Kalmazoo's own Frankie Ballard signed to Warner Brothers records

Kalamazoo, Michigan's own hometown hero Frankie Ballard has been signed to Warner Brothers records in Nashville today March 20th, 2009.
Frankie was a college baseball player at Western Michigan University and got a later start than most in music. Frankie grew up with country and rock influences and used to impersonate Elvis and Johnny Cash with his father. Frankie and the Frankie Ballard Band have been playing sometimes four nights a week here around town and have also opened up for Kenny Chesney, Shooter Jennings and David Allen Coe and many more. Over the last year or so Frankie has been making many trips to Nashville to write with some of music row's best songwriters like Doak Turner, Walt Aldridge and Jim Bo Hinson. Frankie is an acomplished guitar player and captivating entertainer who also has a strong background playing blues and southern rock in various local bands. We here in Kalamazoo look forward to watching the next steps he takes on his journey to fame as a country music star on the rise.

Hear the songs

I posted a new music player at the bottom right corner of my page, just scroll down and you will see it. I have added some of my favorite artists and songs, some from those i have photographed and some from those i will be seeing soon. Just click play or forward through the songs. Hope you like some of these songs.

Cross Canadian Ragweed @ Joe's

The music playing over the PA system in Joe's bar before the show was "my kind of town, Chicago is" by Frank Sinatra, when the boys from Oklahoma started rocking it was clear that they are fans of the windy city. Cross Canadian ragweed played a good long set, debuting a few new songs that get more polished at each show in anticipation of going into the studio in Los Angeles later this month to record the new record. They always have a party around them and i cant say for sure which song they started the set with or which song they ended with, i want to say they started off with "smoke another" and soon kept it going with their version of Ray Wylie Hubbard's "wanna rock & roll" and ended with the Doors "l.a. woman" but i cant remember for sure, when it was all over Cody lit the set-list on fire and left the place feedback still ringing in every ones ears. This photo is of Drummer Randy Ragsdale, Cross Canadian Ragweed is one of the few bands in this genre that employs a lighting designer "Will Wright, the wizard" and they bring their own lights to augment the venues existing system.

Stephanie Briggs and the Oso @ Joe's

Stephanie Briggs and the Oso opened the show at Joe's bar in Chicago for Cross Canadian Ragweed on March second. Stephanie and her husband and music partner "the Oso, Spanish for bear" are residents of New Braunfels, Texas which is also where a couple of the guys from Ragweed call home. Her first CD entitled "spark: was released in January 2006 and features an eclectic mix of indie style songs that can have an explosive sound that reminds me of the Pixies and maybe because she covered the song "cannonball" in her set, the Breeders also come to mind, which was a perfect song to suit her style. Stephanie has a new release coming out soon called "birds barely know us" and it features Cody Canada of Cross Canadian Ragweed on guitar as well. Look for it in stores soon. She is highly original and stands out above other artists from Texas that sometimes sound the same.

Coming Events

The first monday of March starts off with Cross Canadian Ragweed and Stephanie Briggs at Joe's bar in Chicago followed by a show on the tenth with Jason Boland & the stragglers. April's good Friday weekend starts off with Stoney laRue and the Shiner one hundreth anniversary party on the ninth and Eric Church on the next night at Joe's. Friday May first Cory Morrow will be at Joe's with special guest Roger Creager. May 29th The lost Trailers are at Joe's followed by a June 5th appearance by Reckless Kelly. As of right now, i am waiting confirmation for a photo pass to shoot the amazing Country fever Red Dirt music fest in Pryor Oklahoma june 18-21rst. Go to countryfever.com and check out the incredible line up they have scheduled for four days of great music and camping. There are also numerous shows coming up at Joe's in between all the others i have listed that i might also be attending. Its going to be and exciting spring and summer.
UPDATE : Jason Boland show has been canceled and i Just got the word from Joe's about a show that was being kept under wraps until now. Keith Urban March 30th !

