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Win Two Free Tickets To Friday's Medicine For The Soul Music Fest in Atlanta July 27, 2016 17:11

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Live & Listen is pleased to partner with Free Spirit Productions and Airbound Entertainment as we offer a pair of free tickets to this Friday's 3rd Annual Medicine for the Soul Music Festival.  The one day festival is once again hosted by Smith's Olde Bar and sponsored by Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits.  Advance tickets can be purchased for $10 by clicking here.  Simply share this article directly from our Facebook page (and make sure you're privacy settings are "public") to enter the contest. We will announce a winner via Facebook at 2:00 PM EST on Friday afternoon.
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12:15AM -- McLovins
11:00PM -- Sumilan
10:00PM -- Voodoo Visionary
9:00PM -- Those Cats 
8:00PM -- Saturn Valley
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McLovins

Photo by Leonardo Mascaro

McLovins is a soulful, funk-rock band that complements a youthful energy with seasoned musical talent. Inspired by an eclectic mix of influences like The Meters, The Band and The Flaming Lips, members Jason Ott, Jake Huffman, Justin Berger, and Atticus Kelly combine their songwriting skills with extended improvisations and instrumental ingenuity.

Taking a page from their jam band forefathers, McLovins always try to keep their audiences guessing at what’s to come. Their eclectic setlists and individual musical personas define the band’s live shows. Hailing from Hartford, Connecticut, McLovins have appeared at Gathering of The Vibes, Mountain Jam, The Peach Festival and the legendary Nateva Music Festival, as well as many acclaimed venues across the country. They have also performed with some of the most influential artists on the scene, including Buddy Guy, George Porter, Jr. and Oteil Burbridge.

Recently the band cut an album with Emmy, Grammy, and Tony award winning producer Bill Sherman in New York City’s East Village. The album was released this October and the band is currently on tour. The band continues to evolve, bringing their distinctive, jam-rock productions across the country. Every tour brings a unique energy.

Sumilan

Formed in the classic city of Athens, GA, and together for almost half a decade, Sumilan has evolved into a sound uniquely their own. Showcased in their studio work and illuminated in their live performance, Sumilan blends prog rock, psychedelic trance, ambiance, and improv, all coalesced with infectious pop minded vocals. Apparent in their newest studio album, En Transit, Sumilan delivers a polished and powerful sound rooted in technique and grown with experience.

With a live performance structured on embellished composition, yet played with rawness and attitude, their sound resonates beyond the venue. The symbiotic energy of the live show leaves the audience satisfied, yet thirsting for the next. With eyes into the future, the band is soul driven into an ever evolving sound that meets the challenge of today, while fostering continuity into the sound of tomorrow.

Voodoo Visionary

Voodoo Visionary hails from the dirty south musical mecca of Atlanta. Their improvisational funk dance music delicately balances a tight rhythm section featuring deep grooving bass and funky drum beats with diverse and dexterous keys and masterful guitar licks to create a sound the group calls psychofunk. Influenced by a wide array of artists such as Parliament Funkadelic, the Grateful Dead, Talking Heads, and Medeski Martin and Wood, Voodoo Visionary has a uniquely blended sound that’s guaranteed to put the 'oogie in yo boogie.

The band is made up of Dennis Dowd (keys), Jimmy Lynch (bass), Scott MacDonald (vocals), Mac Schmitz (drums), and Mike Wilson (guitar). Wilson, Schmitz and Lynch have been playing together for over 8 years, during which time they built a unique chemistry that allows for exceptional improvisation during live shows. MacDonald joined the group in July 2013 as the lead vocalist and Voodoo Visionary began writing new music and playing shows immediately. Dowd was added to the band in March 2014 providing a missing link that enhanced the band’s distinctive sound, and the group has since taken off around the Atlanta music scene.

Voodoo Visionary released their debut album, Spirit of the Groove in March 2015. Over the past two years, while playing across the southeast, the band has shared the stage with acts such as Col. Bruce Hampton, Zach Deputy, Earphunk, Roosevelt Collier, Jerry Joseph, and Futurebirds. The band performed at the RAW Artists Atlanta showcase in September 2014 at Terminal West, made a live radio and TV appearance on WUGA’s It’s Friday program, and in May 2015 made their major festival debut at Counterpoint Music Festival near Rome, GA.

Spirit of the Groove draws from the various musical influences found among the band members. Elements of funk, jazz, disco and rock n’ roll combine to create an inimitable sound. Tracks such as “All Week,” “Salt” and “Parasite” have compositional elements reminiscent of Frank Zappa and Return to Forever, while “Take the Wheel” evokes a style similar to Phish. The driving grooves of “The Heathen,” “Testify” and “Dancin’ Feet” make it nearly impossible to sit still while listening, and the “Kang Gang Anthem” hints at elements of Pink Floyd while paying homage to the festival scene the band holds so close to their hearts. Spirit of the Groove was recorded live in the studio to capture the raw energy and showcase the improvisational expertise that the band brings to their live show.

Those Cats

Those Cats are a high energy Soul & Funk powerhouse from Statesboro, GA and have been described as "A band whose fresh, funky and soulful sound provides its listeners with a never-ending well of tastefully grooving tracks, perfect for any occasion worthy of music." [Connect Statesboro]. Formed in 2010 by original members Zac Tilson, Scott Underwood, and Miles Wiggins; Those Cats has come a long way since their first EP ‘Less Stress, More Groove.’ Adding vocalist Cyril Durant in 2012, the group has evolved from a 4 piece band into a full fledge, seven person ensemble complete with a horn section and multiple vocalists. Each member draws from their own styles and musical knowledge to create a diverse live music experience filled with original tunes and a few timeless covers. The group has released several live recordings over the past three years and their first full length studio album is scheduled to drop in early 2014. Those Cats enjoy collaborating with friends and bands around the Southeast area while aiming to generate a live show that will lift the audience and keep them there!

Saturn Valley

Saturn Valley is an experimental rock project formed in 2013 that features members Nick Jones, Chris Freiberg, Christian McDaniel, Alex Eversbusch and Josiah Garrett. Hailing from the fertile, music hub of Athens, Ga., the group quickly developed a distinct, improvisatory style with jazz, funk, synth-pop and heavy prog influences. After recording their debut album, "On The Rings," (released November 2014) the song "Odysseus" was selected for the 2015 AthFest Compilation Album among music from other Athens favorites. The band has enjoyed radio airplay on WUOG 90.5 FM and 93.3 Athens Community Rock Station as well as performances in the famed Georgia Theatre. In August of 2015, the group released its first live album, “Alive in the Georgia Theatre,” and is currently working toward releasing its second studio effort, "Cartographer," in 2016. With heavy, space-grooves and synth-laden jams, a Valley show is always an unforgettable, cosmic experience.