Adam Ezra Group & Tristan Tritt Band

Adam Ezra Group

If you haven’t connected with Adam Ezra Group yet, these are just a few examples to help you understand how this underground, Americana songwriter and his bandmates seem to have popped out of nowhere, establishing a connection with their fans unlike any other, and are suddenly selling out theaters throughout the Northeast.

Adam Ezra will joke with you that while the “nowhere” part might be accurate, nothing has ever just “popped” for this folk musician, activist. Without resources, connections, or any kind of clue how the music world works, Ezra began playing shows over 20 years ago. When music venues wouldn’t hire him, he played bars, bookstores, fields, and parking lots, often raising money for causes he cared about; a practice that grew into his nonprofit organization RallySound.

“We’d play 5 hours a night,” Adam reminisces, “more often than not, in danger of outnumbering the audiences we were playing for…”

So how did this band operating so far outside the traditional music world come to win New England Music Award’s “Americana Act of the Year” in 2023? What could have happened to inspire John Oates to call Adam and invite him to begin a songwriting friendship that would lead to John producing their latest release and co-write, “Hold Each Other Now”? What happened to catch the attention of The Wallflowers, who recently invited AEG to join them on their spring tour, or SPIN Magazine who recently proclaimed, “This Independent Underground Folk Band Is Blowing Up Without Selling Out”?

If you ask Adam, he’ll tell you:

“One person at a time, over many years and thousands of shows, decided to turn their heads to listen. One person at a time decided to share our music with folks they care about. That’s always been our story. It’s no fairytale, but it sure makes me proud and humbled when I look out from the stage to watch theaters full of people singing along to our music.”

These days you’ll find Adam and his bandmates, Corinna Smith (Fiddle), Poche Ponce (Bass), and Alex Martin (Percussion), constantly out on the road. If you look at their tour schedule now, you can buy tickets to see them at festivals, rock venues, and theaters around the country, but you will also see their tour continuously peppered with activism and grassroots events; a testament to an artist who will never forget where he came from, and whose mission is about much more than music.
Facebook I Instagram I Spotify I YouTube

Tristan Tritt describes himself as “an outsider.” Yet, this vantage point enables his music to stand out.

Growing up, the Georgia native always separated himself from the pack. Rather than adopt the usual Gen-Z fixations of peers overly obsessed with how many “likes” they can get for the next social media post, he magnetically gravitated towards rock, metal, and blues. He committed all of his free time to the recording studio and the stage, cutting his teeth with countless shows and building buzz.

Now, he douses grunge-inspired songcraft in hard rock attitude and sets it on fire with an incendiary and infectious sound of his own. At the same time, his words cut deep as he confronts the realities of a confused post-COVID generation raised in chaos.

Ultimately, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist breaks the mold of what rock music can be and say in 2023 with a series of independent singles and more to come.

“For me, every day is an opportunity to grow and push the boundaries of creativity,” he says. “So, I’m constantly figuring things out. Nowadays, people of my era believe they need to know exactly who they are by a certain age. The entire purpose of life is to evolve and realize what works for you and what doesn’t. My music is based on a hunger for knowledge.”

Guitar Hero opened the door for a future in music, and he stepped right in. He immersed himself in albums by Stone Temple Pilots, Linkin Park, Three Days Grace, and Motörhead, among others. Even though he never quite bonded with his classmates, he found acceptance from his favorite artists.

“I didn’t like the same type of fashion and pop culture that the other kids did,” he notes. “I never had a sense of belonging with a group, but I felt like I could dive into music.”

At 11-years-old, he picked up his first Fender Stratocaster and never put it down. He went from tirelessly practicing staples such as Oasis’ “Wonderwall,” The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” and Foo Fighters’ “Monkey Wrench” to penning tunes of his own. Following high school, he graduated from a recording engineering school in Arizona and spent a short stint in California.

During 2020, he returned to Georgia and doubled down on music. He often performed four open mic nights per week in between marathon recording sessions. 2022 saw Tristan introduce himself with “Oblivion” and “Right On Time.” Meanwhile, he kicked off 2023 with “Nervous System Overload,” receiving acclaim from the likes of Audacy, Medium, and more. Everything just set the stage for the next phase.

His single “No Filter” illuminates the dynamic of his approach. On the track, clean guitar wraps around a glitchy beat. Simultaneously, he stretches his vocal range, fluttering between a laidback flow and breathy infection. The momentum gives way to an infectious and impactful refrain punctuated by a fret-burning guitar lead.

“So many of our interactions are based on vanity,” he observes. “In reality, who you are on social media is completely different from who you are in real life. There’s actual filter in place, and we play the game by commenting and pretending. I think it’s not just damaging for kids, but adults who constantly scroll through social media without understanding the majority of what they’re looking at is artificial. I’m seeing beyond the façade.”

It takes an outsider like Tristan to see beyond the façade and, ultimately, push rock into new territory.

“When you listen to me, I want you to know it’s okay to feel like you don’t belong,” he leaves off. “It’s okay to not be who everyone else wants you to be. I’m going to be the voice to comfort you. I never felt like I belonged. Music resonated with me and made me feel like, ‘ I’m not alone’. I’m trying to give you the same feeling my favorite artists did.”
Facebook I Spotify I Instagram

*If you are over 21 but do not have a legal ID, State law prohibits us from serving you adult alcoholic beverages. There is a $5 surcharge at the door if you are under 21. If you are under 18 you must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.*

Host or Publisher The Evening Muse