Playing at the Fred was the highlight of 2009 for the band and we look forward to playing at the venue once again and passing the torch to another great local band. Here’s a recap of our 2009 performance at the Fred.

To view photos from the event, be sure to visit the Remedy photo gallery.

Surrounded by family and friends, the graduating class of nine students began the ceremony by demonstrating their basic knowledge of chords before moving on to play full songs with the band. The first song, ‘Bad Moon Rising’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival, was a song the students worked on for weeks leading up to the event with their teacher and mentor, Robby Jackson. It was clearly evident to all in attendance the students had been putting in some practice time because they performed wonderfully on the song, traversing the chord progressions like seasoned veterans. The band played two more songs with the students, finishing up with ‘Can’t You See’ by Marshall Tucker and ‘Born On The Bayou,’ another Creedence Clearwater Revival tune. The students had very little experience with these songs but truly showed their skills with chord changes, moving up and down the fret board as Tim Briscoe (lead guitar) called out the chords. Smiles could be seen throughout the entire room as they played the last note of the final song and walked off amidst cheers and applause.

Established in 2000 by local Peachtree City resident Ray Nelson, Guitars not Guns provides underprivileged youth in the community with guitars and lessons, in an effort to help them discover the positive influence of music and the impact it can have on their lives. In addition to teaching kids how to play guitar, instructors emphasize ancillary life skills such as discipline, hard work, perseverance, and dedication. Consequently, it provides them with an enjoyable hobby and keeps them constructively occupied, instead of potentially falling prey to destructive influences like drugs, gangs or alcohol. The ceremony was the culmination of an eight-week program that taught the students the basics of playing guitar, in addition to hopefully building a strong foundation for love of both music and the instrument.

Ray, his wife Louise, teacher Robby Jackson and event organizer Vicki Blair all had words of congratulations for the students and were beaming with pride watching them play. Lunch was provided for the students, along with gift bags, cake, graduation certificates and, most notably, a guitar that the students were able to take home following the ceremony.

The band had a tremendous time playing with the students and hope to collaborate further with the organization in the future. The kids were nothing short of fantastic and it was thrilling to see how far they had progressed in such a short period of time with hard work and dedication. The confidence they gained by the experience was extremely apparent, which will undoubtedly carry over to other areas of life, leaving the students with more than just guitar lessons during the eight week program, but a few life lessons as well.

Remedy recently had the opportunity to play at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City, GA on July 10th, as the opening act for the World Classic Rockers at the venue. Unbeknownst to us, among the many spectators watching that evening were Ray and Louise Nelson, founders of the Guitars not Guns Foundation, and GnG’s Marketing Director, Victoria Blair. Following the performance, the band received an incredibly kind e-mail from Ray, complimenting our performance and thanking us for being a part of an evening he truly enjoyed. Contained within the signature of his e-mail was a reference to a website entitled www.guitarsnotguns.org.

Ever curious, I promptly clicked the link and began trolling through the various pages on the website. What I discovered was truly inspiring. Established in 2000, Guitars not Guns provides underprivileged youth in the community with guitars and lessons, in an effort to help them discover the positive influence of music and the impact it can have on their lives. In addition to teaching kids how to play guitar, instructors emphasize ancillary life skills such as discipline, hard work, perseverance, and dedication. Consequently, it provides them with an enjoyable hobby and keeps them constructively occupied, instead of potentially falling prey to destructive influences like drugs, gangs or alcohol.

It was a great surprise then, when we received a second e-mail from Victoria Blair, GnG’s Marketing Director, asking us if we would like to participate in the upcoming graduation ceremony for GnG’s current students. After learning more about the organization and how GnG serves the community, each member of the band agreed to participate without hesitation. Originally asked to perform a few songs and speak to the students about our experiences with music, we’re hoping to have enough time before the event to practice a few songs with the kids so they can play with us at the ceremony.

As it turns out, all that practice, effort and hard work leading up to the concert at the Fred was beneficial on a number of levels. And if there’s one message I’ll be trying to advocate while speaking with the students, it will be for them to always put forth their best effort, regardless of the activity.

You never know who’s watching!

Despite being very warm throughout most of the day with temperatures peaking in the high 80’s, the sun was beginning its descent as the band took the stage, leaving much of the venue shaded and cooling as Remedy began to heat up. Although the band estimated having more than 100 friends and family in the crowd, it was fairly evident that the majority in attendance had not heard of Remedy and were likely unsure of what to expect as the set got underway.

