The “Breaking Southern Ground Tour” featuring the Zac Brown Band (ZBB) hit the stage with a hard-rocking show and candid storytelling that captivated a nearly sell-out crowd recently at the Salem Civic Center. Along with the six-member band’s high energy and talented musicianship, there was another reason for the bandleader’s enthusiasm.
Brown’s wife gave birth to their third daughter [on September 9], prior to the beginning of the tour. On that same date the Georgia-based group was nominated for Best New Artist, Best Vocal Group, Best Single, and Song of the Year. Winners will be announced at the Country Music Association (CMA) ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee on November 11.
“Chicken Fried,” has sold more than a million copies to date, hit number one on Billboard’s Hot Country chart for two consecutive weeks and debuted as the second most downloaded single on iTunes. The toe-tapping ditty that has fueled group’s success was very well received by the audience in Salem. Most recently, the band’s major-label debut album, “The Foundation,” was certified platinum in August, for shipment of at least one million copies.
Touring with the Zac Brown Band and kicking off the concert in Salem was Southern Ground – Nic Cowan, Levi Lowery and Sonia Leigh. ZBB then took to the stage with a dynamic performance that incorporated both an eclectic and homegrown approach.
“Toes,” an ode of tropical escapism, is reminiscent of Jimmy Buffet’s music about beach life. “Different Kind of Fine,” written by Brown, Wyatt Durrette and Stokes Nielson, was a tribute to lust. “Junkyard” was all about the beautiful house Brown grew up in – that wasn’t full of love. Toward the end of the performance Southern Ground musicians joined ZBB on stage. Highlights also included covers of “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
In a nod to clever marketing, Brown announced that a DVD of the evening’s performance would be available 30 minutes following the show, and said he would stay as late as needed to personally autograph the DVD or his CD’s.
The Dahlonega, Georgia native is a former restaurant owner and chef known for his homemade special sauces and Southern cooking. Brown has been developing a new meat sauce line to be used for marinating pork or chicken that will be available soon.
He is also developing a charitable foundation that will run a children’s camp. Despite his many interests and family responsibilities, Zac Brown called his foundation and camp his life’s work.
In a show of loyalty to his roots, Brown also announced during the concert that he and his band would be taking a break from their tour to play a benefit show on October 30 in Georgia, to help revive a historical theater there that was lost in a fire. “My band and other bands have come up playing there,” noted Brown. “We want to make sure that it gets enough funding so that it can be rebuilt.”
Upcoming events at the Salem Civic Center: Women’s Health Beauty Life Expo on October 16-17; USSBA Band Competition on October 31; the Roanoke Symphony Pops with Natalie Cole on November 5; Hokie Wrestling Tournament on November 8; Old Crow Medicine Show on November 11; Roanoke Valley Comicon on November 14; Gem and Mineral Show on November 27-29.
By Susan Ayers [email protected]