Band Spotlight

Gracia Harrison vaulted to national prominence with her astounding appearance on the third season of “The Voice.” Although she didn’t win it all, her relationship with Blake Shelton and the ensuing publicity ensured her a way to continue with a career in music. Long before her “The Voice” performance, Gracia had dedicated her life to […]

A delightfully talented trio of young women, Harpeth Rising is an amazing string band with intensely good harmonies, intricate instrumental work and singer-songwriter songs. Jordana Greenberg (violin, lead vocals), Michelle Younger (banjo, vocals) and Maria Di Meglio (cello, vocals) bring classically trained musicianship to folk and new-grass styles of music, bridging a gap between the […]

Heads up, folks! Here comes the best from the west, as Cathy Lemons (vocals) and Phil Berkowitz (vocals, harmonica) bring The Lucky Losers in from San Francisco by way of a Midwest tour. Known as the top male/female-fronted blues band from the Bay Area, the duo is joined by a killer (as they say) band […]

Named after a country blacktop heading south out of town that could tell some tales if it could, this band is full of authentic local country musicians that could (and do) tell some tales of their own, but prefer to let their music do the talking. Melanie Finley (vocals, guitar, tambourine) fronts the modern country […]

This Texas quartet (they’re really from New Braunfels, but people just say Austin) got their name from an incident on the first night they met. While floating together down the Guadalupe River, they bonded by harmonizing and singing songs through the night. The next day, folks were talking about the “midnight river choir” mysteriously heard […]

A Springfield-area native and now Clearwater, Florida, resident, this talented and engaging guitarist, singer and songwriter in the Americana vein released his first full-length album on July 5. After years of performing and writing songs, Josh finally got into the studio and recorded a great sounding record of outstanding songs entitled, Mercy on the Strange. […]

Although The Brotherhood originally started out as the same blues band under various names, members eventually evolved into their current group, playing music that covers many genres, all reflecting the varied tastes and influences of its members. When Jason McKenzie (vocals, guitar), Jake Baxter (lead guitar, vocals), Kyle Busby (harmonica), John Huemann (bass), Chuck Davidson […]

This nationally renowned blues/roots musician is hitting the road as part of his “Fire and the Fury Tour” and preparing for the latest release of a new album that’s the follow-up to his acclaimed 2014 release, Durty Howlin’ Blues. The road trip included an appearance at the Tremblant International Blues Festival in Quebec last weekend, […]

It seems just like yesteryear! In 1997, Troy Roark and Doug Gholson broke on the scene as Mr. Opporknockity with “Lisa’s Shirt,” a bona fide, local hit song on WDBR-FM from the acoustic guitar-powered, high-energy vocal duo. The addition of Mark Sanders on drums and Tom Irwin on bass put them in the band category […]

Hell-bent on being about as rough and tumble as a gal can be, while simultaneously coming across as a contemporary country cat out to even the score with every lowdown dog around, Sarah Shook seems heaven-sent in this day of pre-programmed computer music. Along with her longtime cohort Eric Peterson (electric guitar) and bandmates John […]

Hailing from the river town of Quincy, this blues, country, Southern rock and classic rock quintet takes on songs familiar to average Midwest music lovers, then gives the tunes a slight twist to make ‘em their own with tight vocal harmonies and experienced music-making. Popular acts cited as influences by bandmates Todd Rost (vocals), Eric […]

Growing up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, a young Greg Finger became fascinated by the sounds he created on an old, out-of-tune upright piano his parents purchased for him while he was still in grade school. The possibilities contained in the mysteries of music-making drove him to learn different instruments and dream of what could […]