made it as far as the mountains of Utah, where like the settlers before him, he was stopped in his tracks by the arresting beauty. Here, where the mountains pierce the heavens, some believe a conduit is open between man and the divine. Strangely familiar, yet refreshingly innovative, James’ songs are devastating in their honesty, working with themes that are intermittently elating, melancholic, and transcendent. He doesn’t so much perform these songs, as he does let them possess him, allowing his voice to be throttled from a husky whisper to a full-bodied roar. His first two albums, 2007’s The Sun Is Always Brighter and 2009’s Build Me This, topped the year-end ‘Best of iTunes’ lists, while earning ecstatic praise from press (“Build Me This is convincing from its opening line…through its solemn last words” – Paste; “Every line rings with desperation and a desire for salvation” – Esquire, about “Mother Mary”, off Build Me This). After the commercial release of his first album in 2007, James spent the next five years touring across the United States and to far-flung places such as Romania and Japan. In early 2011, he headed back to Utah, taking a break from the road. During this extended stay at home, James took to vegetable gardening, raising goats and chickens, and developed a heightened connection to the living things around him. The concept of becoming self-sufficient and living off the land became increasingly appealing. Ultimately, his home and burgeoning farm were deemed ‘Willamette Mountain,’ a namesake that came to James in a dream. Both figuratively and literally, Willamette Mountain serves as a daily reminder of the simple beauties that can so easily be overlooked. “We’ve got a few acres, goats and honeybees,” he says, “it’s a place for recon- necting with nature, and for letting go of everything else.” It was here that he bore the songs compiling his newest album, appropriately titled From The Top Of Willamette Mountain. When it came time to make the new record, James felt he needed to veer outside his comfort zone artistically, and looked for a producer who could help facilitate this. His search, along with longtime friend and bandmate Evan Coulombe, coincidentally led him to the Willamette Valley of Oregon, home base of producer Richard Swift (Damien Jurado, Gardens and Villa, The Mynabrids). Holed up in Swift’s creative alcove National Freedom, the three of them took James’s voice and songs in unexpected directions, interested much more in honesty than sheer flawlessness. Recorded predominantly live over the course of two weeks, Swift strived to capture the im- mediacy of James’ live performances, without laboring over multiple takes or lengthy overdubs. After giving one or two impassioned live performances of each new song, James stepped back to make way for Swift’s own artistic vision. As a result, James found his own voice while escaping the traditional confines of the folk genre. The elements of the confessional remain, but the music here breathes and moves with a life all its own. Songs like “Wolves” begin sparse and pretty before suddenly moving into the epically symphonic. “Ghost In The Town” is a poignant goodbye to youth in the form of a guitar strum noir. “Surrender” is existential angst hidden between piano waltz and doo-wop sway. The album’s lead off single, “Queen of the City”, came out of a late night, whisky-induced haze, depicting the internal paradox of good and evil, the id and the ego, faith and doubt. “The writing and recording of this record has been a time of transition and realization for me,” says James, “and that set me free to explore other sounds and forms of expression. It’s been about finding a center and realizing that not everyone needs to see the world like you do. We all have differences. I love the fact that we are not all the same, nor should we be.” Where Build Me This addressed the concept of rebirth, From The Top Of Willamette Mountain accomplishes a rebirth artistically. Whatever he found up there at the top of his imaginary mountain or in the Oregon studio, James now seems to be directing his questioning inward, rather than towards a hole in the sky, and the conversation is getting much more interesting.Joshua James on Facebook | Joshua James on Twitter | Official WebsiteDAVID RAMIREZBy breaking through heartache, David Ramirez has gone on a search for understanding. The Austin resident and frequent traveler to clubs, theaters and listening rooms all over the country, has come to a phase in his creative life where the tears have dried and moving on looks like the best option. That change in perspective hasn’t erased the weary searching that has characterized Ramirez’s sparse Americana songwriting for more than a decade. It just means the questions he’s asking on his new album Apologies have changed. “There’s less to do with heartache and a lot more to do with personal struggles, and hope. I see a lot of hope in these songs,” Ramirez, 29, says. “I’ve been working on these and many other songs for a couple years but I didn’t know what I wanted this album to say until right before going into the studio. Once I finished ‘An Introduction’ I knew this was going to be a very personal album.” That song finds Ramirez standing in a Roman cathedral looking for God – singing atop a simple but driving shuffle – while the sparse acoustic guitar-and-voice number “Goodbye” shows him closing the book (and setting it ablaze) on a relationship that seems to have left him permanently unsettled. Whether solo or with accompaniment, Ramirez and his characters make an impression, which is why Paste magazine called him, “The best damn songwriter you don’t know yet” and folk stars The Civil Wars praised him as “Soulful, stirring, heartbreaking.” With Apologies Ramirez has widened his view but is looking outward as intensely as ever. The answers might elude him – as they do all of us – but the questions he’s asking ring honest and true.David Ramirez on Facebook | David Ramirez on Twitter | Official Website
VOTARYVotary is a four-piece pop band hailing from College Station, TX. Votary began as an acoustic trio in a dorm at Texas A&M University. After performing at coffee houses and open mic venues for a year, Votary introduced two new members and became the full band that performs today. Soon after becoming a full band, Votary won the Texas A&M Battle of the Bands competition and quickly began gaining popularity in the College Station area. Votary is currently recording their first album which is set to be released in the Spring of 2013. Votary’s sound has been compared to Ben Rector, Parachute, and Ben Folds. The bands current lineup is: Jack Thweatt-Vocals/Guitar, Travis Thompson-Keyboards, Michael Burgess-Bass, Conner Wright-Drums. Some of Votary’s past shows include: Tri-Delta Gameday at Wolf Pen Creek, Theta Fiesta, Elephant Walk at TAMU, and Relay for Life.Votary on Facebook

