Soul Circus Cowboys and Glenn Cummings Band w/ Florida Scoundrels $7/10

Soul Circus Cowboys (COUNTRY) Bring together a group of musicians with a broad spectrum of tastes and influences and you’ll likely hear discord. But add their diverse array of life experiences to the mix and suddenly their differences start to complement each other. So it is with Tampa, Florida-based band, Soul Circus Cowboys. Their eclectic blend of musical styles and roads traveled make them one of the most unique new bands on the touring circuit. “I found the best musicians in the area,” boasts Soul Circus Cowboys’ founder Billy McKnight, of his band mates. “And I do believe they are THE best musicians.” “We are all multi-instrumental and have been playing music on the professional level for years,” adds drummer Jason Alfano. “We all work to make each other sound good.” McKnight formed Soul Circus Cowboys in 2009, after several trips to Nashville during which he wrote songs with renowned artist/writer/musician Henry Paul, a founding member of 90s super group, Blackhawk. When McKnight returned to Tampa with that wealth of new material, he quickly set about searching for players he thought could breathe life into those new songs. In addition to Alfano, McKnight drafted Michael Bach to break it down on bass and back his vocals up, with Rick Morgan to define the band’s signature guitar licks. Before long, they recorded their debut album, Love’s Like A Rodeo. Soul Circus Cowboys’ first single, Lay It Down, quickly established the band as a musical force to be reckoned with. Critics and fans praised the song for its message and authenticity, the band for its astute musicianship and the album as a collection of well-told stories, each crafted by songwriters who’ve “been there – done that.” The video for Lay It Down became a fan favorite on country music video channels, including Great American Country (GAC) and Country Music Television (CMT). Love’s Like A Rodeo defined Soul Circus Cowboys’ signature sound by showcasing it as a brand new, high-performance, fuel-injected form of Southern Rock. Each track gives listeners a deeply personal peek at the raw honesty of each band members life of lessons learned the hard way. The album also showcases the band’s versatility, and McKnight’s previously under-appreciated vocal prowess. Soul Circus Cowboy’s new album, That’s The Way We Roll offers an equally eclectic combination of sounds, styles and stories, all written (or co-written) by McKnight, the master storyteller. From the intense vocal delivery and to-the-point lyrics of She’s A Lot Like Whiskey to the emotionally wrenching, instrumentally charged If You’re Gonna Leave; That’s The Way We Roll rounds off the band’s rough edges, exposing a more polished, yet gutsier, grittier kind of country rock. That’s The Way We Roll is a grown-up record that blasts through musical styles and genres, and offers something for just about every musical taste. Best of all, this album proves that the paths each member of Soul Circus Cowboys took to achieve their individual musical dreams have now merged into a single stretch of road that is certain to lead to an even greater level of band success.They’re thoroughly genuine. They’re phenomenally talented. They’re the Soul Circus Cowboys.

