Backwoods bravado, patriot’s pride, country soul, keg-thumping beats — these are the qualities that Moonshine Bandits have championed since they began their journey. Armed with a hybrid arsenal of country and hip hop fusion, the California duo of Dusty ‘Tex’ Dahlgren and Brett ‘Bird’ Brooks are back with the grittiest, spirited and distinctly grass-roots release of their sixteen year campaign of musical badassery – “Gold Rush.”

If you ain’t about this life then you ain’t about shit.” – From the Track ‘Mud Money’ on the Moonshine Bandits latest release ‘Gold Rush”’

Since their formation in Los Banos California in 2003 the Moonshine Bandits have continued a campaign of crossover genre-bending musical mayhem that appeals to the eclectic, color-outside-the-lines tastes of listeners, aka The Shiners, and they fiercely refuse to have their tastes confined and filed into categories. “Our musical style has always been full throttle and in your face,” says Moonshine Bandit Tex. Just like the rumrunners, bootleggers, smugglers and outlaws of old – the Moonshine Bandits provide a supply of the goods for the demand, defying the mandates and trends of mainstream pop culture.

The course of their career has seen ups and downs, hard partying and self-reflection. The Moonshine Bandits have crisscrossed the country performing hundreds of shows a year, ventured into branding their own beef jerky and moonshine, collaborated with some of the music business’s most prolific artists, outshined in the face of record industry roadblocks, earned a fiercely loyal fan following, and embrace the unconventional. Hell, they’ve even had the honor of friend and adult film legend Tera Patrick spicing up a music video! It’s all part of a journey filled with good, bad and even some ugly, but ultimately the Moonshine Bandit philosophy is summed up by Tex and Bird’s joint statement – “We always felt there aren’t stops or boundaries if you pave your own lane.”

And now the Moonshine Bandits have hit the proverbial motherlode with the release of Gold Rush on their very own record label MSB. Taking its inspiration from all that embodied the struggles and successes of America’s extraordinary era when dreams were being made while hunting for that elusive precious gem. It wasn’t entirely about the dollar sign though. The Gold Rush was far more dynamic in terms of the greater meaning and effect it had on all those who took part. Big or small, bust or windfall, for many people the Gold Rush ultimately provided the experience of building a new life in a wild place that had a code of its own.

“Our Gold Rush wasn’t always about the glitter because we took the long haul,” Tex says, and just like many of the hopeful dreamers who panned the creeks of the old west’s badlands, the Moonshine Bandits encountered their share of setbacks but never quit. “We got in the trenches,” Tex continues, “learned and got burned.” The group’s Gold Rush reflects on a career that wasn’t about following some set of rules; this is about living by a code. Now with the debut of their own label, the group can fully exercise that code. “There’s a right way, a wrong way, and now there’s our way.” Characterize it as rebellion, call it anti-establishment, or perhaps it’s a little bit of symbolic of an elusive time when there actually was Honor among thieves, but the Bandits simply see it as lessons learned from experience.

Thematically, Tex and Bird describe the Gold Rush album as homage not only to the band’s career journey but also, and profoundly, “a journey about the people we have come in contact with. The people that inspire our songs.” This is especially true of the track “Two Bar Town” which speaks volumes of the brick and mortar, mom and pop’s, local friends and corner watering holes that truly provided the foundation of everyday life, culture and economics in America. Tex says the theme is all about the ‘small town’ and despite the fact that ‘small towns’ have naturally changed with time that “doesn’t mean you have to, you can still be proud of where you came from and keep those memories forever.”

Long before people figured out country and rap had a lot in common, the Moonshine Bandits released their genre-blending album, “Whiskey & Women,” and took the world of outlaw music by storm. The group’s blue-collar work ethic and unwavering persistence has led to over 60 million views on the ShinerTV YouTube channel – collectively over 80 million views on YouTube – while their video for “My Kind of Country” peaked at #1 on CMT Pure. The Bandits also charted Billboard simultaneously with a top 10 in Rap and a top 20 in Country Music and have been Recognized by Rolling Stone Magazine, CMT, Youtube Honors, MTV, AOL THE BOOT, YAHOO, and the list goes on. Connecting with fans on all levels, Moonshine Bandits have built a solid “Shiner Nation” of loyal fans, started their own 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization known as Operation Packing Company, Inc. that specializes in sending supplies to our Troops Overseas, Beef Jerky and legal Moonshine. The Bandits earned a 2018 Telly Award for their “Take This Job” music video featuring David Allan Coe