Big Texas Nights feat. Green Whiskey w/ Steve Judice
2013-03-17 18:00 - 23:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
GREEN WHISKEYThe songwriting skills of Waylon/Davenport are those of a 48 year old songster, which is their ages combined. Their upbringing in small town Texas comes through in every song. Seemingly True to life songs such as, Fifth Street, One Phone Call, Somewhere West of Thorndale, etc. vividly express the drinking, partying, getting arrested, not getting arrested, laid back, pickin’ on the porch type of life that, at least this reviewer strives for. Amanda and Hang on Jack are somewhat touching tear-jerkers, but still have an edge, that thankfully, will keep them out of the BS Nashville scene. Livin’ Single and Wal-Mart Greeter keep you smilin’, Breakin’ The Habit keeps you partying, The Drifter make you feel good inside and Last Ride leaves you wondering.Green Whiskey on Facebook | Green Whiskey on Twitter | Official Website

Black Actress w/ The Hangouts & Time With Addy
2013-03-14 20:00 - 2013-03-15 00:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
BLACK ACTRESSFormed in the spring of 2008, Black Actress delivers an authentic, high energy rock ‘n roll insemination: bringing an action packed live show and bombastic recordings to new friends and fans all over the country. Having shared stages with the likes of Electric Frankenstein, New Bomb Turks, Red Fang, The Adicts, Nashville Pussy, LA Guns, and many more. The Heroes and Pirates of the music history we all know and love shine in this Chicago explosive.Black Actress on Facebook | Official Website
THE HANGOUTSAtarimatt and Niki Pistols sat around their College Station, TX garage one day in 2006 and said, “fuck, wouldn’t it be cool if we started a punk rock band like one we’d really like to see?” So they grabbed two friends and did so. Those two friends moved on, but then Wonko & Skull moved in. The Hangouts continue to hangout and make catchy old school punk rock fist bangers.The Hangouts on Facebook | Official Website
TIME WITH ADDYTime with Addy is a Post-Grunge band from College Station, Texas. Members, Tyler Wise (Lead Singer) and Bain Marze (Rhythm Guitar), formed the band in the summer of 2012 with the addition of Phil Bruxvoort (Drums/Percussion) and Nathan Ybarra (Lead Guitar/Bass). The band then recorded a 5-song EP, titled, “Haggard Season EP” at 5th Street Studios in Austin, Texas. “Haggard Season EP” was released on October 1st and a music video for Track 03 (Medicate Myself) off the album was released on YouTube the following day. Time with Addy, presently, promotes it’s album and performs live around the Bryan/College Station area alongside working on a full-length album.Time With Addy on Facebook | Time With Addy on Twitter

The Material w/ Dinner And A Suit, We Are Voices & Larynx
2013-03-13 20:00 - 2013-03-14 00:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
THE MATERIALHailing from Southern California, The Material has established themselves as one of the West Coast’s most dedicated up-and-comers. With their recent full length, What We Are (Brian Grider) having been released in January of 2011, the group has begun building a strong fan base nationwide. Before the release of What We Are, The Material joined up with Every Avenue, There For Tomorrow, Sing It Loud, and The Secret Handshake for the 2010 Motel 6 “Rock Yourself To Sleep Tour.” Since the start of the year, the band has toured non-stop, playing with the likes of Ivoryline on the “As Tall As Texas” tour, headlining the PictureHealing Winter Tour, and even stampeding through Austin with a week full of showcases at this past spring’s South By Southwest festival. As the year continues they’ll be joining up with the likes of New Years Day and the It Boys for a summer tour throughout the Midwest and West Coast while making stops on The Vans Warped Tour and Milwaukee’s Summerfest as one of this year’s “Emerging Artists.” As they continue to make in-roads, it is obvious that they have made an impact as press spots in MF Magazine have claimed that “The Material is more than up-an-coming…they’re smashing” (March 2011) and feature articles about the group have appeared in Beatweek Magazine (May 2011), Black Velvet Magazine (April 2011), and Substream Music Press (March 2011). In addition, original compositions by the band have made an imprint on TV shows like MTV Australia’s Freshwater Blue, MTV’s The Hills, and WB’s Sorority Forever.The result has been impressive as the band’s fans have voted The Material to perform live on MTV’s Dew Circuit Breakout out of a field of 4,000 other bands. Additionally, their fans have purchased over 300,000 downloads to date of their songs “Moving To Seattle” and “Stay Here Forever” on the video game ROCK BAND. While it has been great for the band to receive the support they have worked hard for, the members continue to stick to their roots as a positive message band, encouraging their fans and others to continue reaching for their dreams just as they have. They represent themselves as good role models to their fans by working with multiple causes while on and off the road, to make the greatest positive impact they can, both musically and as individuals.The Material on Facebook | The Material on Twitter | Official WebsiteDINNER AND A SUITIn a music world where genre lines are increasingly blurred, Dinner And A Suit has emerged with a sonic meld that resonates with familiarity, and captivates with distinction. Formed in New Jersey by cousins Jonathan Capeci, Joey Beretta and Anthony Genca, the trio is forging a path that reflects the band’s music itself: putting the right pieces in the right places at all the right times. Since emerging in 2009, Dinner And A Suit quickly captured attention with a captivating blend of ethereal rock and distinguished pop – leading to critical acclaim, a swelling dedication of global fans and coveted live dates that have circled the band throughout the US. The spiraling success fueled Dinner And A Suit to transplant to Nashville in late 2010, where they began work on what would become ‘Since Our Departure’ – their brand new full-length album. “We left the comforts of home to pursue this dream,” explains Capeci. “And that definitely comes through on this record.” To record Since Our Departure, the band split their time between Glow in the Dark Studios in Atlanta with producer Matt Goldman (Anberlin, Underoath), then with Tyler Orr (As Cities Burn, Copeland) at First Street Studios in Cleveland TN. The resulting work is a range of bold anthems, layered with soaring melodies that are riveting with honesty. Throughout the album’s ten towering tracks, Capeci’s lush timbre weaves universal themes of forgiveness and hope, love and loss, and discovering a place in the world. “It just poured out of us,” Genca adds. “There’s a lot of passion and energy on this record. It’s an experience that we’re sharing with the listeners in a very real way.”Dinner and a Suit on Facebook | Dinner and a Suit on Twitter | Official WebsiteWE ARE VOICESWe Are Voices is an indie/rock band from Kansas City.We Are Voices on Facebook | We Are Voices on Twitter | Official Website
LARYNXAfter humble beginnings in the small town of College Station, Texas the Band now known as “Larynx Music” began what they thought would be a slow and steady growing process. Playing their original music at various open mic nights, and other events in the college town home of Texas A&M University, Larynx’s music went viral and made it way across the map… On Monday August 20, 2012 Larynx Music recorded their first single “The One” along with “Circles” for their First EP ” Cosmic Love ” at ” New Fiction Studios” in Dallas, Texas with Producer Bryan David. This platform propelled their music off the ground like never before… Larynx Music seeks to inspire and to make the listener feel the pleading vocals, and thoughtful arrangements of every song. Their music will surely tap at you heart until you let them in.Larynx on Facebook | Larynx on Twitter | Official Website

