The attack of the chart-toppers

July 18, 2007

Who says you can’t be all things to all people? Certainly Doug Street of Streeters Ground Zero Night Club is willing to give it a try. Street has booked in five best-selling artists over a nine-day period, ranging from country, with chart topper Jack Ingram, to jam band superstars Blues Traveler, with plenty of hard driving modern rockers in the mix as well with Crossfade, Puddle of Mudd, and Days of the New.

Jack Ingram
Last year, Texas-born singer-songwriter Jack Ingram found himself at the top of the country charts with his second single, “Wherever You Are,” from the “This Is It” CD. His third release, “Love You,” landed in the top 10 and videos from both songs reached #1 on Country Music Television (CMT). Ingram, who will perform at Streeters July 19, feels the album title fits the current chapter
of his life.
“I think all musicians feel that everything they do leads to the next chapter in their life,” said Ingram. “Now I have gotten to a point where well I feel like, well…this is it.”
He may just be right.
Ingram had been bouncing around the country scene for several years between independent and major labels. His infectious high-energy live shows never transferred into blockbuster CD sales. Even country music stars like Waylon Jennings re-ferred to Ingram as an “incredible talent,” as the singer traveled around Texas dance halls and country bars for a decade before hitting it big last year.
After not record-ing for five years he signed with Big Machine Records — a small independent Nashville based label — and his luck seemed to change.
“As I look back at it and all the label deals I was in before, I don’t think that everyone at those thought it could work,” said Ingram. “It has been different here at Big Machine, and results are a lot different as well.”
Now, Ingram is a hot commodity. He will also get the stage warmed up for his modern rock brothers with his version of Hinder’s hit “Lips of an Angel,” Ingram’s first release from “This Is It.”
“Come on, that is a country song; who is Hinder trying to fool?” laughs Ingram. “I thought it was fantastic the first time
I heard it.”
Jack Ingram takes the Streeters Ground Zero Nightclub stage Wednesday July 18. To catch a sampling of Ingram’s music visit his MySpace site myspace.com/jackingram.

Crossfade
The Columbia, South Carolina-based heavy metal modern rockers Crossfade return to Streeters on Friday July 20. They will kick off a weekend that includes fellow rockers Puddle of Mudd on Sunday night.
The power trio once called themselves Sugardaddy Superstar (they originally were Crossfade but went with a name change after adding a DJ to the group). The band formed in the late ‘90s and crashed the national scene in 2004 with their self-titled major label debut that featured the hit single, “Cold.” The song would remain on the modern rock charts for 64 weeks and carry the album to over $1 million in sales.
The band has been popular on the “military tour,” performing at several overseas bases. Their hit song “Invincible” has become an anthem for those serving in the Iraq conflict.
To hear a sampling of Crossfade, check out myspace.com/crossfade.

Puddle of Mudd
Wes Scantlin formed Puddle of Mudd in 1993 in Kansas City. The group did well in Kansas with a couple of albums, but they never made it onto the national scene. So Scantlin took measures into his own hands and started manufacturing fake backstage passes to get into concerts to hand off demo tapes to musicians that he thought might help him make it in the business.
“Yeah, it was kinda crazy,” reflects Scantlin. “Sneaking into all of these concerts. Trying to get backstage and even tossing demo tapes on stage to people like Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots.”
His ploy final worked. Scantlin’s friend had made some fake backstage passes for a Limp Bizkit concert. Scantlin made his way back to lead singer Fred Durst’s bodyguard. The bodyguard agreed to give the tape to Durst. But Scantlin left the concert figuring it would never happen and planned to leave the music industry for good.
But Durst popped the tape in on his tour bus and loved it. As they say, the rest is history. That was 10 years ago and with some introductions to industry execs from Durst, Scantlin was able to take it from there.
Puddle of Mudd’s most productive years were from 2002-03 when the group scored four number one hits on the rock charts. Songs “She Hates Me,” “Drift & Die,” “Blurry,” and “Away From Me,” were all number one hits in a 14-month span.
They currently have another hit on their hands with the single “Famous” from their forth-coming album titled “Famous,” to be released
July 24.
“Yeah, you could say this Traverse City show is a CD,” release party,” said Scantlin.
Puddle of Mudd performs at Streeters Ground Zero Sunday July 22. To hear their current hit, “Famous,” check out myspace.com/puddleofmudd.

Blues Traveler
The harmonica-wielding front man of Blues Traveler John Popper brings his boys to Streeters Ground Zero for a 20th anniversary celebration of the band on Monday July 23. Popper has a lot to celebrate and so do fans of the band.
The group built a strong following right out of the gate on the jam band circuit. In 1994 they hit it big with the release of their album “Four.” Powered by hit singles “Run-Around” and “Hook,” the album would go on to sell over seven million copies.
They continued to get bigger and bigger on the jam band circuit as fans connected with their improvisational approach to their songs. But Popper kept getting bigger and bigger as well. By 2000 he weighed over 400 pounds, and with the group coming off the death of founding member and bassist Bobby Sheehan of a drug overdose in 1999, Popper knew he had to do something. Especially when the group lost their major label deal. He had gastric bypass surgery.
Popper may be thinner but the group remains in the thick of things on the jam band circuit. They have a new label deal and their fans have remained loyal. They are currently on a tour of large amphitheaters and concert venues with Streeters in Traverse City, by far the smallest venue they will perform at this summer.
“We like do to those intimate shows,” said Popper. “For us it is all about the music and the fans, we like to jam whether it is in front of 1,000 or 100,000.”
Samples of their hit songs and singles from their current CD “Bastadors” may be heard at myspace.com/bluestraveler.

Next week in the Express look for a feature on Days of the New performing July 27. For a complete lineup of coming shows this summer and fall to Streeters check out streetersonline.com.