The Avett Brothers

A favourite support choice for the Dave Matthews Band, the Avett Brothers have 'next big thing' written all over them. Their major label debut album (their 6th overall) has just been released on Sony and was produced by Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Jakob Dylan, Tom Petty). This excellent record further cements their intriguing southern roots sound which the San Francisco Chronicle describes as having the "heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones." Festival Director Peter Noble is already betting they will be the talk of the festival! There is no harmony like brotherly harmony. Something indelible in the weave of voices and play of sensibilities is stamped into the fraternal DNA and also stems from a lifetime of shared experiences. You can clearly hear fraternal magic at work on I and Love and You, which is the Avett Brothers' big-label debut— a rootsy amalgam of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and pop with a jab of punk-style dynamics here and there. The band formed in 2001 in Charlotte, North Carolina when banjoist Scott Avett and guitarist Seth Avett joined forces with standup bass player Bob Crawford. Since then the Avett Brothers have built up a sizable following based on their rowdy, infectious stage shows. On their own, they've filled a 7,000-seat venue in Cary, North Carolina, and sold out two nights at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon - one of their strongholds. In June 2009, they performed back-to-back sellouts at New York's Fillmore East. In concert, the high-flying ensemble tears through tunes with unbridled energy, popping banjo and guitar strings right and left while inciting stomping singalongs among audiences that appear to know every word. At times they would seemingly create their own subgenre onstage - "punkgrass," for lack of a better word. This much is for certain: the Avett Brothers are a grassroots phenomenon, built from the ground up. See them at Bluesfest and just try and wipe the smile from your face!

Sideshows

www.theavettbrothers.com