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It was a quiet night. The earth was spinning on its axis, traveling merrily through the cosmos. The lonesome hoot of a barn owl could be heard in the distance and the same played-out songs were streaming over and over across the airwaves. That's when David Downing, founding member of Lab Ratz said, "Stop! Something has to change!" Not being a god, or even a demigod, there's was nothing he could do about the workings of the universe. Not that he really wanted to. He enjoyed breathing too much. And the mating call of the owl was, in its own eerie way, soothing. But that harsh jangle popular culture now called music, that raucous racket that seemed to say nothing yet say it so loudly...now there was something he could change! And so it began; an experiment with the bold goal of rejuvenating an industry and uniting a generation. Since that fateful night, Lab Ratz, a 5-piece musical tour de force out of the heart of North Carolina, have set about enlightening listeners with their unique blend of rock, country and roots music. With lyrical imagery that conjures Dylan and Cash, melodies and arrangement that range from downright folksy to in-your-face and a touch of impishness that can only be described as Zappa-esque, the group has put together a repetoire of original compositions that crosses genres like the Concorde crosses the Atlantic ... with ease and flair. It's music that is timeless and never out of place. Whether played acoustically in a cozy bistro or presented in all its glory and amped thunder in a coliseum, it is a force to be reckoned with. As one listener- turned-fan said, "It moves me. It makes me FEEL." Lab Ratz - a band for all occasions, for all people, for all time.