"I'm trying to get you to open up your sense to all the fine things that tear down the fences, put up by, and kept by those who don't always listen to what father told you they would be missin'. Out and down on this child's intervention, this boy never meant nothing but just to give you . . . all about the passion." - Pat McGee

It is with this passion and devotion for music and for their fans that have driven the Pat McGee Band on a meteoric rise through the music industry. Formed in the Richmond, VA area in early 1996, the Pat McGee Band is taking the industry by storm, gathering new fans with each gig all over the country. Music fans are attracted to the energized acoustic rock and tight vocal harmonies. New fans discover the music daily due to the extensive online tape trading frenzy by passionate fans, and due to the strength of the "Identity" email discussion list for fans. The band has opened for such acts as the Allman Brothers, Rusted Root, Jimmy Buffett, Fleetwood Mac and James Taylor. The band plays over 250 shows in a year, and have logged 100,000's of miles on their touring vans going from coast to coast to show off their talents to an ever-growing fan base. They have played all over the country, selling out Irving Plaza, TLA, Trax, Paradise Club, the House of Blues in Chicago and other venues. On June 1, 1999, the Pat McGee Band was signed to Giant Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. This was a big breakthrough for the band that was already considered one of the hottest up and coming bands by Billboard. On April 11th, the Pat McGee Band will be releasing their second studio album, Shine, off of the Giant label. The album starts off with the first single off Shine, "Runaway", which has already seen considerable airtime in such markets as Philadelphia, Nashville, Boston, and San Francisco. "Runaway" starts off with a very percussive vibe, with a very "rootsy" feel to it. The song makes you want to get up off your couch and start dancing on the coffee table the first time you hear it. It's a song about the ups and downs of love. Another powerful tune is the title track, "Shine". This is Pat's heart-wrenching tune to a long lost friend, and it gives insight into how Pat dealt with the issue of saying goodbye to his friend. The album has many other styles of music within its fourteen tracks. "Drivin" is an up-tempo tune, while the haunting opening vocals for "Fine" bring back fine memories of hearing CSN(Y) at their peak. The straight up guitar-rock sound of "Hero" tells a story about the changes and promises of relationships that do not get fulfilled. Overall, this album sends out many messages about life, love, losing, grieving, and enjoying what you have. And Pat's message is strongly sent through amazing musical talent, enchanting vocal harmonies, and an overall positive vibe to the music and messages. The album was recorded in Sausalito, CA. Their producer, Jerry Harrison (former Talking Head), has worked with such distinguished bands such as Rusted Root, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and Kenny Wayne Sheppard. Pat McGee said working on a major label was a bit different because they could use the finest studios and engineers to get the best sound out to their fans on this new album. His favorite memory of the studio time was seeing Warren Haynes lend his incredible talents to a few tracks. According to Pat, working with Haynes was just "amazing". Pat feels the sound of Shine is, "more mature and polished but still raw PMB material. Shine has the same positive vibe that Revel did. But I feel like the songwriting is more mature and the arrangements and colorful instrumentation is the core of why Shine flows the way it does." The album contains some old classics like "Rebecca" and "Haven't Seen for a While", along with such new fan favorites like "Hero", "Lost", the single "Runaway", and the title track, "Shine". With all of the success the band is now receiving, it makes the beginnings of the Pat McGee Band even more interesting.

Pat McGee was always around music. His earliest memories of listening to music was sitting down with the family and listening to holiday tunes. He also remembers listening to his older siblings music, like David Bowie, The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin and many others. Pat recalls, "I used to sneak into my sisters room and play the only album I had, Born in the USA (B. Springsteen), when she wasn't around". At the age of 16, Pat's parents bought him his first acoustic guitar, and from there, his devotion to music only escaladed. In the spring of 1995, Pat McGee decided to record some songs he had been performing at coffeehouses at his college, Longwood College, and surrounding areas. After having success with sales of the solo project, From the Wood, and a growing grassroots fan base, Pat decided to form his own band to continue his musical journey through life. Pat met up with John Small, a bass player from the area, in the spring of 1995 and asked him to help back him up for his CD release shows. John agreed after hearing the demo copy of From the Wood. John has an extensive musical background. Born in Cottingham, located in Northeast Yorkshire, England, he moved to the United States at age seven, and has been playing music all of his life. He found the journey on the road with Pat McGee very attractive, so he decided to join Pat full-time. Chardy McEwan entrance to the Pat McGee band was perfect timing for Chardy. He traveled the country, setting up on street corners playing his bongos, trying to find his calling with a band. With no luck, he headed back to Richmond, enrolled in college, and formed a local band. The band decided to break up, and on the night of the last show, Pat walked in and invited Chardy to join him in the fall of 1995. Jonathan Williams and Al Walsh soon joined Pat in his musical endeavors. Jonathan recalls hearing Al play for the first time at a pizza joint, he thought there was a jukebox playing James Taylor, it was really Al doing his thing! Jonathan was amazed at his talent. Jonathan and Al, along with a mutual friend, Brian Schumate, formed "Three Flights Up". After Brian left, they became "Two Flights Up" and had a successful duet career. Pat approached Jonathan and Al after their set at The Bottom Line in December of 1995. At first, Jonathan and Al were apprehensive about "another kid with another demo", but after hearing From The Wood, they agreed to have an audition, and two weeks later they joined Pat and John. Chris Williams was a solid choice for the band's drummer. Chris had been playing with various bands around the Richmond area, while attending VCU for two years, and joined up with the band in March of 1996. Now with the band formed by early 1996, they were ready to hit the road and surprise the world with their musical talents, energized acoustic rock, and overwhelming vocal harmonies.

The band was on the road by 1996 traveling up and down the east coast. Pat loves the road because, "It's like one big party. We get to go from town to town, see the entire country, and meet the most wonderful fans everywhere we go." From the beginning, the band allowed taping of their concerts because they believed in grassroots growth, and they wanted their fans to be able to enjoy their energetic shows over and over. By 1997, the band was ready to release their first album, Revel. This album has such classics as "Rebecca", "Straight Curve", "Passion", "Ceamelodic", and "Can't Miss What You Never Had". The band received even more acclaim after their live album release, General Admission, in late 1998. General Admission contains songs from two live shows at The Birchmere and The Bayou.

Now the Pat McGee Band is back on the road, and fans are all eager to hear the new material live, and hear the old classics. Look for the Pat McGee Band in your town. http://www.patmcgeeband.com for tour dates, merchandise, albums, and all your other Pat McGee Band needs.

Tour Dates:

4/15 	Richmond, VA  	Mulligans
4/16 	Towson, MD		Recher Theatre
4/17 	Harrisonburg, VA	JMU - Wilson Hall
4/18 	Ithaca, NY		State Music Hall
4/19 	Boston, MA		Karma
4/20 	Boston, MA		Karma
4/21 	Philadelphia, PA	TLA
4/22 	Annapolis, MD	US Naval Academy
4/26 	Oxford, OH		First Run
4/27 	Ann Arbor, MI	The Ark
4/28 	Chicago, IL		House of Blues
4/29 	Gettysburg, PA	Gettysburg College
5/2  	Rochester, NY		Milestone's
5/3  	Northampton, MA	Pearl Street
5/4  	Providence, RI		Lupos
5/6  	New York City, NY	Irving Plaza
5/10 	Birmingham, AL	Five Points Music Hall
5/12 	Atlanta, GA		Variety Playhouse
5/13 	San Francisco, CA	KFOG Radio Show
5/19 	Norfolk, VA		The Norva