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The Alive @ Five Free Summer Concert Series kicks off with Sister Hazel on Thursday, June 21st in Columbus Park in Stamford Downtown. The Concert begins at 5pm. Sister Hazel broke out in the mid 90s with their monster hit “All For You” and their eighth album “Bam Volume 1” featuring full-blown studio tracks, live studio demos, and some rare bonus track was released earlier this month. For a band rooted in the rock music they make, Gainesville, Florida’s Sister Hazel has managed to spread far beyond that. There’s the ardent collection of fans they’ve built, the special events they co-created, the charity endeavors. “We love to do so many different things,” says Block. “Between writing songs we believe in, the live shows, building a community, expanding our events, and the charity, there’s this whole lifestyle that is what Sister Hazel is all about.” Fans have flocked to special fan-centric events the band helped to create: The Rock Boat and The Rock Slope. The Rock Boat, the world’s largest floating music festival which first sailed in 2001, was the first of its kind – other bands have since mimicked the concept, but none as successfully as Sister Hazel. (The next Rock Boat, which sails in January of 2007, sold out in one day, with Better Than Ezra and Collective Soul joining Sister Hazel on the long list of performers.) With The Rock Boat being such an enormous hit, the band went on to create The Rock Slope in 2004, a ski and snowboarding music fest, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where the bands involved perform at the hotels, on the mountain, and on the ski decks. Both The Rock Boat and The Rock Slope are perfect extensions of the Sister Hazel mentality toward their fans – open the lines of communication, be available to spend time with them, and provide the fans with the best experiences possible. “I think my favorite thing about being part of Sister Hazel is watching our music connect with the fans and inspiring them,” says Copeland. “Our music also connects and gaps generations. We see people of all ages in our audiences.” Trojanowski likes to call the group: “a band of the people. We’ve never been a guarded type of band. Ken and Andrew especially have a natural way of making everyone feel comfortable with them immediately.” With fan interaction so important to all of the band members, it is certainly understandable that Sister Hazel is equally serious about the charity work that they do. The band has raised over half a million dollars through concerts and silent auctions of handwritten lyrics held to benefit the Lyrics for Life charity they founded: funds raised go to help children and adults battling cancer. The group hosts five to six events per year, where Sister Hazel and artists like Elton John, the Beastie Boys, Jessica Simpson, Tim McGraw, Stone Temple Pilots, Barenaked Ladies, Aerosmith, Kid Rock, R.E.M., and many more have assisted in the Lyrics for Life cause. “We’ve been fortunate with our success,” says Block. “As a band, we’ve always put writing songs that we believe in, putting on powerful live shows, and being passionate about our craft at the top.” Trojanowski attributes their longevity to a simple concept: “When you set yourself up as a band, a democracy, it lasts longer. That equal partnership is key.” Over time, the band has grown a lifestyle and fan community via touring, fan interaction, and charity work, yet the all-important music provides the soundtrack for it all. Whether you call it roots rock or American rock, the music Sister Hazel makes is definitely not alternative or modern rock; they are not emo, screamo, anything-core or flavor-of-the-moment. Their music is solid and satisfying, comfortable and easy, like old friends and family. Absolutely perfect and absolutely Sister Hazel. (excerpts from www.sisterhazel.com) © Copyright by StamfordPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of StamfordPlus.com, Stamford Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. Related Articles: Stamford Theatre Works presents Neil LaBute's "The Mercy Seat" - Sep 9, 2008 - 11:01 AM Bluefish take 'Stormers yard - Aug 23, 2008 - 11:59 PM Bluefish take second straight over 'Stormers - Aug 23, 2008 - 9:03 AM The seventh week of Alive @ Five features Boyz II Men - Aug 6, 2008 - 12:31 PM Pops in the Park begins tomorrow and Alive @ Five continues the Concert Series - Jul 15, 2008 - 11:45 AM CURRENT HEADLINES: Top of Page
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