On a side note, this seems as good a thread as any (and better than most) to ask this question: Are there any Blackberry Smoke fans here at FR?
They are from Atlanta and have apparently been playing around that area for several years. However, I had never heard of them until I watched a concert of theirs last month on DirecTV. Now, I am getting old and set in my ways, so I am often quite picky about the 'new' bands/music I decide I like. Most of the time I am just as likely to change channels/hit the off button after only 2 or 3 minutes of watching/listening to a 'new' music act as not. But these guys impressed me. They played very few 'cover songs' and their own stuff was great. The band consists of two quite good guitarists (one of whom is also lead singer), a pair of solid playing brothers on bass and drums and a very competent (and apparently recently added) keyboard player. I have subsequently purchased two of their CDs and am still impressed b their talent.
It appears they are headlining a music festival in Chesapeake, VA in August and I am thinking about taking my family down to see them 'live'. My nine year old son absolutely LOVES their music, and is trying to figure some of it out on his guitar.
They are marketed as "Southern Rock" and while that is a pretty accurate description, to my ear their songs lean towards the 'country' side of the southern rock spectrum. Their guitar work, though is pretty much straight-on, blues-influenced, rock-n-roll with a southern accent.
Anyway, I was just wondering if there were any other "Shiner-swilling rednecks" out there who had heard of them.
Yep, I play 'em on my radio show.