Doors 6:30PM | Opening Act 7:30PM | Headliner 9PM

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There is little doubt among the pure rock community that the legendary band Queen and lead performer Freddie Mercury earn high ranks as one of the most powerful and iconic groups in rock history. Queen, the kings of arena rock, performed to packed stadiums around the globe for over two decades. Freddie took showmanship by a rock front man to a new untapped level and was undisputedly crowned the lord of arena rock. He mesmerized audiences with his charismatic energy and larger than life stage persona. Upon his death in 1991, a huge void was left in the rock concert world, which to this day has not yet been matched. Queen Nation, a tribute to Queen, was formed in 2004. Queen Nation consists of: Gregory Finsley on vocals & keyboards as Freddie Mercury, Mike McManus on guitar as Brian May, Pete Burke on drums as Roger Taylor, and Parker Combs on bass as John Deacon. The mission of the show is to carry on the musical torch and pay homage to the golden age of vintage Queen concerts.Queen Nation’s live 90-minute production of Queen’s greatest hits preserves the image, sound, and stage persona of vintage Queen. Audiences are amazed at the accuracy of Queen Nation’s live retrospective journey through such Queen songs as We Will Rock You – Bohemian Rhapsody – We Are The Champions – Crazy Little Thing Called Love – You’re My Best Friend – Another One Bites The Dust – Under Pressure and many more. They have performed in front of thousands of people at casinos, fairs, festivals and private affairs.
	MIKE McMANUS – GUITAR / VOCALS Born and raised in the suburbs of Boston and weaned on his Dad’s Beatles albums at an early age, Mike could sing every song on the Sgt. Pepper’s album by the age six. It was there he acquired a taste for melodic 70’s arena rock bands such as Queen and Cheap Trick. After High School, Mike enrolled in Berklee College of Music. He soon left Boston for Los Angeles, and began sowing the seeds for what would become the hard rock band, EGODOG EGODOG released three critically acclaimed albums between 1997 and 2001, and traveled abroad each year performing for the U.S. Department of Defense. These very successful tours entertaining our troops took them to such far away countries as Japan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Hungary. In 2003, Mike created the musically animated Uncle Moondog, a scruffy-looking terrier who lives on the beach, sings songs and drives a dune buggy. (Check out www.unclemoondog.com) He wrote, recorded and released the 10-song “Uncle Moondog” CD in December 2003, and has received rave reviews across the country and spanning as far as the U.K. and Japan. In 2004, Mike got a call from singer Joe Retta to complete the line-up for Queen Nation. Looking at it as a labor of love, Mike buckled down and began learning all the guitar parts and transcribing all the harmonies. Not an easy task! Mike stated “I didn’t think I could gain any more respect for Brian May and Queen than I already had… My respect for them DOUBLED when I sat down to learn these songs!” His hard work led to an endorsement with Burns Guitars, maker of the Brian May model. Add to that Mike’s dead-on Brian May mannerisms and accurate stage attire, and you’d swear you were at the L.A. Forum in 1980!
	GREG FINSLEY – VOCALS / PIANO Gregory Finsley has been influenced by music’s greatest heroes since he could turn a radio dial as a child! Having been educated from middle school through high school, jazz and marching bands in Dallas, TX Gregory took up percussion at age 11 and never stopped. His desire to multitask became an easy habit early in life wanting to sing and play the drum set simultaneously and later the piano. Mixing rock, blues, swamp pop, country, and other styles of music in bands, Gregory has played with great musicians in New Orleans since he arrived in 1995. He even played Bourbon St. at the famous Tropical Isle with “Late As Usual” on a weekly basis. Strangely enough, Gregory’s first ever rock concert was Dec, 10, 1977 at Tarrant County Convention Center to see Queen perform being almost 12 years old! Watching the black crown raise up with the mist and smoke, lights and band, he decided he wanted to be a performer no matter what. Aside from his original recordings, Gregory has recorded and performed with many guitarists, piano players, and other vocalists such as John Autin of New Orleans, LA Craig Wallace of Dallas, TX Gary King of New Orleans, LA and even some corporations wanting Queen tunes specialized with different lyrics. His first Queen Tribute (Queen For A Day) was started in Dallas, TX in 2001 by Brian Harris, an outstanding guitarist with a long list of credentials to his name. Gregory, having a cousin living in Los Angeles, introduced him to Queen Nation in 2007 and created an extra push in his musical endeavors, which is now the top performing Queen Tribute in North America. Gregory’s taste in vocalists, artists, and groups include Stevie Wonder, Police, Tony Bennett, Carly Simon, Ronnie James Dio, James Taylor, Yes, Cab Calloway, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, Gene Krupa, David Bowie, Beatles, Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, CSNY, Badfinger, The Cars, Eric Johnson, Carole King, and the list goes on. His other professions and hobbies include custom gardening, Depression glass, fishing the bayous, gourmet cooking, wines, nature and artistic photography, antiques, yoga, and strolling the farmer’s markets.
	PARKER COMBS – BASS Parker Combs, longtime Queen fan, started playing standup bass at 12 years old. After spending the next five years playing in school orchestras and spending summers honing his craft at Interlochen Performing Arts Academy in Michigan he graduated to the electric bass. He has spent the last 18 years playing original and cover music in a variety of rock, funk and country bands. “Playing with Queen Nation has allowed me to use my classical and rock background to truly appreciate John Deacon’s Musicianship and re-discover the music and history of Queen.
	PETER BURKE – DRUMS / VOCALS Peter Burke has been active in the LA music scene since the mid-90s. Originally inspired by classic rock bands like AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Led Zeppelin, the first album he ever bought was Queen’s “The Game”. In college he developed a love for jazz and classical music, performing throughout Europe with the CSUN Symphony Orchestra and statewide with renowned Jazz “A” Band. He earned Bachelor of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from Cal. St. Northridge in 2000. Peter began his professional career playing with the band 10 Speed, signed to A&M Records. They released their debut album internationally in 1998, and embarked on a coinciding tour of the U.S. and Europe. Throughout the first decade of the new millennium, he worked several platinum-selling recording artists including Wilson Phillips, Tiffany, and the BulletBoys. Highlights included appearances on TV shows “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “Good Morning America”, and “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” with Wilson Phillips in support of their Columbia release “California” in 2004, and 2 albums recorded with the BulletBoys [“Sophie” with the help of legendary producer Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones), and “Live: Behind the Orange Curtain”]. Also highly regarded as a studio drummer, many of his recordings have appeared in major motion pictures and TV shows. Songs from the 2006 debut album of the band “The Skies of America” with famed producer Sylvia Massey Shivy (Chili Peppers, Tool, Smashing Pumpkins) have appeared in movies “The Bridge to Terabithia”(Disney), National Lampoon’s Van Wilder II, and “Eulogy” (Myriad Pictures). He’s also recorded with Joseph Arthur (for “One Hour Photo”, with Robin Williams), and Paperback Hero, who have had songs placed in TV shows “Friday Night Lights”(NBC), “Shark”(CBS), and “Felicity”(WB). Paperback Hero recently finished up its new Full length album, entitled “Cautionary Tale” with producer Jay Ruston (The Donnas, Steel Panther, Army of Freshman) for a 2010 release. Paperback Hero also recently won the KYSR – 98.7 FM (Clear Channel/Los Angeles) “Rock Star 3” competition – among the prizes was $25,000, and a performance at the opening of the new Grammy Museum @ LA Live on the Nokia Plaza to a crowd of more than 3000 fans. As a performer in tribute bands, you can catch Peter playing drums with Queen Nation (Queen), The Who Revue (The Who), and Holy Diver (Dio). Also, he currently plays vibraphone in Shades of Jade: A Tribute to Cal Tjader.

