Sorry, there are no Pat McGee dates.
Pat McGee, after nearly fourteen years of touring, feels the need to mix things up a bit.
The namesake and leader of the Pat McGee Band may only be going by his own name when he performs these days, but it doesn't mean the band itself is finished. "We recently decided to change how we do things," says McGee. "I have been doing some solo, duo, and trio touring, in addition to full band dates. It keeps things interesting." This shift and Pat's revolving live lineups will give fans some variations in the live setting that are sure to please.
With the full national release of "These Days (The Virginia Sessions)" planned for March 10th, 2009, McGee was able to whet fans' appetites for some new music with the iTunes-only release of "Live From The Southland" in January 2009. The recording was made at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, GA, and charted at #5 on the iTunes Rock Chart.
"While I continue the work on my next record, due out later this year, 'These Days' will finally get the full release we always hoped it would have," says McGee of the album that was previously only sold at band concerts. A song from the record, "Come Back Home," will be serviced to radio as well as to the United States Armed Forces, who will be able to download the track for free. "I wrote 'Come Back Home' with 'These Days' producer Todd Wright, "says McGee. "It started off as a story about the distance between a military couple - those many miles and oceans apart, stretches of time. As we were working on that track, the band suffered a major blow. Our longtime drummer and friend of over twelve years, Chris Williams, passed away suddenly. We were shaken to the core, and his family was devastated. So, the lyrical content of the song was crafted to tell both stories: being away from someone you love and also hearing the news of their passing and just not wanting to believe it all."
To make the story even more heart-wrenching, Williams' little brother, Blake was killed last year in Iraq while on patrol. "He served our nation in the Army Reserves, "says McGee, " and he had dreams of coming back to the states and taking up where his brother left off." Blake's platoon knew of his love for the Pat McGee Band, and they used "Come Back Home" in a video tribute to all the courageous men and women that thet lost in the month of March. "Later that summer, at Wolf Trap outside of DC, "remembers McGee, " members of Blake's platoon drove up from North Carolina to be there to pay tribute to him as we performed 'Come Back Home' that night in front of 7,000 people. It was something I will never forget."
Pat McGee Band is one of the most successful touring bands nationwide, bringing original melodic rock, trademark rich harmonies, heartfelt lyrics, strong musicianship and energy to shows that are flat out fun. Over the last fourteen years, the band typically performed around 250 shows a year - selling out many top venues and building a strong nationwide fan base. The band has been on the bill with major artists, such as Allman Brothers Bans, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Buffett, Counting Crows, Blues Traveler, and James Taylor.
Pat McGee Band has produced seven albums, three independently, one with Giant/Warner Brothers, one with Warner Brothers, a CD/DVD with Kirtland Records and now, the latest independent release "These Days (The Virginia Sessions)." The band's independent albums include "from the wood", "Revel", "General Admission" (live) and their most recent album "These Days (The Virginia Sessions)." Pat is currently in the writing phase for the next album, including some co-writing opportunities he has taken part in recently with Emerson Hart (ex Tonic), Stephen Kellogg and Ryan Newell (Sister Hazel). Fans can expect a new album soon featuring this work.
While in college, Pat produced his solo debut album "from the wood." After graduating, he formed Pat McGee Band in 1995, which played often in the Richmond and DC- areas and up and down the East coast before becoming a national headline band playing shows at the premier 1000-to-2000 seat venues in the U.S. and Canada. Early on, the band allowed fans to tape live shows and encouraged them to trade those recording. A fan-sponsored group "Identities", named after one of Pat's first songs, helped spread the music far and wide in the early years. Many of those original Identities remain the band's most loyal fans.
PMB is a seven-time veteran of the popular Rock Boat cruises, and Pat also appeared on Cayamo Concert Cruise, an entertainment cruise featuring some of the top singer-songwriters in the business. PMB performed on NBC's "Last Call with Carson Daly" and has been seen on many ESPN events. Pat and the band have performed the National Anthem at many major league sports events, including a Washington Redskins game, which for Pat, a long-time Redskins fan, was one of the highlights of his career. The band has performed for PGA golfer John Daly's charity events.