Big Texas Nights feat. Ashley Monical w/ Haley Cole
2013-03-10 18:00 - 23:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
ASHLEY MONICALAshley’s beautiful, smooth and warm sultry vocals are breathtaking. This girl has really got some pipes, which took her to Hollywood in the 10th season of American Idol. Some compare her to the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, Jewel & Sheryl Crow with a hint of Janis’ raspy quality. Having lived and traveled internationally growing up, Ashley Monical moved from Colorado back to her (Austin) Texas roots in 2006 with her guitar strapped to her back and a yearning in her heart to make music. Embraced by the “Live Music Capital of the World” she was inspired to write songs that carry the soulful vocals that have wanted to speak her truth since she was a little girl. Ashley has traveled extensively to share her music and is internationally known for her talent. She is planning on releasing her second album in the beginning of 2013.Ashley Monical on Facebook | Ashley Monical on Twitter | Official WebsiteHALEY COLEGrowing up in a one horse, no spotlight town of Birch, Texas, this young singer/songwriter & guitar player, has achieved a lot for her age. Born on May 9, 1993, Haley Cole, is the epitome of a country bumpkin. She was raised on a chicken farm, but developed into a “Famous in a Small Town” kind of girl. Anywhere she went you’d catch her singing her favorite songs. Everyone back home knew that she’d someday become a well-known artist and pursue a career in music because she most certainly had the talent, charisma, and passion for country music. Although she started playing guitar when she was only sixteen, her ripe skills go unnoticed. Unlike her guitar playing, she started singing when at a very young age. By the age of 6, she was leading the song service with her father at the First Baptist Church of Lyons, Texas. Once she was comfortable at playing the guitar for a live audience, (instead of in the living-room for her mom and sisters), she started performing at local bars and restaurants, church outings, county fairs, and also, big name venues such as, Hurricane Harry’s, and The Texas Hall of Fame. No matter where Haley goes she leaves a lasting impression. Her kind heartedness, fun personality, and love for her fans is what makes this Texas country artist one that you’ll never forget. With her hopes and dreams of becoming the next Miranda Lambert she says, “You’ll never know until you try. I’ve just got to work hard, give it all I’ve got, and see where this road takes me. If I make it, great, if not, I can at least say, ‘I tried’, but not making it “big” in this industry won’t stop me from creating honest music for my fans & performing it for the people that enjoying listening.”Haley Cole on Facebook | Haley Cole on Twitter | Official Website

In Bloom Fest
2013-03-09 20:00 - 2013-03-10 01:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
IN BLOOM FESTIn Bloom was conceived like everything else in music should & does–naturally. Everyone in life has their own colors and traits. It’s beautiful to think about them this way: We’re all closely related to flowers in the sense that we really are blossoming into our fullest potential to show our colors. We are artist, we did not choose to do what we do & we cannot help it. It’s something we naturally have to do, just as a flower grows wherever. Host, Architecture Music, titled their first EP “In Bloom” to reflect these ideas. It’s more than a title or concept, it’s the natural way Architecture Music thinks of everyone involved in the show. Not only those involved in the show either, but anyone who’s developing their skills to support themselves is “In Bloom.” In life it helps to step outside of the box when perceiving things, this way of looking at what you are doing is very helpful and inspiring. Supporting In Bloom is supporting the artistic development of people who feel a calling to music and art.
Performing artists include:
ARCHITECTURE MUSIC
T.E.N. FR33
VERSY
DJ FALKO
DJ SNEAK
DJ DILLON
PRYNCE PEEJAY
ERC NATIONS
ARCHITECTURE MUSIC

