– Tickets are $6 Adv • $8 Door
Lion & Company headline an evening of Americana, AlternaFolk and Bluegrass with singer / songwriters Matt Sellars and Wyatt Espalin.
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Lion & Company is an Alternative Folk Rock band with a strong acoustic backbone. Drawing upon an Americana sound that's dipped in bluegrass, they bring a powerful vocal melody all their own to the forefront of their quick guitar licks and thumping rhythm. Front vocalist Kevin Freeman is described as a "dirty mix between Coldplay and Bob Dylan", and adds his quick rhythm on guitar. Counter that with the lead melody instrumentalist, Daniel Evans, who is known for his fast, catchy licks on a wide array of string instruments ranging from mandolin to piano; and a glorious combination of voice and string are sure to peak your interest. Grounding this sound with a building rhythm and thumping array drumming styles is a modest Chris Parsons, who some said was a myth until his powerful resurgence into Lion & Company.
Singer / songwriter Matt Sellars lives and breathes southern music and culture. They are the driving forces that keep him moving forward day after day. For fans of folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and the like, Matt Sellars is worth a listen. After years of honing his craft in front of audiences in western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and throughout the south, Matt stepped in to the studio to make his first recorded effort, 2013’s This Side of the Mississipp. The recordings on this album reflect the array of regional influences Matt has absorbed over the years. His style rings true to the music he loves and devotes himself to; the sounds of classic artists like Doc Watson and John Prine marry seamlessly with contemporary favorites like Tim O'brien and Justin Townes Earle.
With the Ocoee River in East Tennessee as the backdrop, and North Georgia on the horizon, Wyatt Espalin’s debut album, The Pardon (April, 2013), was born. Entertaining audiences in his hometown of Hiawassee, Georgia as early as age eleven, Wyatt’s passion for music was obvious, even from the barn room stage built by his grandfather. He and his brother Matt were known as “The Fiddling Brothers.” While Matt hung up his fiddle and bow after high school, Wyatt was just getting started. Armed with a guitar and a desire to write songs, he paired with Cobi Ferguson to form the acclaimed Americana duo, Trees Leave. Combining electric guitar with traditional bluegrass roots led to a noticeably unique sound and a growing fan base. Having years of touring under their belts and two successful albums, Run (2008) and The Gospel of Hurt (2010), it was time for Cobi to settle down, and Wyatt to find a new setting fit for a more personal level of songwriting. So alone began his sabbatical to the Ocoee, and his debut album, The Pardon, which in ten songs provides ten glimpses into breakups, burdens, colorful britches, and the light on the other side of it all.