What a nice surprise to happen upon such a great new band!
I have been beyond fortunate to have seen many of what I consider the greats of all time live in concert. In no particular order and some multiple times: Michael Jackson, The Eagles, One Republic, Brett Eldredge, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart, George Benson, B.B. King, Joe Williams, The Black Eyed Peas, Louie Bellson, Andrea Bocelli, Lindsey Stirling, Etta James, Charlie Byrd, Eric Clapton, Spatz Donovan, UT, James Taylor, Boston, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Ingrid Michelson, James Arthur, Bonnie Raitt, Pink, Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Buffet, Boston, Trombone Shorty, Boz Skaggs, Hiroshima, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffet, Chris Stapleton, Ed Sheeran, Jason Miraz, Chris Isaak, Jimmy Buffet, Alan Dale, The Temptations, Charlie Byrd, Fleetwood Mac (the entire original group), Rob Thomas, Missy Andersen, The Doobie Brothers, and Lynyrd Skynyrd (original with Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines) to name a few. Even got to meet MJ (and almost ran him over), Michael McDonald, Missy Andersen, Louie Bellson, Joe Willams, Alan Dale, and Ronnie Van Zant. All extremely gracious, kind human beings.
I am not the starstruck type and can’t say I have put much effort toward following any particular artist or band. I’ve been so fortunate to have been exposed to so much great music. From swing to rap to blues to rock n roll to opera to reggae to (some) country – I love it all! I am so excited for Bishop Gunn. They deserve every accolade for their talent, their generosity, and their kindness toward their fans and the community from which they originate – Natchez, Mississippi.
So to say I was thrilled we had the opportunity to chat for just a bit with Travis McCready of Bishop Gunn just before he took the stage the other night would be an understatement. Not surprisingly, he was gracious, extremely polite, and a great conversationalist. I saw an interview with them recently and when asked if they like it when fans approach them they replied with a resounding yes! How refreshing.
A bit of fate with a dash of timing has allowed me the opportunity to see this great new band 5 times in the past year and 3 times in just one month! They were the highlight for me at the Pilgrimage Music Festival in Franklin, Tennessee last year and I found them again at their album release party at Franklin Theatre. (It was sold out but I got in because a patron had left a ticket at will call to pay it forward and I got it!) What a night that was!!
Their new album is beyond good. It hit the Billboard charts and was featured by Rolling Stone magazine as soon as it came out. Recently someone asked me which song they should listen to as a sample and I found myself recommending a long list which was pretty much the entire album! I also highly recommend watching the short documentary and the Shine video on their website. I think they are both award-worthy! If you watch you will definitely want to see this band. Just click on the links below.
Which brings me to another 5 Heart Rating I will get to later – Natchez! What a great city!! My daughter and I hit the road and drove to Natchez for the first annual (I hope) Bishop Gunn Crawfish Festival and had an absolute blast. We almost didn’t go but fate intervened and we ended up going and staying for a few days, right on the Mississippi River in a beautiful historic antebellum home, dined at local restaurants and food trucks, enjoyed great convos with the people of Natchez, and walked 3 minutes to the festival. More on Natchez later… But if you’re reading this before May 19, 2019, you MUST go to the festival in Natchez. You will love it. I learned how to properly eat crawfish!
Bishop Gunn has some tour dates but I would suggest you follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to find place and time. They are on tour in Europe right now and heading back the the US soon. So go see them!
Here are links to their awesome website and those amazing vids I mentioned:
http://bishopgunn.com
http://bishopgunn.com/video
