wonderboymusic
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THIS IS ONLY PART OF THE STORY.
Whiskey Richard opened the 2006 CMJ Music Marathon with a bang on Halloween night in New York City. "It really was the culmination of all the things that we have worked for this year," remarks frontman Chris Dreyer. "If you asked me in May where we would be at this point... I don't know what I would have said... but I never could have known we would be this far along." Whiskey Richard played 70 shows from May to October, making several trips up and down the east coast, and have established themselves as a forced to be reckoned on the national music scene.
The band moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the winter of 2006, relocating from Tallahassee, Florida and their home on the Florida State music scene. It was time to bring their music to more people and places, and they have been loving every minute of it. "Nashville has been a great experience for us," says Scott Taylor. "The advice and direction we have received from some industry heavyweights has been indispensible." Whiskey Richard returned to Tallahassee in November to play the annual Down on the Farm Festival with Drive-By Truckers, Perpetual Groove, Tishamingo, and others.
For the past 4 years, Whiskey Richard had been tearing up the Southeast music scene. Vocalist Chris Dreyer and guitarist Scott Taylor met in the spring of 2001 while studying abroad in London. They recorded a demo and had their first taste of performing live at London's famed 12 Bar Club. "Playing in London was great because we had the support of all the kids on our program," Dreyer recalls. "We would book a small club and pack the place... It was a great introduction to performing my music live, but it was humbling to come back to the states and start from scratch." They knew they had something special and began to focus on getting their music heard.
Dreyer and Taylor paid their dues as an acoustic act on the music scene at Florida State University, performing at every bar, dive, club, and party they could get their hands on. After over 100 shows for the booze/the door/tips/you name it, reality set in: it was time to build a full band from the ground up. Both players had a lot of experience performing, Dreyer received a degree from FSU in theatre, Taylor received his in music performance... on the trumpet.
Dreyer began playing guitar in college. "I never had any training," he concedes. "I just started learning bit by bit, and along with it, starting writing songs. As I got better at the playing, I got more adventurous with the writing, but the writing was always a big part of expressing myself. There are songs that we play in this band that I wrote within the first year of learning to play."
After finding some players, the boys starting booking bigger shows and began playing out of town at neighboring college and beach towns. "We got a chance to play before we were really that great," says Chris, "but I think that really got us ready to perform quicker... because we had to entertain these crowds." Their big break came when they got their first gigs at Bullwinkle's in Tallahassee. It has named one of the Top 20 College Bars in America by Playboy. Mark Raudabaugh and Andrew Altman, came onboard during this time. "We had been playing in some cheesy cover bands," noted Altman, "and felt like this was a group in which we could really contribute and were excited to flesh out Chris's original material." Mark agreed. "The potential was immediately evident, and the quality of the writing blew me away."
After playing 200 shows at Bullwinkle's and establishing a touring presence in the Southeast, the group decided to relocate to Nashville. "Nashville seemed like the next logical step," explains Dreyer. "All the label and A & R feedback we have received has come from Nashville. It is a songwriter's town, and it is a great place to tour from, being centrally located. " Taylor added, "This year of touring has far exceeded our expectations. To be embraced in new parts of the country is such an awesome feeling. We have so much more we want to do next year. We can't wait."
The boys are on a much needed hiatus over the holidays. Look out for some acoustic shows early in '07.
THIS IS NOT THE END.
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Brian Havens
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Brian Havens has a story to tell. Its about his ups, downs, failures and successes. All from the time he was born as an Alabama native. But he starts with his story in 2003.
In April 2003 Brian found himself in Iraq, on the edge of the city of Baghdad, when a missle struck a number of american soldiers, four of them being friends. Dealing with that experience and leaning on the help of God is what lead to Four Empty Chairs.
Growing up around the military, and also serving his country in Ft. Stewart, Ga and Clarksville,Tn, Brian has always been a person to put all of his heart and passion into what he loved and believed in. After returning from Iraq while planning to get married, Brian continued to cry out to God through scripture, music, experience, and other Godly people and focused on Four Empty Chairs.
Brian started recording Four Empty Chairs in late 2005 and continues to work on finishing the album. Yet unsigned to a record label, Brian prays that God will allow this blessing to come fourth in his life.
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