Brazos Valley Veterans' First Annual "Serving Those Who Served Us" Benefit Concert feat. Signal Rising w/ Saturate, Downsiid, The Last Hour & Beautiful Disturbance
2013-03-08 20:00 - 2013-03-09 02:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
SIGNAL RISINGRock that will snatch you up….draw you in! Signal Rising (formerly Linus) came together to create music that our fans connect with. We are a regional touring rock band based out of College Station, TX. Signal Rising has exploded on the scene over the last three years playing dates with national touring acts Ten Years, Fair to Midland, Earshot, The Hectic, Flyleaf, Static X, Pat Travers, Skidrow, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, The Last Place You Look, Deuce,New Medicine and Saturate. Using monstrous guitar riffs, explosive drums, enthralling bass lines and soaring Vocals to draw in new fans at every concert, club gig, and acoustic show!Signal Rising on Facebook | Official WebsiteSATURATEThe Houston based four-piece quartet, Saturate, made it’s debut in the summer of 2005. Exploding on to the southeast region with an electric live show and original sound to cater to a broad variety of listeners. It didn’t take much time to become very well known throughout the area of Texas and Louisiana. They have been non-stop with their activity since the first show and continue to push further, “We’re on a mission here, this band and these songs aren’t just an option for us, it’s all we have..we will never quit. period.”(Jimmy Miller) The band is now currently working the new tracks for the third upcoming album, untitled as of now. Still on the search for a management/label to make a home for the band. Saturate plans to have a single ready for everyone by early 2012, with a new video. The Twinz will once again be shooting the next single, In Our Own Way. It will be released independently. Saturate intends on keeping busy with shows and recording to ensure an early 2012 release. Everything the band does and pushes is independent and done inside the house of Saturate itself, so the support of many truly help.Saturate on Facebook | Official WebsiteDOWNSIIDInitially formed as a 4 piece at Ft. Hood army base by drummer Rich Burgos the band soon evolved with members shipping out to other locations. Singer, Jason “String” Atwood joined the band after a chance meeting with Burgos at a tattoo shop owned by String. After a short time the band’s DJ Akira MC found himself in the fold and the band was completed with Jason Quintero on bass and Spanish and G. Dell, lead and rhythm guitarists respectively climbed aboard. “Downsiid’s early years had hardcore roots until String’s writing and voice developed a new sound that consisted of hard rock with soulful vocals,” related drummer, Rich. “As the band matured over the years, strong musical and big singing hooks became a huge part of our sound. Today the commercial side of Downsiid has surfaced and hooks, musicianship and creativeness are the number one priority in the writing process.”Downsiid on Facebook | Official WebsiteTHE LAST HOUR“The Last Hour” is a Modern Rock/Alternative band originally formed in Eden, NC by Travis Comer, in the Summer of 2005. Along side this early lineup was drummer John Bowman, bassist Cyle Ritchie and guitarist Justin Carter. In early 2006 the band decided to part ways with guitarist Carter & drummer Bowman. They would later add Chicago native Ray Mietus on drums becoming a power trio based out of Greensboro, NC. The band soon began recording demo tracks for songs that would be featured on the band’s first E.P. The band officially reunited with former drummer Paul Salas in July 2012. They have since played SXSW 2012 shows along with national acts such as 10 Years and TRAPT. The band is currently in the writing process and will hit the studio early 2013 to record their sophmore follow up to “A Month of Sundays”.The Last Hour on Facebook | Official WebsiteBEAUTIFUL DISTURBANCEBeautiful Disturbance is an explosive musical experience that comes to life in front of your eyes. It’s a moment that must be encountered in person and a movement that will carry within the hearts of listeners. The sheer power of the live shows will draw you in and the poetic beauty of the lyrics will capture your soul. Not to be contained by a musical label or genre, they continually push farther into the expanse of untouched musical intoxication. This four piece band from Waco, Texas was officially formed in March of 2010 with a simple mission…to rock your soul and change your life. This band bleeds passion and always invites people to be more than fans, but to be family. The approach towards music and life is to give everything, hold nothing back, and never regret. There is no doubt and there is no “plan B.” Named the next big thing to come out of Texas, this band fervently pursues to reach the masses with the goal to leave a legacy of love through the charisma of their music. Beautiful Disturbance walks and lives in faith welcoming all who care to share in the lows and the highs of this life. When every person and band seeks fame and fortune, this band seeks to make a worldwide family to break down the walls of fear and hate. The calling is simple…to go to the world and create a beautiful disturbance.Beautiful Disturbance on Facebook | Official Website

Jay Satellite w/ !NO!, ASS & Girl Band
2013-03-07 20:00 - 2013-03-08 02:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
JAY SATELLITEJay Satellite is a trio from Hutto that unabashedly rings out early ‘90s big guitar power pop with catchy melodies and songs you swear you’ve heard before…but there’s a dark undercurrent to the lyrics and guitar chords and a quirkiness that shows their record collections go deep towards post-punk, goth, shoegaze and beyond.Jay Satellite on Facebook
!NO!!NO! is a dirtbag Texas rendition of a German kosmiche music band in the vein of Neu!, Can, Amon Duul II and Cluster.!NO! on Facebook
ASSASS is a College Station/Austin skate rat punk rock/metal crossover band in the vein of D.R.I. and early Suicidal Tendencies. The kind of band you skate a bowl to.ASS on Facebook
GIRL BANDGirl Band represents that early Donnas sound when punk rock women decided it would be fun to start a band, who cares if they’re good at it or not. Turns out they are good at it.Girl Band on Facebook

Big Texas Nights feat. Little Brave w/ Claire Domingue
2013-03-03 18:00 - 23:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
LITTLE BRAVELittle Brave is the alias of Stephanie Briggs. Stephanie has been performing since 2000, first in Rodger Wilko releasing 3 albums, then as Stephanie Briggs releasing 2 albums, and now as Little Brave. She released her third album, “Wound & Will,” on March 5, 2011, under the moniker Little Brave. She is currently set to release her EP “Wild,” produced by Matt Noveskey of Blue October, in September of 2012. To celebrate the release of the “Wound & Will,” Stephanie decided to create an event unlike any other. She called it “Wound & Will: The Musical.” The San Antonio Current said, “This was easily the best show I’ve seen so far this year, and it wasn’t about the confetti: it was about the songs and the vision of a top-notch all-around artist the regional music scene should be proud of.” She is an award-winning graphic artist as well, winning the Lonestar Music Awards Best Album Art in the year of 2010 for Cross Canadian Ragweed’s “Happiness And All The Other Things.” She also co-wrote several songs on that album. Stephanie is featured on the first season (2011 – 2012) of Troubadour, TX, which will airs nationally on the CW Network. The show follows Texas songwriters on their journey in music and writing.Little Brave on Facebook | Little Brave on Twitter | Official WebsiteCLAIRE DOMINGUEA classical piano player since age 6, guitar player, singer and songwriter since 14, Claire has made her music her life. Spending her days teaching music lessons, she has a relationship with music unusual for her age. She has taken the stories of her life and those close to her to create personal and emotional songs rooted in multiple styles of folk. On her debut album, Someday You’ll Know, she uses her skills on guitar, piano, and mandolin with a no-frills band and occasional string accompaniment. Catch her live, and you’ll get the same passion and energy from the record.Claire Domingue on Facebook | Official Website

