New Blogs Posted!!

Hey everyone...the 2010 blogs have moved to an integrated link over at sloanriverproject.com Just jump over and click on "BLOGS"!!

~BC

2010 Tour Dates Announced!!!

It's official - the tour dates and locations for 2010 have been released by the band! With no further ado, here they are!

Friday, May 28th, 2010

The Water Heater

Concert - 8 pm

813 5th St. SW
Roanoke Virginia 24016
US

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Holy Trinity Episcopal - Greensboro, NC

Concert

607 N. Greene St
Greensboro North Carolina 27401
336-272-6149 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 336-272-6149 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

Lebanon Chapel @ Airlie Gardens

Concert

300 Airlie Road
Wilmington North Carolina 28403

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Holy Innocents Episcopal

805 Mt. Vernon Hwy NW
Atlanta Georgia 30327
404-255-4023 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 404-255-4023 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

Rhythm and Brews

Concert

221 Market St
Chattanooga Tennessee 37402
US (423) 267-4644 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (423) 267-4644 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Price: 10

Friday, June 4th, 2010

St. Timothy's Episcopal Church

Concert - 6:30 p

630 Mississippi Ave
Signal Mountain Tennessee 37377
423-886-2281 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 423-886-2281 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Sunday, June 6th, 2010

Church Of The Holy Communion

Concert

4645 Walnut Grove Rd
Memphis Tennessee 38117
US (901) 767-6987 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (901) 767-6987 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Monday, June 7th, 2010

St. Augustine's Episcopal

Concert

3412 Haring Rd
Metairie Louisiana 70006

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

Holy Trinity Episcopal - Auburn, AL

Concert

100 Church Drive
Auburn Alabama 36830

SRP Tour 2010!!!

It's official everyone!! The Sloan River Project will be hitting the road again this summer! Exact tour dates and locations are still being finalized, but expect updates to be announced as soon as possible via this blog, our official website and over Twitter!

Also the band will be welcoming the esteemed Mike Peterson into the fold on guitar, in place of Mr. Sam Hensley, who is pursuing other career paths and couldn't be with us this year. Fear not though, Sam will be sitting in as a guest musician on a few very special shows!

Looking forward to seeing you all!

~SRP and The Big Cheese

What A Long Strange Trip It's Been

Well folks, it's over - sadly the SRP tour of 2009 has come to an end. Last night the band played an emotionally charged set at St. Mathias in Asheville, grabbed some pizza at Barley's and got on the road for Greensboro. It was strange for us all to not have to get up and drive or think about playing a show today - in fact the only thing most of us are thinking about is hibachi for lunch - Mmmmm!! We've been talking about it since like Day 2, and now we get to indulge. Not quick hibachi either...we're talking about one of those deals where they cook it in front of you, and the chef throws knives and makes jokes the whole time.

I have to say, it's been a fantastic experience traveling with these guys and listening to them play for the last ten days. Not only are they amazing musicians, but they're incredible people as well. We've seen and done things over the last 240(ish) hours that none of us will ever forget. I used to wonder how big bands tour for literally months at a time, and now I think I have answer - it's all about love. Love inside the band, love from the communities we played for, love for the music and love for God. I wish I could sit here and continue to wax poetic about this amazing experience, but hibachi is calling and we're all really hungry.

So until next time River Rats (and there just might be a NEXT time), thanks for all the support and so long from the road!!

~The SRP

8 Down & 2 To Go

Hard to believe that there are only TWO shows left in the Sloan River Project’s 2009 Summer Tour! We’re currently back in Chattanooga and just finished setting up and sound checking for the show tonight (5:00 btw). The band seems really happy, and everyone’s energy seems to be really high – even those of us who got on the road @ 5am today and drove across TN. Thanks again to Star Smith for encouraging the trip, driving to Tunica, putting us up for a couple hours of sleep, and otherwise being absolutely awesome. Also the band would like to give a shout out to Star’s very good friend Chris Parnell – we’re hoping for a guest appearance as the opening act next tour, or at least a pre-recorded intro and an autograph.

When I stop to think about it, I have a hard time believing we’ve only been seven days on road – but I can’t decide if it feels longer or shorter. Last Monday feels really far away but the tour as a whole seemed to go by incredibly quick. Sitting in tonight with the band is guest bassist Allen Shikoh – a good friend of Mr. Hopkins. Allen mentioned to the band that he’s been playing a lot of jazz of late and is really looking forward to playing something different tonight.

So Josh just had to change his shirt (it’s crazy hot outside again) I just noticed that he has an interesting black ink tattoo on his chest…I'm curious what it means, so I'm going to ask.

Me: Josh what does the tattoo mean?

Josh: Well, they’re Chinese characters, and it translates to “impermanent”. It’s my reminder that even things that we think last forever really don’t.”

That’s pretty profound for a tattoo I think, and it’s a very relative sentiment for this tour. Somehow I think we all thought it was going to last forever, even as we talked about our post-tour plans and going back to our regular lives. Everyone has really been living into the moment – every day has been a new adventure in one-way or another. There have been new venues, new dynamics and new challenges and those things have kept us from really appreciating how brief this little experiment has been, and how quickly it will be over.

But all good things must come to an end, and this is no exception. The last two shows will be amazing (I’m particularly looking forward to tonight), then we’ll have a final band meal in Greensboro (Hibachi) and be on our way. Tonight though, after the show is over, and everyone has gone home, there is only one thing the members of the SRP want to do – GO BOWLING!!!

 

Until tomorrow…

Matt & Sam vs. Tunica

Tonight after sending the rest of the band on their merry way to Chattanooga, myself, Sam, Star Smith and the Burress siblings decided to take on Tunica. By the light of of the full moon the battle was waged, and in the end - we emerged triumphant. (to the tune of +$800)

I don't care what happens for the rest of this tour, nothing can bring me down now!! :-)

Small But Powerful

"We're small but powerful tonight!" That's how Sam introduced the show this Friday night - and it's true. The crowd is on the smaller side, but the energy is good and everyone is having fun, which is what counts.

Travel today fun - we stopped in Nashville and had lunch with Trone Sawyer and the soon to be Mrs. Sawyer, Catherine Nelson. Many tacos were consumed, and a good time was had by all. Catherine was also given the important job of tallying the final results for the band mix contest. It was a close affair, but in the end Mix #1 (crafted by yours truly) came out on top. The set-list went as follows,

Up Around The Bend (Credence Clearwater)
Trashcan Song (Delta Spirit)
Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show)
10,000,000 Slaves (Otis Taylor)
The Boxer (Carbon Leaf)
I Could Sleep (Band Of Horses)
Brown Sugar (Rolling Stones)
Cherub Rock (Smashing Pumpkins)
My Name is Jonas (Wheezer)
Electric Feel (MGMT)
Paper Planes (MIA)
Interstate Love Song (Stone Temple Pilots)
See The World (Gomez)
Rivers of Babylon (Sublime)
Walking In Memphis (Rockapella)
Night Swimming (REM)

I'm honored to have won, but in the end what we really had were 6 hours of really great tunes to listen to as we traversed the country. I highly recommend this little game for anyone planning a road-trip in the near future.

Anyway, I know this is kinda short but none of us got a whole lot of sleep last night for various reasons, so I'm a little tired. On top of that we have a fun filled evening ahead of us in the form of some cosmic bowling...so I'm going to wrap this up. I might add on later...but who knows. If not, then the next thing posted will be the band video interview I did earlier this afternoon. Best wishes and have a good weekend!!