thanks Kelly!!

Also ... please go to Charismatic Awards and vote for us!!

I've added some pictures to the gallery ... thanks to Megan. She went to another concert this month. Thanks Megan!

You know that guy slapping his chest in Jason Aldean’s “Relentless” video? That’s Rich Redmond. And he’s been drumming on stuff since he was 8 years old.

“I was just hitting everything,” Redmond told me. “And my parents were receptive to that and said ‘Do you want to play drums?’” So he got a blue sparkle snare drum, and now he’s touring and recording with Jason Aldean.

But Redmond admits all that percussion success didn’t happen overnight. “I am a product of the really good music programs in Texas,” he said. Starting in the fifth grade, he played in school concerts, then middle school orchestra and then the high school marching band. “Did I enjoy standing out there in the freezing cold with a snare drum strapped to me? No. But I came out with really good chops,” he said.

And then in 2000, when he met Aldean, he started played on song demos and showcasing for labels. It took until 2004 to cut Aldean’s first record, and then they hit the road in 2005. “We played every club, theater and honky-tonk out there,” Redmond recalled. Now when they’re playing live, Redmond says “Johnny Cash” gets the biggest reaction. “It’s very visceral, has a good tempo and that hook the fans love. A great song like that can really play itself,” he said. He went on to describe Aldean’s band as just a small rock ‘n’ roll band. “The songs we play on the road just cut to the chase. Rock’s based on riffs, and country’s based on stories. Our sound is the best combination of those.”

The hours that surround the show always start with coffee and usually end with Guinness. “In the morning, the bus has a huge coffeehouse vibe. With coffee, Internet and CNN,” Redmond said. “Then after the show, if we have time, the band likes to find local watering hole and have a Guinness, pat ourselves on back and talk about how we can make it better.”

Thanks to the wonderful Kelly ... we have some great fan pictures from a concert she went to in September. Thanks Kelly!

I'll let you know when voting starts ... but I nominated the site somewhere today. Check it out and nominate your own sites!

As you can see.. I finally found time to code the new layout. I think it's very cute! It features pictures of Megan and I with all of the band members.. and there's a picture of Megan and Jason hidden in here as well. Let me know what you think. Don't forget to donate your own pictures and stuff for the site.