Grassroots mainstays Sister Hazel will bring their unique style of music to Rick’s Caf Wed. The concert will certainly bring many devoted fans out to enjoy a night of their favorite music.
Sister Hazel, formed in Gainesville, Fla., and named after a homeless shelter, was founded by Ken Block and Andrew Copeland, both on vocals and acoustic guitar, in 1996. Other band members are Ryan Newell on vocals, acoustic guitar and lead guitar; Jeff Beres on vocals and four and five string bass guitar; and Mark Trojanowski on drums. Sister Hazel has been together for almost a decade and sold over one million records, garnering highly devoted fans deemed “Hazelnuts” along the way. They’ve established themselves as one of the strongest and most consistent draws in grassroots and jam-band music.
“We want to provide experiences and memories for our fans and we have the freedom to do so,” Beres said on their Web site. “Our goal is to make Sister Hazel more of an institution than a band that goes out and tries to live or die by radio.”
Sister Hazel has put out six records to date, with Lift released in August being their latest. The band is known for its upbeat playing style and relatable lyrics by its devoted fans, but many know them for their ’97 hit single “All For You.” The band has continued touring and feel that’s the best way to get their music out to the public.
“We want to keep touring and keep putting our music in front of as many people as possible,” Ryan Newell said. “We’re going to continue supporting our record and hope everybody enjoys it.”
Everybody who wants to listen to their live show will have chance to Wednesday, courtesy of Rick’s Caf. Rick’s has had many high profile bands in its history, but Sister Hazel is certainly one of the biggest.
“I had heard a lot about [Sister Hazel] and they came in here on a Saturday night dollar night one year and after they played here, they made it big,” Rick’s Caf owner Rick Welch said. “They’ve been good enough to keep coming back. They like playing here. I think this Wednesday’s performance will make it five times that they’ve played here.”
Sister Hazel members said they are very grateful to have a place like Rick’s Caf where they can come back to time and again and know the fans will come out and support them.
“We had played at Rick’s before we even had a song on the radio,” Newell said. “We wanted to go back to the roots of music; back to the people who supported us before and made us famous.”
Welch knows those fans that got Sister Hazel to where they are today will still be around with some new fans to boot. There’s no doubt even more people will be won over by Sister Hazel’s live show, which is said to be one of the best by any band.
“They have one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen,” Welch said. “Their harmonies are great; their musicianship’s great. Their stage presence is incredible. You can tell they’ve been doing it for a long time because the band is extremely tight.”
Their shows are unlike all other band’s shows in their style of music. They credit this to wanting to always keep their shows changing and unpredictable.
“We’re very different in our shows from other bands,” Newell said. “We don’t do songs from beginning to end, set to set. We like to improvise and stretch songs out. We play a different set every night and none of our shows are like the others.”
Welch agrees with Newell and hopes that everyone who comes out to see Sister Hazel will agree, also.
“Their albums are great, but to see them live is totally different,” Welch said. “To see them singing their own songs is a completely different experience.”