The Mission

DON’T MIND DYING

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REVERBNATION

By reading just a couple of reviews of Don’t Mind Dying’s self titled EP from earlier this year it’s easy to say that the Columbia MO band has come a long way since it’s formation in 2008 by bassist Graham Greer and vocalist Brian BC Craig. During the first four years of their existence Craig and Greer, along with guitarist Kurt Otto and drummer Jeremy McCalister (later to be replaced by Jason Stegall), formed what would be the back bone of DMD’s sound by hashing out a heavy and dark blues foundation based mainly around somewhat unconventional cover tunes that ranged from Muddy Waters to the Beatles and everything in between. In 2012, shortly after the addition of keyboardist Rudy Brynac, DMD parted ways with Otto and Stegall and brought on board drummer Brian Kent and guitarist Jason Caton. It was at this time that the real magic started brewing! With the new members firmly in place the band adopted a truly powerhouse sound and started filling up local venues like The Bridge, Mojo’s, and Roxy’s on a weekly basis and soon had built themselves up as one of the biggest drawing bands in the area. At the end of the summer of 2012, after the release of the their first official recording and a string of successful local shows, they were asked to perform at Columbia’s famous Root’s N Blues N BBQ festival and shared the bill with the likes of Al Green, John Mayall, Marty Stewart, and Esperanza Spalding. It was at this time that the real sound of Don’t Mind Dying started to emerge in the way of a string of hard driving original songs which would lead to the recording of their newest album, the before mentioned “Don’t Mind Dying EP”. Shortly after, Brynac departed the band and was replaced by Travis McFarlane on keys which rounded out the current line up. Caton, Craig, Greer, Kent, and McFarlane continue to blaze the trail of their local legacy and are currently playing live shows and working on new songs for a soon to be recorded full length LP which should be available sometime in early 2015.

THE FLOOD BROTHERS
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The Flood Brothers are a THUMP MACHINE whose infectious melodies and animal rhythms will have your bones shakin’ outta your boots! Heavily influenced by the early Rock ‘N’ Roll sounds of Memphis and Deep Blues of North Mississippi, Gabe Meyer with Colin and Jacob Best add their own bend to the boogie that could only come from the muddy banks of the mighty Mississippi River. Hannibal, MO is where these boys and their music call home.

Forming in a basement in early 2000, The Flood Bros. cut their teeth a few years later as the unofficial house band at The Packer’s Roost; a rowdy dive bar in rural off-the-grid Montana near Hungry Horse.

“Our first gig was actually in Wapiti, Wyoming in 2002. We used a mop, bucket, and duct tape for a mic stand, played for five hours and hadn’t practiced in three months,” says Meyer. “We nailed it.”

Best adds, “Our first gig at Packer’s was on Christmas Day. We showed up at about 6:00 that evening after working all day on the mountain, walked in with our gear, Gabe’s wearing shorts, and these people are smashed wasted throwing every insult short of a beer bottle. All we could do was yell and holler back, set up and play. We felt instantly at home. Everyone in Whitefish warned us not to go out there. Too rough. We played through lots of fights, knives, and EMT’s…..we were paid in duck, goose, and mashed potatoes.”

After returning home, the guys started a band with Kent Burnside, the oldest grandson of the legendary R.L. BURNSIDE, as Kent Burnside and the New Generation. Son of R.L., Dan Burnside joined on bass, Best was on drums and Meyer on lap steel guitar. With R.L. Burnside being a musical hero, Gabe and Jake already knew most of the music by heart and within three weeks were on a major West Coast tour. During the years of 2006-2010, the band played regularly at many notable venues nationwide such as Legends, Chicago, Ill; Ground Zero, Clarksdale, MS; The Knitting Factory, Hollywood, CA; Gip’s Place in Bessemer, AL (Alabama’s last remaining Juke Joint, on the blues circuit for over 50 years – a must visit venue), and the House of Blues in Chicago. Gabe and Jake also had the chance to share the stage and play alongside many standout musicians with the Burnsides: Buddy Guy, Bobby Rush, Kenny Brown, Duwayne Burnside, Cedric Burnside, Garry Burnside, the sons of Junior Kimbrough, and the daughter of Johnny Shines to name(drop) a few. “My guitar’s more famous than I’ll ever be,” says Meyer. “Elmo Williams played it up in Minneapolis.” “Kenny Brown played it later that night at a bar down the road and then we all got kicked out.” “It’s been stolen, pawned, and bled on.” “She always comes home and never talks back.”

Meyer and Best rotated a bit, playing around down South with whichever of the Burnsides needed a solid drummer and rhythm and slide guitar player. “None of those guys really played slide. The generation after R.L. seemed to have lost interest in it, and finding a drummer who could play those Hill Country beats wasn’t easy either. Jake and I were in high demand there for awhile.” While crediting the Burnsides for musical inspiration and some long years of paying hard dues on the road, the boys had to follow their number one priority of playing original music as a two man band.

Promoting their long-awaited debut album, “Flood Type,” the Flood Brothers are back on track playing solely as a duo and are known for their energetic live performances that can promote hours and hours of groove.

“Shake it if you got it…”