Darren Kozelsky

Darren Kozelsky opened up for The Randy Rogers Band Friday February 13th at Joe's bar in Chicago. Darren has a new album being released soon called "Arrivals & Departures" and started the show off with his new recently released to radio single "Good day to get gone". Randy Rogers came out with another solid performance and Brady Black was entertaining as usual. Just happened to catch this moment as Brady poses for someones camera. I did not know i even had this shot until i was going through all the photos the next day.

The Randy Rogers Band

Randy Rogers Played a show in Grand Rapids, Michigan on February 11, 2009 at The Intersection. Local opening bands Michatucky with Tony Brooks on bass and Dirt Road Logic started out the night right. The Randy Rogers Band took the stage and played a set of old songs and quite a few off their latest self titled release. The Randy Rogers Band was just nominated for an ACM (Academy of Country Music) award just that same morning. Toby, Randy Rogers's merchandise manager said that because of the nomination the phones were ringing on the bus starting at 8 am waking everyone up early but with good news. This photo is of Brady Black, Randy's fiddle player and harmony vocalist.

Wade Bowen in Chicago

Just edited this photo i shot of wade at his show in Chicago at Joes bar opening for Luke Bryan.

Wade Bowen

Wade Bowen @ Joe's bar in Chicago

Wade Bowen played a show opening up for Luke Bryan at Joe's bar in Chicago on Friday February 6, 2009. Although it was a short set, as are most opening sets, it was a very strong setlist that kept your attention throughout even if you have never heard Wade Bowen's music before. The setlist included some of the songs Wade is known for from his past releases as well as material from his latest release "If we ever make it home" which in my opinion and many others is one of the top offerings of 2008. This photo is of Wade's lead guitar player Gary Wooten.

musicfog.com

Well when some of my texas friends were off to Steamboat Colorado for this years Musicfest i was stuck here with no money to be able to make it which made me seek out ways i could find updates as to what was going on out there. XM radio was one idea but i dont have my account anymore, actually i only had a Sirius account back then. Todd Purifoy of Lonestar Music Magazine and Texas Red Dirt Photos (link on right side of this blog) was nice enough to tell me about his blogsite that he was going to try and keep updated with news and photos from the location. That was really cool, but then somehow i found out about a site called musicfog.com (link on right side of this blog) they were posting video footage of concerts, interviews and reporting from steamboat and posting it all a few times a day. I began watching all that coverage everyday and really loving what they did so when my friend David told me they were looking for people to volunteer to be reporters for the musicfog site i immediatly signed up. I was lucky enough to snag the reporter number 001 and they are sending me my credentials (badge) soon. Please visit the site and check out all the cool things going on there. I am one of a small number of people that will be doing this from various parts of the country. Abbey, events manager at Luckenbach Texas is one of the other reporters so it should make for some interesting reading. Evertime i write and post something new over there i will make a note about it here also with a link.

Cody Canada

When i have nothing to do i like to go back through some of my photos and just mess around with Photoshop and see what i can come up with. This is another version of a photo of Cody Canada of Cross Canadian Ragweed from the Chicago Country music festival (outdoors) i took in October.

The 2008 Chicago Country Music Festival @ Soldier Field.

Cody Canada of the band Cross Canadian Ragweed @ the Chicago country music festival October 12th, 2008. They closed out the festival on the Americana stage with the song "the boys from oklahoma" Wade Bowen and Mike Eli both sang a verse that they pretty much made up earlier in the day or right there on the spot. Later Cody announced to the crowd how much the band loves joe's bar in Chicago as Ed Warm was standing right in front of me.

Mike Eli of the Eli Young band @ the Chicago country music festival October 12th, 2008. I tried a different look for some of the shots i took that day. Removed some of the distracting background and added some interesting effects.

Wade Bowen @ the Chicago country music festival October 12th, 2008. Sunday was a great day, beautiful weather and Wade started out the day followed by the Eli Young band and then Cross Canadian Ragweed topped it all off with a great set.