Friday, February 22, 2008

The Connection set to perform in Southwest Asia

By Pegasus News wire

The Connection

The captivating acoustic roots duo, The Connection, will bring their distinctive sound to troops stationed in Southwest Asia, February 26-March 15. The Connection consists of Grant Braudrick, vocals and guitar, and Travis Roman, beatbox and percussion. Braudrick and Roman "connected" last year through a classified ad titled "Acoustic Roots," that Braudrick posted on the popular message board, Craigslist. Roman responded, saying "I thought I was the only one in the Dallas area to use 'acoustic' and 'roots' in the same sentence.” Two weeks later, the two met and within four hours recorded four songs that are on their debut EP. Two days later, they sent the songs to seven, live-music venues in the Dallas area and booked four shows. Their sound has been compared to Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and Bob Marley.

Roman, who served four years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force and whose father retired from the U.S. Air Force, says getting the opportunity to perform for the military is especially meaningful. "Going overseas to perform for our troops really hits home for me. It's definitely an honor to play for them."

Braudrick also comes from a military family (his father served in Vietnam and his grandfather served in World War II and the Korean War). "Our goal with our music is to make people feel good and to give them inspiration," he said. One of The Connection's songs written by Braudrick, "The Land I Love," pays tribute to the sacrifices U.S. servicemen and women make so that Americans have the freedom to pursue their dreams. "We will definitely play this song on the tour," he said.

It's impossible to listen to these guys without getting into their groove,” Army Captain Trevor Garrett, Armed Forces Entertainment circuit manager for Southwest Asia. "They have a fresh, honest sound that speaks to the soul. This is cutting-edge, feel-good music at its best."

Source: Armed Forces Entertainment

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• CD Review: The Connection’s self-titled album (April 14, 2008)

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• Arts > Popular Music > Singer / Songwriter