Sister Hazel

$17 in advance / $20 day-of-show
presented by Grey Area Productions and Drusky Entertainment



Sister Hazel's creative train just keeps rolling. 2009's well-received "Release" reached the band's highest ever spot (#37) on the Billboard Album Charts, topping even their platinum disc "Somewhere More Familiar," and they are keeping the momentum going with "Heartland Highway" (Oct. 12, 2010, Rock Ridge Music), marking the band's quickest album-to-album turnaround in their 15-plus-year career.

According to bassist Jett Beres, "Release" "sparked a creativity" in the Gainesville, FL-bred band (vocalist Ken Block, guitarist/vocalist Drew Copeland, lead guitarist Ryan Newell, drummer Mark Trojanowski and Beres) that led to "Heartland Highway," a collection that they all agree is their most diverse-sounding disc. "All of us like a lot of different music," says Trojanowski, "but we have a vibe together," - " one that helps to create the Sister Hazel signature mix of Southern pop hooks and country rock harmonies. "There are a lot of moments that have never been in Sister Hazel songs before," notes Newell, adding, "We strive to give our audience something different each time."

The group's 8th full-length, "Heartland Highway" reflects a rootsy journey for both the band and the listeners. Beres describes the album as "American road trip music" while Copeland suggests, "It's one of those discs you can put on and listen to front to back." The disc ebbs and flows between rockin' tracks (Block's "Great Escape" and Copeland's "She's Got A Hold On Me" and "Where You're Going") and more poignant numbers (Newell's "Far Away" and Block's "Saddest Song [Not Coming Home]").

The band still hits the road regularly, doing around 100 dates annually, but they also find other avenues to maintain close ties to their fans. "The only way we can keep doing what we are doing is having our fans continue to connect and support us," proclaims Copeland. The band's Rock Boat excursion, the world's largest floating music festival, celebrated its 10th anniversary this past January and next year's outing will be a "Uncharted Waters cruise," according to Trojanowski. "We missed a lot of ports due to weather so we won't pick a destination until we leave a port." Just as popular is their annual Hazelnut Hang ("Hazelnuts" being the name for the group's ardent fans) at The Windjammer on South Carolina's Isle of Palms. Among this year's highlights was the group's "Triple Crow" set where they covered tunes by Sheryl Crow, the Counting Crows and the Black Crowes.