Doors 6:30PM | Opening Act 7:30PM | Headliner 9PM

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About Brian Culbertson

Over the course of crafting a 20-album catalogue and architecting more than 30 Billboard No. 1 singles as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Brian Culbertson has charted his own unique course in music. Label him jazz and he makes a funk record. Call him an R&B artist and he drops an acoustic jazz trio collection. Brand him pop and he creates a 32-minute New Age opus. And you’d be hard pressed to name another instrumentalist of his ilk who can mount an elaborately designed concert production that will keep him on the road for three consecutive months.

Culbertson burst onto the scene in 1994 with a chart-topping album that he recorded in his college apartment featuring keyboard-led contemporary jazz tracks. “Long Night Out” landed him a lengthy record deal and signaled that a star was born.

Flash forward to present day, his aptly titled “XX” album – those X’s are Roman numerals – finds Culbertson making a record unlike any of his previous releases because of its diversity. “It’s a mix of things that I’ve done throughout my twenty records. There’s a lot of funky instrumentals, some pop-sounding tracks, a couple slow jams, straight-ahead jazz, gospel, some vocals, lots of horns and some straight-up FUNK!” said the Chicago-based Culbertson. “The album is very much a mixture of some modern sounding programming along with live instruments, too. Real drums on almost everything mixed with programming. Definitely a cool sound.”

Recreating that cool sound live for fans is the best part as Culbertson and his band embark on The XX Tour, playing more than 70 concerts around the US. In addition to performing much of the new album, the setlist includes cuts from Culbertson’s hit-filled songbook along with a segment showcasing songs from “Winter Stories,” an album released last fall that placed him in an acoustic jazz trio setting for the first time. An exuberant performer, Culbertson spends months in preproduction meticulously working to create stunning visuals – staging, lighting, wardrobe and effects – in order to put on a mesmerizing show each time he takes the stage.

Possessing style, panache and a savvy business mind capable of moving the needle in music and beyond, Culbertson founded and curates the annual Napa Valley and Chicago Jazz Getaways, which have attracted guests from all over the globe to experience his premier events.

Whether you’re listening to music from “XX” on record or live in concert, you’re hearing an eclectic, entertaining and engaging set from an artist at the peak of his power.

Doors 6:30PM | Opening Act 7:30PM | Headlining Act 9PM

$29 | $39 | $49+ applicable fees.

Tables are available for reservation. Call the box office for more information.

Doors 6:30PM | Opening Act 7:30PM | Headlining Act 9PM

$25 | $35 | $45 + applicable fees.

Tables are available for reservation. Call the box office for more information.

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