Uncle Lucius w/ Sam Riggs and the Night People & Hunter McKithan and the Offenders
2013-03-02 20:00 - 2013-03-03 02:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
UNLCE LUCIUSUncle Lucius takes Rock and Roll from its deep roots and pushes it onward, putting their own honest interpretation on the essential elements of R & B, Blues, and Country. They pride their live show as a sacred and energetic experience, with a belief that this is still the truest form of communication with their fans. All four members grew up in different parts of Texas, each finding their own way to Austin in an attempt to pursue music full time. The band includes Kevin Galloway on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Hal Vorpahl on bass, Mike Carpenter on lead guitar and vocals, and Josh Greco on drums and percussion. Uncle Lucius can usually be found on the highways and back streets of the U.S., playing renowned venues like B.B. King’s in NYC, to the Maple Leaf in New Orleans, to back home in Austin, TX at Threadgill’s World Headquarters, The Continental Club, and Antone’s.Uncle Lucius on Facebook | Uncle Lucius on Twitter | Official Website
Sam Riggs and the Night PeopleWith the passion and devotion Sam Riggs and The Night People bring to the stage, it`s no wonder the Texas Country music scene is quickly making room for one of the best acts to ever sweep across the region. From Austin, Texas, Sam and his band have been working the stages and crowds since the fall of 2010, with the release of his debut EP Hairpin Trigger Heart, which garnered attention from Lonestar Music and radio stations everywhere. Equally skilled as a headlining and opening act, the band is now looking to step into the shoes of their predecessors, and the venues they perform in. With the release of his first fully promoted single in September of 2012, and his second EP Lighthouse following in August, Sam is working harder than ever to develop his ever-increasing fan base. Having shared the stage with the likes of Joe Diffie, Randy Rogers Band, Eli Young Band, Pat Green, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Aaron Watson, Cory Morrow, and Casey Donahew among others, Sam and his band have learned from the best and continue to build the their own original sound. With the momentum and determination that radiates from this band, combined with their hard-hitting live show and soul-searching lyrics, Sam Riggs and The Night People are steadily becoming a sound to be reckoned with in the Texas and national scene.Sam Riggs and the Night People on Facebook | Official Website
HUNTER MCKITHANHunter McKithan & the Offenders are a rising force with well-seasoned songwriting skills to back up their gifted musical and instrumental talents. With roots buried deep within the genres of blues, alt. country, americana, soul, and a major influence of old-fashioned American rock and roll, it’s extremely hard to describe exactly what brand of music you’re hearing coming from whatever stage or stereo system the Offenders are occupying. But one thing is for sure. It refuses to go unnoticed. And what good is music once it’s been labeled anyway? The guys released their debut album, ‘Shape of it All,’ late in the summer of 2007 and have sent several songs to the top requested lists – including the number 1 song of 2008 on radiofreetexas.org, ‘Fallin From High.’ The band spent much of 2009 gearing up for the release of their much anticipated ‘Lee Road Sessions’ EP to be followed up with a full length album of entirely all new material. Now, after teaming up with famed producer Mike McClure, the third record is complete and will be released January 18th, 2011. ‘Not Broken Yet’ is a 13 track (12 new, 1 re-recorded) album of material unlike anything you have ever heard from Hunter McKithan & the Offenders. Be sure to grab a copy of the album and catch a live show next time they’re in your area.Hunter McKithan on Facebook | Hunter McKithan on Twitter | Official Website

