Georgia
Thank you so much Atlanta. Over 850 appearances in Metropolitan Atlanta in the past 5 years! Got Latin jazz' Got Salsa and Son' Serenata Band was born around seven years ago as a trio playing just for small parties and restaurants. People happened to enjoy our job more and more and the band started to become very popular. Thanks to this we have grown to be the band we are now. Our current eight piece format began three years ago and ever since, we have become the hottest Latin group in town. Voted at Creative Loafing for two years in a row “Best Local Latino Music Act” (2005 and 2006) If you believe in numbers check this out; 826 appearances until 2007 In other words we play every other day on average and have since we appeared in the Atlanta scene. Around 250 years of combined experience from the band members and the influence of 6 different countries put this band off the charts. Serenata’s musicians have been pretty much the same people from the beginning and some of them have, not just music degrees from different colleges and universities all over the country and beyond, but a lot of personal experience playing worldwide for very known artists, different bands or even their own groups, lots of CDs and videos recorded, hundreds of thousand of gigs played. Creative Loafing says: "Formed in 2001, the eight-piece band is considered by many to be the best Latin band in Atlanta. Serenata Band’s repertoire includes Latin jazz, Salsa, Merengue and other creative styles. The music is hot. Dance lovers from across the cultural spectrum are inspired by the beat and the rhythms of this band" Serenata Band has played in many locations from small restaurants to huge festivals, fairs, several colleges and universities, middle and high schools as well as private parties; events that range from weddings to birthdays, where the crowds do nothing but dance, clap and ask for more. Cities from all over Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and the Carolinas have also welcomed Serenata Band on many, many occasions. Our variety of rhythms has the power to entertain people from all over the world. Sincerely we would love to be considered for your future events. Serenata Band can add a brand new taste of true Latin flavor to your festivals, celebrations or parties. For restaurants or small venues you can also consider our trio or quartet up to the full 8 piece band.
Traveling with a playlist that includes Outkast, Pearl Jam, Incubus, Snoop Dogg, Matchbox Twenty, Collective Soul, Willie Nelson, Brooks and Dunn, and a wide variety of originals that will be on their upcoming CD, Strawberry Nixon has been on hand to play with such acts as Ricochet, Andy Griggs, Vanilla Ice, Great White, and Afroman, performers who until now have yet to be included in the same sentence. Oh, and let's not forget the night in Ormond Beach, Florida when Dave Hlubek, original guitarist for the legendary band Molly Hatchet, thought enough of the group to jam with the guys for a set. They have unpacked their gear in six states and have played for club owners and fraternities in Atlanta, Jacksonville, Clemson, Auburn, Troy, and Nashville, Tennessee; arriving as unknowns to their audience, but often being quickly invited back for return engagements. The original incarnation of Strawberry Nixon was an acoustic duo comprised of Mark and his son Brandon, who returned from Atlanta during his senior year in high school. Both Swift men had been involved with other musical acts, but Brandon's return home provided them with their first opportunity to play together professionally. While many fathers and sons struggle to hurdle the generation gap, the Swift's mutual interest and talent for music was the bridge needed to keep their bond strong although the miles had kept them apart. 'My dad is the reason I started playing music,' said the younger Swift, 'And after I returned home I knew it was the only thing I wanted to do to make a living and he had the experience to show me how to do it right.' After a few practice sessions at their home, Strawberry Nixon made their debut on stage at Bayou Bill's South in Lake Park, Georgia in the fall of 2002. Even now they keep the acoustic duo alive by playing Strawberry Nixon Unplugged gigs each week, when the schedule permits, and use these performances to iron out new covers and work through the many originals that they have between them. After a few months of their acoustic form, a desire to expand musically struck both men, and soon a decision to form a full-fledged group was agreed upon. Once the decision was made to take on new members, it didn't take much effort to find the guys they were looking for, as Mark Swift just thought back to his previous bands long defunct to come up with two names that fit, Aaron Strickland and Mike Mink. In 2005 they added drummer Steven Carter into the mix. Strawberry Nixon has a new look, but the versatility they were relying on has gone unchanged. Along the way there have been some ups and downs, inevitable swings that time on the road demands, but they all agree that it has been fun and it always will be. Each member has many vivid memories of the past couple of years, but one story they all agree that gives them the most pride is the one relayed to them from a friend of Mark's. Before heading to the Middle East, U.S. Army Sergeant Derek Moore of Valdosta picked up a copy of Strawberry Nixon's acoustic CD and listened to it with his buddies while in Kuwait waiting for orders to move into Iraq. Moore emailed Swift to inform him that the CD was being played as his vehicle entered Baghdad, with a particular focus on the song Hotel Soldiers, which speaks of the brave people who give up their lives for the freedoms we enjoy. The band members are quick to remind those who will listen, it is not all playing and writing. It is often up to them to research and get booked at new venues and load and unload a trailer full of gear each time they play, but they measure their success by more then their income. 'When people are crammed at the front of the stage, requesting and singing your original songs, it is easy to forget all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes,' Mark Swift said. 'We truly enjoy being around each other and we are responsible for people having a great time, that's pretty powerful,' Mink added. Although they are keeping things under wraps, the band says they have had a plan from the beginning and they feel they are six-months to a year ahead of the schedule they had laid out for themselves. They are working on a new CD and they continue to knock on doors and spread their music as far as they can.
2FINGER JESTER was formed in 2004 with the primary goal of playing live music. Since they have started playing live shows they have performed everywhere from the smallest of clubs to the largest of concert stages cutting a path through Georgia and picking up a great fan base along the way. Every time they perform live the crowds seem to get bigger. Thanks to the power of the internet they have a fan base reaching all corners of the globe.
The attitude of the band is that when they play a show it's not just a show but an event; it's the biggest party in town and they are the host. 2FINGER'S live performances are probably one of the best you will see playing the club circuit. It's excitement from the first song to the last. When you come out to a 2FINGER show you listen with your eyes and you are entertained all night. 2FINGER JESTER plays a wide range of songs from southern rock to the current chart toppers.
They are working on and hope to have their first commercial release drop some time this year. But for right now they are doing what they do best: playing live.