Stolen Rhodes and Scotty Bratcher – $7/10

8pm – $7/10

Stolen Rhodes (AMERICANA/ROCK)

“I usually describe us as American or Americana Rock to most folks,” explains Stolen Rhodes’ singer/multi-instrumentalist Matt Pillion. “If folk music were turned up to eleven and included guitar solos, I think you would get in the ballpark of what we are. Our music pulls no punches, and we always speak from the heart while in verse.”

Upon hearing the group’s new EP, ‘Slow Horse,’ you’re sure to agree with Pillion’s assessment. Listing such renowned/respected acts as Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Pearl Jam as their main influences, the group (which also includes guitarist Kevin Cunningham, bassist Dan Haase, and drummer Eric Skye) has already garnered rave reviews from the press, including the following blurbs:

“Stolen Rhodes’ songs easily could have existed in 1975; there are lots of infectious melodies, rousing choruses and juicy guitar solos.” — phillyburbs.com

“I was swept away by their romantic notions; of big dreams, endless love, and freedom. I could also get lost in the neverending choruses just as much as the guitars and drums and keys that make this album a long jam session that I didn’t want to end.” — relatemag.com

Originally formed during 2008 in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Stolen Rhodes has a total of three releases to their credit thus far, 2009’s ‘From the Dark Side of 88’ EP, 2011’s ‘Falling Off the Edge’ full length, and this year, the aforementioned ‘Slow Horse’ EP.

“The major memory I will take away from ‘Slow Horse’ is working with David Ivory,” recalls Haase. “Personally, I learned a lot about not necessarily how to write songs, but how to craft what I have written into a song. There are a lot of little things in the songs that we have written that the band never thought twice about, but after Dave heard them, he was coming back at us with new ideas. New arrangements. New, and most times more effective ways of delivering our music. Then I would go home and listen to a song on the radio, and I could hear some of the ideas that Dave was coming up with in music I would hear on MMR or XPN. It was really awesome to work with someone who challenged us like Dave did.” And as heard by such standout tracks as “Keeps Me Alive,” “50 Miles,” and “Life Was Never Finer,” the team of Ivory and the band worked wonders.

And judging by the acts that the quartet has already opened shows for (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jackyl, Blackberry Smoke, etc.), the lads can bring it live, as well. As Pillion points out, “Expect to see a live show that will knock you on your ass, and keep you in the moment from start to finish. Playing live is what it’s all about for me, there’s nothing like it. When we go on that stage, we give the audience everything we have, and we have a great time doing it. We hope that energy and excitement translates to our audience.”

Lastly, what lays ahead for Stolen Rhodes? “Just keep hitting the road, and playing music for anyone who cares to hear,” predicts Haase. “The only way to grow is to get in front of people, and the more people we get in front of, and the more people that enjoy us, the more likely they are going to bring a friend next time we roll into town. We just gotta keep on truckin’, and keep putting in all the hard work it takes to be a rock and roll band in 2016.”

www.stolenrhodes.com

Scotty Bratcher (BLUES/GUITAR/ROCK)

Scotty Bratcher plays and sings like a man on a mission to save rock and roll. Whether he’s
easing into the bluesy “Put My Mind at Ease” or rocking out for “Disappointing Ourselves,” Bratcher’s
talents as a classic triple-threat are apparent. Singer, songwriter, guitarist, Bratcher has mastered all
three in his 27 years of music making.

Perhaps the most remarkable part of Bratcher’s story is that he’ll turn thirty–in 2017. Since not
long after learning to walk, he’s been a musician, a decision he credits to catching a few glimpses of
Stevie Ray Vaughan on Austin City Limits when Bratcher was barely two. Soon after, his father began
teaching him to play the guitar. Watching Bratcher play or listening to the songs he’s created, it is easy
to overlook youth and, instead, hear in this 1970s-style rocker one of the definitive contemporary voices
in the reemerging classic rock genre.

“Some of the greatest music that ever happened was in the 60s and 70s,” Bratcher says. “As a
writer and a guitar player, that’s what I pull from.” Every song exudes the era of rock, but that’s not to
say Bratcher isn’t innovative. Instead, his music contains a contemporary edge, recreating at once the
raw power of Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa, or Jimi Hendrix while capturing the explosive youth and vitality
of a new generation of rock musicians. Wrapped in the musical influences of musicians such as rocker
Warren Haynes and blues master Freddie King, Bratcher is one of a generation of artists forging new
paths in rock and roll.

Bratcher credits the pantheon of rock as his source for inspiration, yet he doesn’t just learn a
song or copy a lick. Instead, the years of songwriting have seasoned him into a rare innovator. “I’m
definitely one of those people who are constantly striving to find new things. I just go back in time to
find those new things,” Bratcher says.

Already more than 15 years into professional music, Bratcher’s talents have placed him at the
top of his game and on the stage with some of music’s greatest artists. Among dozens of others, he’s
opened for or played with Ted Nugent, Little Texas, Blue Oyster Cult, Peter Frampton, Styx, and .38
Special. He’s played with musical inspirations Joe Bonamassa and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and with
diverse bands ranging from Boston, Dickie Betts, and Charlie Daniels to genre-bending powerhouse
Lynyrd Skynyrd. In addition to touring as a solo artist, Bratcher is one of the voices in the 420 Allstars
featuring Noah Hunt, best known as the lead singer of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band.

Transcending genre, Bratcher blends elements from funk, rock, the blues, and gospel into an
alchemist’s brew of pure rock power. His 2004 album, The Scotty Bratcher Band, left fans and critics alike
begging for more. Bratcher continues to tour extensively with his band while hard at work on his next
album, due out later this year and featuring blues singer Jimmy Hall and Greg Martin of the Kentucky
Headhunters among numerous guest artists.

www.scottybratcher.com