First Friday feat. Two Tons of Steel w/ Tanner Louis and the Aviators & Larynx with a FREE show by Taz & Co.
2013-03-01 18:00 - 2013-03-02 01:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
Grand Stafford Theater presents as part of downtown Bryan’s First Fridays Friday March 1st, 2013 Doors at 6:00 PM FREE show at 7:00 PM Cover starting at 8pm w/ The DocsTickets $8 presale / $10 at the doorTWO TONS OF STEELIf there’s one thing Texans love, it’s a good party. But if you ask self-respecting Lone Star carousers what turns a bash into a blast, they won’t say beer or barbecue. They know it all comes down to the music. And there’s one band that can rouse revelers like no other: Two Tons of Steel. Two Tons’ rambunctious brand of country-rooted rock has been inspiring listeners in the great republic — and far beyond — for more than two decades, and with its 10th album, NOT THAT LUCKY, the band is ready to throw its weight around even more. NOT THAT LUCKY, the band’s first studio album since 2005’s VEGAS (which ranked among the top 20 Americana albums for 2006) is its fourth helmed by Lloyd Maines, Texas’ most in-demand producer (the Flatlanders, Dixie Chicks, Pat Green, James McMurtry). Explaining why he always clears his schedule for Two Tons of Steel, Maines simply declares, “They’re one of the best bands in Texas.” And beyond. Already familiar to fans of the Grand Ole Opry, where Two Tons has performed some eight times, and to visitors at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame, where it appears in a documentary about country music, Two Tons tours Europe regularly and in 1997, became the first U.S. act in 37 years to perform in the national theater of Havana, Cuba. It’s so beloved in its home state that Two Tons of Steel is featured in the IMAX film, “Texas: The Big Picture,” and is considered an institution at the state’s oldest, most revered dance hall, Gruene Hall, where its annual Two Ton Tuesdays summer series has been selling out for 14 years (and can be witnessed via the 2006 CD/DVD release, TWO TON TUESDAY LIVE!). Lead singer-acoustic guitarist Kevin Geil does the heavy lifting when it comes to describing the San Antonio-based band’s sound. “Two Tons is two tons of steel,” he says. “We’re kind of in your face, almost punk rock at times.” It’s high-energy, that’s for sure. Inspired equally by Elvis Presley and the Ramones, Two Tons combines the talents of the kinetic Geil with Dennis Fallon on electric guitar, Chris Dodds on drums and harmony vocals, and Chris Rhoades on upright and electric bass, joined in the studio by regular contributor Danny Mathis on pedal and straight steel. B3 player Riley Osborne, fiddler Brian Beken, acoustic guitarist/vocalist Tom Gillam and vocalist Drew Womack also played on NOT THAT LUCKY along with producer Maines, who added some acoustic guitar. Gillam, in fact, wrote the closing track, “Bottom of the Bottle,” and sings the second verse. The album was recorded over the course of a month at The Zone in Dripping Springs, outside of Austin. “It was really nice, because VEGAS was done in six days straight, including mixing, so there wasn’t a lot of chance to sit back and listen,” Geil says. Recording a few days at a time gave the band the luxury to change a line here and there, or try new approaches — often based on Maines’ suggestions. “Lloyd is a master at taking what you have and making it better, but it’s still the same,” says Geil with a laugh, “like on ‘Alcohol and Pills,’ which is a Fred Eaglesmith song. When we went in, we were doing it as almost a train beat, and when Lloyd listened to it, he said, ‘Try this. Boom-chi-chi-dom.’ So that right there changed the whole feel of the song. The train beat was just too busy. It would have been a good song, but when you listen to it — when we listen to it — it’s like, that’s right. It’s all about the feel. “We push the envelope of our abilities every album,” says Geil, “and this album, Lloyd just really did a great job pushing us even further.” The new disc also contains the debut recording of “Without Your Love,” a song by hit-making tunesmith Monte Warden (co-writer of George Strait’s “Desperately”) penned with Two Tons of Steel in mind. Geil, who wrote the other cuts on NOT THAT LUCKY, until recently had a second career as the San Antonio Express-News’ award-winning senior photographer. A massive round of layoffs gave him the opportunity to concentrate on the band fulltime. With the kind of work ethic that already has the band performing 200 dates a year, consistently earning top honors in San Antonio music polls and backing by its new label, Smith Entertainment Records, Two Tons is chomping at the bit. The band is itching to get out and pump up new audiences with its Two Tons cheer and its now-classic countrified version of the Ramones'”I Wanna Be Sedated” (a take so popular, other bands have covered it), not to mention its new tunes. “We’re primed right now,” says Geil. “We’re ready to go.” Ready to ladle out some hot molten steel, that is.Two Tons of Steel on Facebook | Two Tons of Steel on Twitter | Official WebsiteTANNER LOUIS AND THE AVIATORSTexas Country with a Twist Releases CD Austin, Texas – Tanner Louis And The Aviators a high energy Texas country band’s new CD features a wide range of songs like no CD released to date. Their originals are composed and written by front man Tanner Louis. They perform their original songs along with many fan favorites.
Louis’s vocals sparkle, and the tracks are proof that Tanner Louis And The Aviators deserve a place on the Texas country and mainstream country charts for years to come. Major country labels should send the band four plane tickets and offer the guys a chance to sign on the dotted line. (CountryChart.com)
Louis is the founding frontman of the band as lead vocalist and rhythm guitar. Previously founder of the Band Lee County Line, Louis knows a thing or two about being on the road. While playing as Lee County Line the band has had the oppertunity to play in some of the most historic dance halls in Texas, as well as share the stage with the biggest acts in red dirt music today.”I’m passionate about music,” Louis said,” I really enjoy connecting with fans in a rare, personable way.”
“What an unexpected treat, my wife and I visited Coupland for the first time and got to listen to this outstanding and talented group. I am flabbergasted to learn they are still teens (or at least close to it) because their musicianship and abilities were very mature and polished. Guys? Your electric guitarist blew me away. Lead singer? Should be recording. I look forward to years from now saying I knew this group from the early days.” -Keith (Georgetown, TX) Tanner Louis on Facebook | Tanner Louis on Twitter | Official WebsiteLARYNXAfter humble beginnings in the small town of College Station, Texas the Band now known as “Larynx Music” began what they thought would be a slow and steady growing process. Playing their original music at various open mic nights, and other events in the college town home of Texas A&M University, Larynx’s music went viral and made it way across the map… On Monday August 20, 2012 Larynx Music recorded their first single “The One” along with “Circles” for their First EP ” Cosmic Love ” at ” New Fiction Studios” in Dallas, Texas with Producer Bryan David. This platform propelled their music off the ground like never before… Larynx Music seeks to inspire and to make the listener feel the pleading vocals, and thoughtful arrangements of every song. Their music will surely tap at you heart until you let them in.Larynx on Facebook | Larynx on Twitter | Official Website
TAZ & COMPANY
Taz is no newcomer to the Bryan/College Station music culture as he’s performed shows and open mics since he began his college career at A&M. As a multi-instrumentalist, Taz’s lush harmonies and unique instrumentation have, over time, created a signature sound; a concoction of suave jazz, r&b, and almost anything else that can be played on six strings. His music can be described as electric and innovative, a blue fire pirouetting to be witnessed. This Friday he will be joined by fellow musicians Amy Westwick, David Johnson, and Brenton Kim to reinvent the craft of the acoustic experience. Using a wide variety of songs and instruments, this group will have you singing along to the classics.
Taz & Company on Facebook | Official Website