Glenn Cummings Band (COUNTRY) The Glenn Cummings Band is a Tampa based group that is fronted by national recording artist Glenn Cummings. Some of you may remember Glenn from his CD release titled ” Big “. The title track from the CD was a regular feature on country radio as well as the video garnered heavy rotation on GAC and CMT. GLENN CUMMINGS, a self-proclaimed “rock ‘n’ roller at heart” acquired his love for music at a young age. Glenn was born in Jacksonville Florida and has remained a Floridian. “My mom, who was a nun in the convent and a teacher, was also a singer, played guitar and wrote music. My brother and I grew up hearing her sing.” While most future entertainers see singing and performing as a hobby, for the Cummings family, it was a necessary means for survival. “At the age of five, my mother decided to leave my father because he was abusive to my brother and I.” From there, we were running to get away from him; we moved continuously, never staying anywhere for long up until I was in high school.” Receiving no child support, and surviving multiple kidnapping attempts, every day was a struggle. While Cummings admits that he and his brother endured a difficult childhood, he is grateful that music became a lifelong friend early on and lifesaver on several occasions. “Our solitude was singing together.”At the age of six, Cummings, Glenn began singing professionally with his mother and brother. “We were The Cummings Family Three. We performed at different restaurants and hotels; that was how we covered our room and board.” Per a friend’s suggestion, Cummings’ mother drove to Nashville with her sons. The trio secured several appointments and recorded an original song. The consensus after each meeting was the same: “The labels loved us, but we were not a good fit for them at the time.” Despite not securing a record deal, mother and sons had the opportunity to tour the Grand Ole Opry. “I got a chance to walk out onto center stage right to the circle and look out to the crowd,” Cummings shares. “It was an amazing, amazing feeling! No one was there. I sang a couple notes on the stage and felt them echo through the Grand Ole Opry – that was really cool!”A “Big” break came in the form of a meeting with an investment group based in Orlando that was interested in acquiring his mortgage business and patents he’d created. Having mentioned that he sang country music, he showed them his music website before he left. Cummings discovered that the group was more interested in developing his music career. A promotions team was assembled and his album recorded. Cummings’ debut single “Big” reached the Top 30 on the Music Row charts. “We filmed a music video and had a lot of stations adding my record. I traveled the entire country for almost a two-year period promoting the album. Then, our single ‘Good Ole Days’ came out and that immediately jumped into the Top 30 on Music Row Charts and Top 40 on the R&R Indicator Charts.” The success of his first two singles opened many doors, including opportunities to share the stage with Clint Black, Charlie Daniels and Montgomery Gentry. Just as his music career seemed to be taking flight, things came to a screeching halt. “In the middle of promoting the album, we had to do another radio tour. That was the first indication this investment group was headed for a financial crisis.” “My album was still doing well and then all of a sudden, everything hit me all at once – I’d lost my record deal, was losing my mortgage business due to the economy and the financial downfall of the investment group that purchased an interest in my business, and my father-in-law was dying from cancer.” He recalls telling people that he did indeed want to release a new record “but there was no funding. My wife and I were raising two young kids and we were just surviving. Those years between 2006 through 2009 were very, very difficult.” Cummings says, “Music is what saved me,” as he began rebuilding his life, he re-licensed in the insurance business to provide for his family. “I had a really great band and we started building our name, playing several shows every week. He quickly learned that his set list could not consist solely of country songs. “I’d hired a few band members who were “rock ‘n’ roll guys and we made a mixture of country and Billy Idol, Poison, Pearl Jam – you name it. We even did some Top 40.” With renewed fervor, Cummings is excited to share his newest project. “Being in the studio and recording new music is the most incredible experience. I didn’t realize how much I missed it!” Cummings hired esteemed producer and singer/songwriter, Bobby Terry, to produce the album; the two had previously worked together on Big. “Bobby became a great friend and I told myself if I ever went back in the studio to cut a new project, I would have him at the helm as producer.” There is one song in particular which Cummings is especially eager for fans to hear. “I wrote a song called ‘Totch Brown’s Island,’ about being from the true deep-south – the Everglades.” He challenges, “Instead of deer, come hunt some gators with your bare hands! That’s kind of where I took that song.” As much as he enjoys being the studio, on stage is where Cummings truly shines, his live shows are every bit as captivating as his “big” personality. “I love my fans and I love getting in the crowd.” In addition, he makes a conscious effort to take care of himself, especially his voice. “I think that’s an obligation I have as an artist, to make sure I can sing well every time and that I can put on a great show, because the people are spending hard earned money for their tickets so they deserve to see a good show.” Suffice to say, Mr. Big is back… and he invites you to “Crank Up the Country” with him!

w/ JT Curtis and The Florida Scoundrels (COUNTRY) JT Curtis is an accomplished Singer/Songwriter, Entertainer and Nashville Recording Artist. JT Curtis and The Florida Scoundrels perform approximately 250 dates per year at various clubs, festivals, fairs and other large venues throughout the United States. He has two full length albums recorded and has opened for, and performed with some of Country Music’s biggest artists such as: Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Toby Keith, Rascal Flats and many more. The true original style of JT Curtis and the Florida Scoundrels is clearly visible on stage, through their passion for music and unrelenting desire to bring the party. With an eclectic mix from classic and modern country to rock and roll, and everywhere in between; the Florida Scoundrels are sure to entertain any crowd. Frequent stops include the famous Cowboys of Dothan, AL, sellout crowds at The Wild Horse Saloon and Tootsies in Nashville, TN and Cowboy Bills in Key West, FL along with too many others to mention. JT Curtis was born in Landstuhl Germany to his United States Air Force parents. He was the youngest of three children. He and his two sisters were introduced to the world of music at a very young age. They performed on stage with their mother & father as a family band entertaining military troops; JT would play his own little guitar, sing and steal the show. It was very clear at a young age that his love for music and entertaining would ultimately be his path. Curtis and his family later moved to Nashville, TN and there couldn’t have been a better time and location. He was old enough to let his young talent grow. Seeing and meeting some of Nashville’s Biggest Country Legends such as Johnny Cash, George Jones, Waylon Jennings’s, and Keith Whitley just to mention a few, it was a real education for JT. These influences along with many others along the way are still apparent in his unique style today. After graduating Land O Lakes High School, just north of Tampa, FL; Curtis enrolled in college. College life however, could not compete with his love and desire to entertain with his own music. JT set his goals and put them in motion and has been rocking crowds all over the United States ever since. Odds are JT Curtis and The Florida Scoundrels will be bringing the party to a town near you very soon!  J.T. and The Florida Scoundrels are currently performing shows with Keith Burns Grammy nominee from Trick Pony watch for a show near you.