Supporting Acts: The Happiness Machine the Kopecky Family Band Like all families, Kopecky Family Band beats with the same heart and writes in the same blood. 'The Family' began creating music together in Nashville, Tennessee in the Fall of 2007. What began as late night talks about life and dreams gradually flowed into eccentric and beautiful music that has led to numerous tours, including adventures to CMJ, SXSW and Bonnaroo, three EP releases and friendships across the country. Leagues In the process of writing and recording this summer's self-titled EP, the members of Leagues asked of everyone who touched the project the same thing they required of themselves. Be your secret self. Be the person you've always dreamed of being, but were perhaps too insecure or had simply grown too calloused after years of navigating the murky water that is making a living of music. Whichever is the case, fear or cynicism, check it at the door. They ask the same of listeners. Be your secret self. LEAGUES is Thad Cockrell (lead vocal), Tyler Burkum (guitar), Mike Simons (bass) and Jeremy Lutito (drums). B E G I N N I N G. In 2008, Simons and Cockrell met in Raleigh, North Carolina where Simons had begun playing bass for Cockrell when he had shows around town. They soon began writing together and eventually talked of starting a band. Cockrell mentioned that his first choice for a drummer would be acquaintance and Nashville native Jeremy Lutito, having seen him play a few years early and proclaiming, "if I ever start a band, that guy is my guy." In similar fashion, Simons voiced his choice for a guitar player would be Minnesota-based Tyler Burkum based solely on the experience of working with Burkum on a project eight years prior. On a trip to Nashville in January 2010, Cockrell reached out to Lutito and floated the idea of starting a band and related the vision he and Simons shared. When he brought up the idea of Burkum as a potential guitar player, Lutito promptly started laughing. He then relayed that he had been playing with Burkum in a band as hired guns for the past two years and that they had always talked about starting a band. S H O W I N G U P. In March of 2010, after what can only be described as a serendipitous start, the foursome convened in Nashville, Tennessee and walked into a studio together for the first time not knowing what to expect. From that first session, whatever was going on in the room was decidedly more than just jamming. Instead it sounded like something was trying to elbow its way into the room; the sound of something trying to become - if that makes any sense. In the air there was a collective spirit of "let's show up and see what happens." Lucky for listeners, something happened and they've been showing up ever since. Deciding that they would set aside conventional wisdom, the foursome put everything they had and pledged what they didn't yet have to this band and these songs that were being born. Everybody wins or everybody loses. They continued to meet in Nashville to write and play for a few days at a time every 6 weeks or so throughout 2010. This past December, Leagues began self producing 10 songs (three of which make up the self-titled EP) assisted by the engineering and mixing of Vance Powell and with friend Marshall Altman producing vocals. T H E M U S I C. The members of LEAGUES have been around long enough to not be naïve, but have also managed to hold what they do with the right amount of reverence and wonder. They know that in order for music to connect in this age of segmentation and uber-fragmented music landscapes that it is going to take something just short of a miracle. They admit that they must rely on others to catch the vision or to put it in the fashion of a typical southern colloquialism, "it's going to take a lot of water to make this thing float." Leagues wants to connect with people. The way they see it, the music is as much audiences as it is the bands. While they obviously are making music that they love, they also have the listener's pleasure and joy in mind. Ultimately, they would like their music to transcend the fractures in popular music and invite everyone to engage with the songs and take ownership of them. "My favorite music connects people and engages you to participate," says Cockrell. "Look at folk music, those songs got passed down because it was something people could sing together." That's your invitation. Bring your secret self and come sing with the band. $8.00 - $10.00