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http://www.kentuckyheadhunters.com/
The Kentucky Headhunters
Honky-Tonk, Blues, Southern Rock
Sounds of Freedom Concert*
Saturday, Aug 1 at 7:00 pm
Ogden Amphitheater |
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Their music is best known as a hybrid of honky-tonk, blues, and southern rock. This eclectic blend of music, has allowed the Kentucky HeadHunters to create fans from all genre’s of music, and still continue as one of the most in demand touring bands in the concert industry today.
With more than six million albums sold and a Grammy award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group, the HeadHunters remain a one of a kind crowd pleaser. One word:
FUN!
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http://www.confederaterailroad.net
Confederate Railroad*
Country, Southern Rock
Sounds of Freedom Concert*
Saturday, Aug 1 at 7:00 pm
Ogden Amphitheater
Few acts have carved as distinctive a niche in modern musical history as Confederate Railroad. With their high-energy combination of honky-tonk rockers, sensitive ballads, and offbeat humor, they have created a unique identity that has brought them chart success, multi-platinum sales, and continued popularity as a road band. Versatility, likability, and a willingness to stretch boundaries are all part of the mix, but if there is a formula, not even they can put their finger on it.
"I don't think I have any more of a clue now than I did when we started," laughs founder/frontman Danny Shirley. "I know that if you start thinking, 'Is radio going to like this"' or 'Is this going to offend anybody?' that it really waters things down, so I don't try to second-guess anybody. What I do is look for songs I like--that seems to work best." |
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Nearly five million albums later, there is no doubt that it works. Songs like "Queen Of Memphis," "Trashy Women," "Jesus And Mama," and "Daddy Never Was The Cadillac Kind" became major hits and established Confederate Railroad as a key part of country music's landscape during the genre's expansion of the '90s. The accolades kicked off with the Academy of Country Music's Best New Group award in 1993 and have included a Grammy nomination, and a host of nominations from the Country Music Association and the British Country Music Foundation.
"There's nothing profound about this," says Shirley. "We've been playing music in one form or another for 20 years, and we still enjoy it. One reason is that we do material we like. We do what we want the way we want, regardless of the consequences." It is a strategy they have employed since the band's early days in the 1980s. The strategy, while effective in the long run, was not a quick ticket to the top. "I knew eventually we'd get a label deal and a real shot at it," says Shirley, "but we had a rougher image than what was the going thing then. When other club acts around us--people we were often out-drawing--began getting deals, I questioned myself for a time. 'Do I need starched Wranglers and western shirts? Should we try to be a little more mainstream and play the game?' We made a decision back then that we would be ourselves."
The cool combination of humor and emotion that marked their recorded work made their videos among the industry's most interesting. They consistently reached the top of the video charts--the drag sequence in "Trashy Women" still comes up as a conversation topic among fans--and were nominated for Best Country Video by the CMA in 1996.
The road warriors may be a little tamer these days ("We can get as wild as we always did, just not as often"), but they're still providing both poignant moments and pure fun, and enjoying all of it. "You start playing music in your bedroom because it's fun, an enjoyable part of your life," Shirley says. "Then as you start to become successful at it, it becomes a business. If you're fortunate, and you're around long enough, it gets to be fun again, and that's where it is for me." |
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www.melissajones.com
Melissa Jones*
Country singer/songwriter
UPDATE: Melissa's career has moved her to Nashville and made her generous offer of a free appearance at our event no longer a possibility. We want to thank Melissa for her support and consideration and also thank her Purple Heart recipient brother Jake for his heroic service. We highly recommend checking out Melissa's website and her music.
Melissa Jones is one of six children born into a musical family. A Northern Utah native, her concert pianist mother and die-hard country music fan father raised their children in a home filled with music which ranged from Mozart to Merle. |
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Melissa has opened for artists Keith Urban, Terri Clark, Collin Raye, Chris Cagle, The Oak Ridge Boys, Andy Griggs and The Marshall Tucker Band.
“Red, White and Blue Night in Georgia is a testament to the love, pride and devotion we all share for our men and women serving our country.” Dedicating a portion of the proceeds to an amazing charity, Hope for the Warriors, brought the project full circle.
“It’s such a great song,” says Melissa. “I have a very strong emotional connection with this story – my younger brother Jake was seriously injured in Iraq by a roadside bomb at the same time I was being pitched this song. He is home now, recovering, but he and his family have been changed forever. I’m so happy to see his family back together again and my heart goes out to anyone who has a loved one serving anywhere in the world.”
Melissa’s resonant voice pulls your heart and soul into her album. Her interpretive delivery of each song – intuitive energy on the up-tempo songs and warm sentiment on the ballads shows a natural entertainer.
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http://www.americanhitmen.com
The American Hitmen
Rock, Classic Rock Covers
Friday, July 31st at 2:30 - 5:30 pm
Exhibit Hall Stage at the Weber County Fairgrounds |
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Born out of the fiery depths of Fallujah, Iraq, during Operation Phantom Fury in 2004, five talented musicians joined forces in hopes of creating the ultimate, no-holds-barred, in your face rock group. Playing only on acoustic guitars and ammo cans, the hardcore group of United States Marines began writing songs about the true face of combat; a side of the story that the media has never and will never show the public.
When it was time to go back to the United States, these five war dogs decided that they needed a name for their bombastic, hard hitting band of trained madmen; they decided to call themselves the “American Hitmen”.
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