We quickly grabbed their attention with the Stones classic ‘Start Me Up’ and moved right into ‘Hard to Handle’ by the Black Crowes which had people both singing and dancing. ‘Life in the Fast Lane’ turned out to be a great choice as many in attendance applauded after the very first few notes of the song and sang along with the chorus as well, providing some backup vocals to the band as we played. As the set continued with ‘Leave My Little Girl Alone,’ ‘Pride and Joy,’ ‘Johnny B. Goode,’ and ‘House is a Rockin,’ it quickly became evident to all in attendance the band had showed up with the intention of leaving a lasting impression and left no doubt by finishing the audience off with Led Zeppelin’s ‘Heartbreaker’ and the Allman Brothers’ classic, ‘Whipping Post.’

Tim left mouths agape with Jimmy Page’s solo in Heartbreaker, garnering wild applause following the song, while Danny’s piano solo in Johnny B. Goode had them movin’ and shakin’ in the isles. Andy B. and Jon Weakley were in perfect sync throughout the evening and Andy R. provided powerful vocals that complemented the outstanding instrumentals all night long.

As the last notes we played on ‘Whipping Post’ the crowd rose to their feet and rewarded the band’s efforts with a standing ovation. Several regulars of the Fred’s concert series commented that they’d not seen such a reception for an opening band before and that we had clearly exceeded their expectations with the performance. We left feeling incredibly satisfied with our effort and extremely confident that we’d gained a lot more fans than we had showed up with. As evidenced by the patrons who stopped and congratulated each one of us on our performance as we tried to make our way to our seats for the World Classic Rocker’s portion of the concert, the night turned out to be a memorable one for more than just the band.

To view photos from the event, be sure to visit the Remedy photo gallery.

I mean seriously, could they create a commercial this compelling anyway?

Remedy originally performed at the Fred back on May 9th, 2009, beating out 16 other performers for the opportunity to return as an opening act for the World Classic Rockers. As part of the rules for the contest, the band was only allowed a twelve minute set which turned out to be three songs. As a reward for winning the contest, Remedy will be featured on the evening’s program and be allowed to play a full forty minute set to help fire up the crowd.

The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater is a tremendous venue, seating up to 2,500 and set among the trees in the beautiful landscape of Peachtree City’s McIntosh Trail. Equipped with state of the art, professional sound equipment, a full crew of audio engineers and a wide variety of guest amenities including tasty food, beverages, a friendly wait staff and a family friendly picnic area that can be reserved for an additional fee.

The job of the opening act is to get the crowd warmed up and we intend to set the stage on fire with lots on energy, enthusiasm, and a tight set filled with music everyone will love and enjoy. And be sure to stick around for the World Classic Rockers following Remedy’s performance. If you like the kind of music we play, you’ll be sure to appreciate the WCR experience as we share a similar love for southern rock, blues and classic rock. You can check out their promotional video on their website.

Look forward to seeing you there and thanks for your continued support!

Date: Friday, July 10th @ 7:30 PM
Location: The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater
Address: 201 McIntosh Trail; Peachtree City, GA 30269
Telephone: (770) 631-0630
Cost: $25 Reserved Seating, $15 Lawn Seating

The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater is a tremendous venue, seating up to 2,500 and set among the trees in the beautiful landscape of Peachtree City’s McIntosh Trail. Equipped with state of the art, professional sound equipment, a full crew of audio engineers and a wide variety of guest amenities including tasty food, beverages, a friendly wait staff and a family friendly picnic area that can be reserved for an additional fee.

The job of the opening act is to get the crowd warmed up and we intend to set the stage on fire with lots on energy, enthusiasm, and a tight set filled with music everyone will love and enjoy. And be sure to stick around for the World Classic Rockers following Remedy’s performance. If you like the kind of music we play, you’ll be sure to appreciate the WCR experience as we share a similar love for southern rock, blues and classic rock. You can check out their promotional video on their website.

Look forward to seeing you there and thanks for your continued support!

Date: Friday, July 10th @ 7:30 PM
Location: The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater
Address: 201 McIntosh Trail; Peachtree City, GA 30269
Telephone: (770) 631-0630
Cost: $25 Reserved Seating, $15 Lawn Seating

As a result of winning the contest, Remedy will return to the Fred on July 10th, 2009 to open for the World Classic Rockers, featuring an all-star line-up from band’s such as Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steppenwolf, Santana and Toto. For tickets and information about the event, visit Peachtree City’s Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater website.

Once again, many thanks to Fayetteville’s Citizen Newpaper for their willingness to support the local music scene and for providing the residents of Fayette County, GA with a wonderful vehicle to share local news and events.

Select one of the images below to see a full scale version of the graphic.

     

For more information, be sure to read about the event in the recent news section.

Date: Saturday, May 9th @ 6:30 PM
Location: The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater
Address: 201 McIntosh Trail ; Peachtree City, GA 30269
Telephone: (770) 631-0630
Cost: $5 in advance – $10 day of show