Nashville singer/songwriter Will Hoge is primed to release his 7th studio album, NUMBER SEVEN, on Sept. 27 on Ryko.  Throughout his career, Hoge has survived and thrived through endless miles in vans and buses, landing a mainstream record deal early in his career and triumphantly overcoming a life-altering accident two years back.  If, as mentioned in Rolling Stone and elsewhere, Nashville has finally landed on the national rock and roll map, Hoge has been there all along.

Now, Hoge comes forth with NUMBER SEVEN, an album that poignantly captures his penchant for lonesome blues as well as country influences that have always been present in his music.  “Gone” would sound comfortably at home on contemporary country radio, while “No Man’s Land” is a twanging exposition of the gulf between men and women.  At the same time, Hoge’s poetic side is represented by two thought-provoking songs.  “American Dream,” a profile of a homeless man living amidst a devastated economy, gets right to the core of this tragic situation by stating “I’d give it all right back to just be looked at like a man.”  A similar claim to dignity suffuses the epic “Illegal Line,” which humanizes the oft-demagogued issue of immigration.

“People complain that there’s nothing from current musicians that has any sort of weight or political commentary,” says Hoge. “And I think rock and roll is a little lesser for that at this point.  So, I really wanted to go there on this album and talk about some things that aren’t necessarily being talked about by other artists right now.  I’m really proud of this album. Everything I’ve been through in the last couple of years has caused me to slow down and be more thoughtful about what sort of music I’m putting out. The process of creating music has changed too.  For the first time, I feel like this album really encompasses everything about me as an artist.  I’m just ready for everyone to hear it!”

The album’s grand finale, and first single, “When I Get My Wings”, looks to that other musical city in Tennessee for inspiration and lets Hoge uncork on a full-throated Otis Redding-style vocal with a heavenly host of Memphis-inspired horns.

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NUMBER SEVEN track list:

1.    Fools Gonna Fly

2.    Too Old To Die Young

3.    Goddamn California

4.    American Dream

5.    Gone

6.    The Illegal Line

7.    Silver Chain

8.    Nothing To Lose

9.    No Man’s Land

10.  Trying To Be A Man

11.  When I Get My Wings

NUMBER SEVEN follows up Hoge’s 2009 release, THE WRECKAGE, which was hailed as “triumphant” by the BBC; “welcome and worth the wait” by USA Today and described by American Songwriter as follows: the “eleven tightly crafted songs retain the artist’s self-assured, Southern swagger.”  The long-time road warrior is planning a rigorous touring schedule with upcoming headlining dates this fall.  Details and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks.

Z2 Entertainment is proud to present Dead Man Winter featuring members of Trampled By Turtles at the Fox Theatre on Friday, August 19th.  Tickets go on sale Friday, June 24^th for $8.00 in advance and $10.00 day of show.

During a time when I was now fully unemployed and sleeping indoors only by the good graces of friends willing to share a couch, and the loss of my instruments was more than a little devastating.  Of the few possessions I still had, the one that now gained top billing was a cheap acoustic guitar collecting dust in a small room on Duluth’s central hillside.  A few other musicians in town had similar instruments collecting a similar dust and we started what was our first acoustic band, Trampled by Turtles.

We’ve been able to stay together ever since but lately, the drums and amps ringing in the back of my head have been getting louder and the desire to play, write, and record in a way removed from what I’ve been up to has been getting stronger.  Dead Man Winter was born out of these things.

I’d been renting a studio in Minneapolis, I set to the task of making a record.  My partner in the dirty and thankless work of recording was local engineer, songwriter, producer, guitarslinger, and master of the vibe Erik Koskinen.  We spent countless blissful hours exploring guitars, amps, mics, and players in the worn-in beauty and sanctity of Realphonic Studios.  Without a doubt, countless more hours could have been spent but you can’t begin work on the next record until you put out the current one, so here it is.

The musicians that play on this album are dear friends – there’s not a one of whom would I’d hesitate to trust a song that I hold dear.  In the end, the whole experience has reconnected me to that couch-surfing kid in Duluth trying to figure out what to do next in this big, terrifying, wonderful world and now, with a few more years behind me, it’s refreshing.