Caleb & Jillian Edwards w/ Air Review & The Lonely Hunter
2013-02-28 20:00 - 2013-03-01 02:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
CalebCALEB is a three piece rock band from Franklin, TN. Founded by brothers Caleb and Will Chapman, and shortly thereafter joined by friend/guitarist Scott Mills. Stylistically, CALEB is singer/songwriter based with musical parts indie and alternative rock. CALEB has toured nationally and internationally in coffee houses, arenas, theaters, and clubs with a variety of different artists. Their EP releases – CALEB EP, Trouble, and To The Ends Of The World – are available on iTunes.Caleb on Facebook | Caleb on Twitter | Official WebsiteJillian EdwardsSinger-songwriter Jillian Edwards hails from Texas, but she now calls Nashville home. A graduate of Baylor University, her crystalline, breezy soprano and intelligent, heartfelt songwriting have been steadily attracting fans, including Fervent Records recording artist/producer Chris August, who produced her first album, Galaxies & Such. In November of 2011, Jillian released her sophomore effort, Headfirst, which was the No. 1 album on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart on release day and throughout that following week, in addition to peaking at #12 on the overall iTunes album chart on release day. Once again finding her teaming with August (and Jacob Schrodt) Headfirst finds Jillian exploring lyrical themes that resonate profound and universal simultaneously. Her engaging and delightfully unconventional melodic sense is also showcased, assuredly inviting listeners to dive Headfirst for more.Jillian Edwards on Facebook | Jillian Edwards on Twitter | Official Website
AIR REVIEWAir Review started writing songs in 2008 out of the converted garage of an unassuming suburban house outside of Dallas, Texas. Meeting once a week for nearly a year in a room without air conditioning or heating, the quintet carefully crafted a record that they later self-released in 2009. After a couple years of playing countless shows and receiving glowing reviews, the band still felt like something was missing. The group hibernated for another 12 months and re-invented themselves.
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The first offering from their newly defined sound, America’s Son, became one of the most requested songs on north Texas’ 91.7 KXT who later included it in their “Best Songs of 2011” right next to Adele, Foster the People and Coldplay. America’s Son also caught the attention of The Huffington Post and CMJ who claimed it was “a very different sound from other folk-pop groups and considered the band one to watch in 2012”.
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Air Review’s dynamic live shows have landed them support slots for acts such as Flaming Lips, Portugal. The Man, Grimes and School of Seven Bells. Their knack for engaging melodies has turned heads around the world securing licensing with the International Olympic Committee and Levi’s.
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All of this paved the way for their upcoming masterfully composed full-length album, Low Wishes, to be released by Velvet Blue Music (Huntington Beach, CA) and Spune (DFW, Texas) January 29th, 2013. This self-produced and recorded, pop infused indie record gracefully combines folk influences with synthesizers, beats and noisy guitars. It is soft and subtle at times, yet unmistakably anthemic, complete with magnificent choruses.
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Low Wishes is a nostalgic look at growing into adulthood and an affirmation of the belief that there is something more to life. Without hesitation, Air Review is clearly poised to stand out in a big way in 2013, simply by staying the course it has already set.Air Review on Facebook | Air Review on Twitter | Official Website
THE LONELY HUNTERThe Lonely Hunter is a rock band originally from College Station, TX. Despite the town’s profound country music background, The Lonely Hunter has developed an original sound that has drawn crowds all over Texas. Most of the guys hail from the Dallas area and have spent their younger years around the big city scene. Now that they are in Central Texas, these guys have been a driving force in the local scene, and have begun to branch out into the surrounding cities. Their sound can be defined by their beautiful melodic textures. In their latest self-titled release, The Lonely Hunter worked with Producer, MD Thompson, to create a 6-song EP that grabs you by the ear and holds you by the heart. The Lonely Hunter believes in music with a purpose and a meaning, and their on-stage performance shows nothing else.The Lonely Hunter on Facebook | The Lonely Hunter on Twitter | Official Website

Big Texas Nights feat. Mike and the Moonpies w/ Chad Petty
2013-02-24 18:00 - 23:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
Mike and the MoonpiesMike and the Moonpies are a professional honky-tonk band. They are self-managed and don’t have day jobs, gigging four or five nights a week at bars and private parties around Texas. A typical Moonpies set is a mix of ’70s hardcore country standards (Doug Sahm, Gary Stewart, Freddy Fender) and their own songs, which have good hooks and lyrics about heartbreak and hard living. Frontman Mike Harmeier’s from a suburb of Houston, and grew up going to the rodeo. Guitarist Catlin Rutherford’s family used to own a dance hall in South Texas. He recalls a time Johnny Paycheck came through and asked for a glass of water before the show; instead of drinking it, he startled everybody by plopping his dentures in. “We’re gonna start getting out of state more but right now it pays for itself to go in the same circle: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin,” says Harmeier. On one hand, this makes them a throwback to an earlier breed of dancehall-circuit performers. On the other, they’re just doing the practical, 21st century thing: constant touring, digital record releases and self-promotion online. The parking lot is its own spectacle at the White Horse, where they play every Thursday. To get to the door you’ll pass Cadillacs, choppers, and the occasional mule. Mike Judge has been spotted there, and is a fan. He makes a cameo in their music video for the song “Tape Machine,” from their new self-titled EP. Their forthcoming full length album “The Hard Way” is due out in early November 2013.Mike and the Moonpies on Facebook | Mike and the Moonpies on Twitter | Official WebsiteChad PettyChad Petty is a singer/songwriter from Bryan, TX and frontman of the local band Walking Bear.Chad Petty on Facebook

The Docs, Poor Pilate & Hydra Melody (Black Pistol Fire NOT performing)
2013-02-23 20:00 - 2013-02-24 02:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
BLACK PISTOL FIRE will not be performing this night… read more about it on their facebook page
Black Pistol Fire’s Facebook
THE DOCSWhen the Docs are playing, the sheer energy coming from the stage will pull you in, and the aura they create in the room will keep you riveted. Pulling from a wide range of influences and diverse backgrounds, they evoke the full range of emotion in their audiences with a raw, passionate sound that fuses the soft, harmonious tones of traditional Southern music and the aggressive energy of progressive rock. This is a tight-but-loose four-piece band that stretches and pushes the boundaries of current rock and roll. But The Docs didn’t start out as a high energy, in-your-face modern rock band. Each member brought his musical influences and professional background to the mix.The Docs on Facebook | The Docs on Twitter | Official Website
POOR PILATE

Poor Pilate are a band that has a great sound, plays beautifully, and kicks it live, but they deliver where it matters most – the songs. The band explodes with a joyous, energetic immediacy rising from an organic sound that rides proudly alongside Houston bands like Buxton and Bright Men of Learning. Songwriter David Lascoe’s sharp songwriting and liquor soaked delivery is paired beautifully with guitarist Rich Talbot whose understated, melodic approach echoes the efficient craftsmanship of a Mike Campbell and it all comes together with the driving and at times raucous rhythm section of bassist Jack Gordon and drummer Bryant Talley.
Poor Pilate on Facebook | Official Website
HYDRA MELODY

Hydra Melody is a rock band from San Antonio.
Hydra Melody on Facebook | Official Website

