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| The following American Artistes, Country & Western Bands and Singers have all performed (or soon will be performing) at Fort San Antone, each have a section on this page: | ||
| BR549 | ||
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There's been a boatload of changes on the country landscape since
a rough-and-tumble quintet of hard-core, true blue pickers set about turning a
complacent, soft-around the-edges and squishy-in-the-middle Nashville on its
collective ear in the early '90s. Adapting the "one-call-gets-all" phone number spouted weekly on TV by portly "Hee Haw" huckster Junior Samples as their moniker, BR549 injected some long-missing energy, self deprecating humour and true "country grit" into their refreshing, sprawling revue of rustic roots music. The band's now legendary, four-hour plus romps at Robert's Western Wear quickly built a rabid fan following and an industry-wide buzz. The 1996 releases of the LIVE AT ROBERT'S EP and their self-titled full length CD torched a critical firestorm. |
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| Expertly blending Western Swing, Pub-Rock,
Rockabilly, Honky Tonk and Vintage Country Pop, BR549 continued their crusade
to remind us that a REAL band, that may be rough around the edges but
PASSIONATE at its core, trumps contrived "by the numbers" music
anytime! The boys released 1998's BIG BACKYARD BEAT SHOW and yet another "live" set, COAST TO COAST in 2000, gaining further critical kudos. Along the way, their tireless touring ethic and mix and-match-stylistic range found them sharing stages with such diverse artists as BOB DYLAN, TIM McGRAW & FAITH HILL, NICK LOWE and Country's two King Georges: JONES and STRAIT. Their flexibility has brought appearances on such hipster "tube fare" as "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Late Show with David Letterman", active participation in the promotion of the newly opened Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum and a standing invitation to appear on the legendary Grand Ole Opry's stage. In 2001 the group traded in its hyphen (which never seemed to know where it belonged anyway) for some new tyres on its tour bus and signed with SONY, Nashville's hip Lucky Dog imprint. Sharing a label with such copacetic alt-something cohorts as Jack Ingram, The Derailers and Charlie Robinson, BR549 aired out its aerodynamically-sound "new" name on THIS IS BR549. Produced by Paul Worley (Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride, Pam Tillis) and engineer Mike Poole, THIS IS BR549 continued to explore the band's anything-goes ethos, boasting an eclectic mix of vintage Country chestnuts, too-cool originals and out-of-leftfield covers. As mentioned at the outset, though, there HAVE been a lot of changes over the years, both in the shape of Country Music and, most recently, in the shape of BR549. Seven years in the life of a band as hard working, aggressive and interactive as these Ol' Boys means a lot of time, miles and music spent together and a band's task of continuing to meet the needs and goals chosen by five individuals becomes increasingly more difficult with the passage of time. And so, there are changes in the works but even as they are being finalised, BR549 continues on, cranking out out their trademark blend of crowd pleasing Shit-Kickers, Roadhouse Stompers and Late Night Weepers. The current lineup is comprised of original members: Chuck Mead (electric and acoustic guitars, vocals), Shaw Wilson (drums and percussion) and Donnie Herron (all things stringed), and augmented by Chris Scruggs and Geoff Firebaugh. "As a lot of fans have already heard, there are some changes coming in the band's lineup" says Mead, "but until everything gets settled, I have to keep my mouth shut - doctor's orders". "But I CAN talk about the extra players we've got for these two shows. Chris is a musical genius from a family that has been an integral part of Country Music for three generations now, and Geoff is an old friend of the band who's a great player too." "BR549 survived the loss of its hyphen in a tragic table-saw accident (or was it in a brain damaged, high stakes poker game?). The new lineup represents a bigger change, for sure, but when you think back to where and why they started up in the first place, change has always been what BR549 is ultimately all about". "Do your best to roll with it... It'll work out just fine". |
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| This page
currently under construction. Watch this space. |
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| Subject to
change without notice. Errors and omissions excluded. If you notice any errors or inaccuracies, please contact the Webmaster Last updated 31/01/03 |