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Dead Man Winter

featuring members of Trampled By Turtles

Fox Theatre

Friday, August 19th

Doors:  8:30 pm

Show Time:  9:00 pm

The Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma (ACM@UCO) has a full calendar for the rockin' month of May. It all kicks off days before with its next master class featuring Mark Volman - AKA Flo - of 1960s band the Turtles on April 29. The Los Angeles native found fame with his band's 1967 hit single "Happy Together," and will engage students with an in-depth discussion of his career and performance. On April 30, The Turtles featuring Flo and & Eddie will perform at an ACM@UCO fundraiser.

On May 4, ACM@UCO will hold its inaugural graduation ceremonies, bidding farewell to its first class of students, including those who have landed high-profile jobs in the music industry. Flaming Lips multi-instrumentalist and former master class speaker Steven Drozd is confirmed as the special guest speaker for the event.

In addition, on May 5, 60 ACM@UCO-affiliated bands will perform across 11 venues in Oklahoma City's historic district as part of ACM@UCO's Bricktown Takeover. On May 10, ACM@UCO will host a master class with guitar legend Robben Ford. On May 7, ACM@UCO's student-run Performance Lab will play host to a performance by Man Man, followed by The Black Angels on May 20.

The Yardbirds will be headlining the first annual ZepFest, playing all three nights May 27, 28, and 29-Memorial Day Weekend, at the National Harbor, on the Potomac River, at Waterfront Street and St. George Blvd., in Prince George's County, MD.

The ZepFest features over 50 bands on five stages. There'll be speakers, authors, secret shows.  It's also a completely Green festival.  ZepFest CEO and Festival Director Mark Boudreau says the Fest will include, “Descendants, disciples and influences.” There'll be blues artists the Night Hawks and Willie Big Eyes Smith, contemporaries Vanilla Fudge, and fans Dread Zeppelin, tribute bands, and guest speakers most notably Atlantic Records' Jerry Greenberg.

The late Pinetop Perkins was scheduled to perform, and the entire ZepFest will be dedicated to him.

The Yardbirds' band members will be on hand throughout the day to connect with fans.  Guitarist Ben King will be part of the Ultimate Dream Band in which a lucky fan gets a shot at playing before the Yardbirds.  The band's tour manager, Henry “The Horse” Smith, an original Led Zeppelin roadie, will be on hand to tell stories.  Jim McCarty will be giving a Q&A Session. Rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja, who became a professional photographer after the Yardbirds broke up in 1968, will be showing (and selling) photographs, including the iconic back lit shot of Jimmy Page, which will be signed by both Jimmy and Chris.  A sampling of Chris' work can be seen on his website.

The Yardbirds is original members: rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja and drummer Jim McCarty, and a new generation of musicians: singer/acoustic guitarist/harpist Andy Mitchell (since 2009), bassist David Smale (since 2009), and lead guitarist Ben King (since 2005).

The Yardbirds innovated 1960s guitar, with fuzz tone, feedback, distortion, backwards echo, improved amplification….and using a bow to play guitar.  The group paved the way for the careers of Eric Clapton (1963-'65)  Jeff Beck ('65-'66), and Jimmy Page (66-'68, first as bassist, then guitarist when Beck left).  The group drew some repertoire from the blues acts of the day, including Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, and Bo Diddley, and the Yardbirds hits were some of the best songs of the British Invasion: “For Your Love,” “Heart Full of Soul,” "Shapes of Things," “I'm A Man,” and “Over Under Sideways Down,” “Train Kept A- Rolling,”  “Dazed and Confused.” “I'm A Man,”  and “Over Under Sideways Down,” and “Better Man Than I.”

The Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.  Soon after the induction, Jim and Chris reformed the Yardbirds, first playing at London's Marquee club with the newly reformed Animals.

In 2003, Steve Vai's Favored Nations label released their album BIRDLAND, an album of new songs that featured guest appearances from Vai, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Slash, Brian May, Steve Lukather, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, and John Rzeznik.  In 2005 guitarist Ben King joined the group, who recorded LIVE AT B.B. KING BLUES CLUB on July 19, 2006.  That came out in 2007, included a version of “I'm a Man” that played on the Simpsons that year.

The Yardbirds has continued to tour.  An institution in popular music, blues, rock and roll, the group made an indelible mark on the music and culture of both the 1960s and future generations.

There are a variety of tickets and pricing plans available for the Fest, including one-day events and VIP get-togethers.  The full Fest is $325.00, and tickets are available .