Homebrew Live feat. In The Trench, Saint Carmen & Myra Maybelle (Burning Midget NOT performing)
2013-02-22 20:00 - 2013-02-23 02:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
Due to some personal difference in the band, Burning Midget will not be able to play on this date.
IN THE TRENCHn The Trench has established a reputation, not only for their original and exceptionally tight style, but for putting together one of the most exciting live performances you will find anywhere. Vocalist Stephen Harding, and guitarists Jarrod Cook and Michael Giroux, welcome the addition of bassist Seneca Homeyer (Zero And Falling) and drummer Mark McBride (Red Team Go, Miphix, Emura). Their self-titled debut album (2009) shares similarities with their new material (release date TBA). However, the unmistakable improvement in songwriting, vocals, and musicianship in general, brings with it a somewhat more refined, and intense flavor. Brutal screams, crushing power-grooves, and chainsaw guitar riffs are now accompanied by sharper, more dynamic transitions and multi-layered screaming & singing vocals. In The Trench is here to make their mark.In The Trench on Facebook
SAINT CARMENSaint Carmen is a hard rock band with a modern sound and face-melting intensity; A new breed of ‘mainstream’ rock that knows no limits. Things started kicking off when the band found it’s current line-up in September 2012. With Avery Krueger on lead vocals/guitar, Dylan Cash shredding out the lead guitar, Buck Blackerby on bass, and Jake Bellamy smashing the skins and singing the back-up, Saint Carmen was built on a recipe for a hellacious wall of rockin’ sound.Saint Carmen on Facebook | Official Website
MYRA MAYBELLEWe all come from a long line of musicianship. Will and Camo were formerly members of Behold the Great Throne. After BTGT departed ways Will,cam, and former guitar play of sea of wolves luca, decided to launch a new project with no limits. Night after night the booze clanked the walls shaked and and music littered the air. We had minor set backs, but we shook them off and rose out of the ashes and found the Norwegian pancake-c lo green, and former Transcend before Azalia bassist Michael Brammer, to form what you would call powerhouse band “Myra Maybelle”. Music is love. Friendship is key. And family is everything.Myra Maybelle on Facebook

The Background w/ Red Box Harbor & The Feeble Contenders
2013-02-21 20:00 - 2013-02-22 02:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
THE BACKGROUNDThe Background are an American rock band who thrive from a well thought out DIY strategy. Based in the heart of Dallas, TX, the band is comprised of singer-songwriter Shaun Gunnels, guitarist Kris Trevino, guitarist James Gonzalez, bassist Sean Bottoms, and drummer Ray Baumgratz. The band spent time honing their craft in their local music scene as well as logging shows regionally & releasing the ‘Your Friends’ EP to the masses in 2011. Recently, the band released new singles “Okay” (June 26, 2012) and “Hands Up” (November 13, 2012). The Background garnered attention in Texas by playing shows with NeverShoutNever, Mae, Action Item, Set It Off, Cady Groves, Eisley, Lydia, This Providence, The Dangerous Summer, Sparks The Rescue, and I Call Fives along with SXSW 2012 and Six Flags Over Texas in August 2012. The five-piece will continue their momentum into 2013 with a new single, “Take It Slow”. They will release it on January 29, 2013 along with a music video to follow. The band will also spend time writing new songs for an extended play release later in the year.The Background on Facebook | The Background on Twitter | Official WebsiteRED BOX HARBORWe are Red Box Harbor. Our band consists of Zachary Golden, Jeremiah Turner, and Mark Schroeder. We are from Houston,Texas! Our songs are written upon basic life encounters that will give everyone something to relate to and let the listener know you aren’t the only one that feels the way you do. Our friends, family, and love for music keep us going. Thank you for listening. We hope you enjoy our music as much as we enjoy making it! Be sure to tell your friends about us to.Red Box Harbor on Facebook | Red Box Harbor on TwitterTHE FEEBLE CONTENDERSThe Feeble Contenders are an indie/rock band from College Station, TX.The Feeble Contenders on Facebook

Big Texas Nights feat. James Pardo and the Underestimated w/ Hunter McKithan
2013-02-17 18:00 - 23:00 | 106 S Main St, Bryan, TX, 77803, United States
JAMES PARDO AND THE UNDERESTIMATEDDrawing from personal experience and the experiences of those around him, as well as looking at the world through his own looking glass, James crafts songs about love, loss, joy, pain, hate, and occasionally…optimism. This doesn’t mean to imply that he’s not fun to be around. In fact, James can normally be found with a smile on his face. With roots in traditional country music, but not content to stay in one place for too lomg, his music runs the gamut from country, to roots rock, folk, R&B, & Americana. Simply put: It just depends on his mood & time of day, as to what may surface musically. From San Antonio, by way of Sinton TX, James has been playing music in the bars & clubs in TX for close to 20 yrs. If you’re looking for a dancehall band that will swing from the rafters and sing songs about floating rivers and drinking beer…you’d better search somewhere else. But if honest songwriting, with thought and effort placed in to music and lyrics and musicians conscious of the audience and their presence, then don’t be afraid to stick around and listen.James Pardo on Facebook | Official WebsiteHUNTER MCKITHANHunter McKithan & the Offenders are a rising force with well-seasoned songwriting skills to back up their gifted musical and instrumental talents. With roots buried deep within the genres of blues, alt. country, americana, soul, and a major influence of old-fashioned American rock and roll, it’s extremely hard to describe exactly what brand of music you’re hearing coming from whatever stage or stereo system the Offenders are occupying. But one thing is for sure. It refuses to go unnoticed. And what good is music once it’s been labeled anyway? The guys released their debut album, ‘Shape of it All,’ late in the summer of 2007 and have sent several songs to the top requested lists – including the number 1 song of 2008 on radiofreetexas.org, ‘Fallin From High.’ The band spent much of 2009 gearing up for the release of their much anticipated ‘Lee Road Sessions’ EP to be followed up with a full length album of entirely all new material. Now, after teaming up with famed producer Mike McClure, the third record is complete and will be released January 18th, 2011. ‘Not Broken Yet’ is a 13 track (12 new, 1 re-recorded) album of material unlike anything you have ever heard from Hunter McKithan & the Offenders. Be sure to grab a copy of the album and catch a live show next time they’re in your area.Hunter McKithan on Facebook | Hunter McKithan on Twitter | Official Website
