When we first got Rootstand on the road, almost ten years ago, we were your everyday band, full of heart and roots-rock, talking about how one day we’d get signed to a record label, and get a cool bus and a sound crew, a new album and fans all over. Then we did it.

We shaped a career out of pints and pipedreams; shoved a little dust into a heap and imagined it a pile of gold. Long before the new album was poppin’ and even before we lost the old bus and rose up out of the mud to reclaim the driver’s seat in our new one, we were all ready touring.

First it was a borrowed Econoline, and then Brant’s old Chevy truck with our speakers wrapped up inside of black trash bags to keep the rain off while we hustled to get to the next gig. We had nights of glory even then; a packed house in a mountain town, a packed club in Ann Arbor, a hand shake with a Doobie Brother, George Clinton, Jorma, or other Hall of Famer’s we’d managed to get an opening for, and all the way to the last few years, when we’d pull our bus up next to modern rockers like Blues Traveler, Harper, Zach Deputy, The Young Dubliners or Michigan’s own Greensky Bluegrass and by the time we left the stage they were second guessing their position in the rock and roll hierarchy and wondering where this band of ragamuffins that showed them up had come from.

In reality, we were there all the time, except for now we’ve traded the old S-10 for a Silverado commercial on Fox, a hot new album and 100,000 miles on the tourbus in seventeen states. We don’t just play festivals, we book them and build whole stages and sound systems by toiling through the night and putting every penny we’ve made back into our development. From the first open mic until now, we’ve never slowed up and today is like everyday: another opportunity to get up and improve ourselves as we’ve always done. It’s also another opportunity to forgive those who have passed over us in the past, and convince the new-comers what thousands already believe, that Rootstand is here to stay, and here to throw a roots-rock party the likes of which no one can deny is a powerful and positive contribution to our scene.

Each year Rootstand grows incrementally, like a tree whose rings indicate years of rain and sunshine such that the bands keep getting wider, stronger with each passing year. This year has been no different. We came out of our seventh Colorado tour last year with a laundry list of home-town to-do’s, and we scratched them off one by one. First it was the new internationally distributed album, Rootabeggar, which is a modern twist on some traditional bluegrass and Celtic sounds. and it backed up a huge discography of albums, singles and live shows going back to 2006 when we first dropped our revolutionary debut, Grassroot Ghetto.

It was about the time that Rootabeggar was being mastered that Chevy called us up, to help them revitalize the auto industry by putting some of our jams behind their muscle, and now thousands hear our sounds everytime they watch the news, or see their teams on TV, Comerica Park, or Ford Field. Rumors state that Silverado sales are up 20%, and there is sure to be more influence coming out Rootstand’s Detroit loyalty.

We took our A-game to the field as well, not only headlining major festivals, but helping them and hosting them, showing those without the tools how the business is done, and how music legends are made, and it takes an army: sound teams, stage hands, merchandisers and computer experts, graphic artists, cooks, drivers and at the end of the day a band that kicks ass and a Captain that doesn’t let down the people that have invested in him.

And even now the seeds we’ve sown are growing, and record labels and booking agents are calling Brant’s phone while he changes clothes in the bus, Superman style, pausing a moment between ever-evolving roles as band leader, professor, novelist, role model and father to talk performance contracts or our album’s upcoming digital release in the U.S., Japan, the U.K. and beyond.

Rootstand defines professional Roots-Rock and empowers future generations while respectfully nodding to the past, and our loyal fans, from toddlers to Grandparents, illustrate the no-bullshit quality of our music. We are respectfully sure that you will want us on your side like so many others have chosen, to be your band of humble and joyous warriors with an uncanny ability to make people dance. Search Rootstand on Youtube or Photobucket and sift through the years of proof or stop by our website to join the party. Thanks for your time, and we hope you enjoy the new album, the excerpts from Brant’s new novel, and the pictures from our past year of adventure.

Cheers and a Sincere thanks!

Rootstand

Artist's Web Site
 
See a YouTube clip from Rootstand

The past year for Adrian Krygowski has been a whirlwind of tours, new songs, sounds, and recordings. New Nashville-born EP "Hope For Us" with start-studded lineup of Ed Pettersen (Song of America, Freedy Johnston, Otis Gibbs), Garrison Starr (Margaret Cho), Al Hill (Bettye Lavette), Brian Keating (Carter Twins), Washington DC staples Mike Smirnoff, Alissa Taylor, Dayana Yochim, and tons of help from Freddy Holm (The Black Country, Nazca), Bob Ohlsson (Marvin Gaye, Jerry Garcia, Matt the Electrician.) Recorded over two days in July at Quad Studios Nashville.

His constant pummeling of the east-coast touring circuit continues; See him at Virginia's IOTA Club & Cafe, the legendary Bitter End in NYC, Nashville's The Basement, Club Passim in Boston, The Purple Fiddle in WV, Milkboy Coffee in Philly, and countless others), as full-band, solo, duo, upside-down, leftside-up, and questionably sober. He's opened for Scott McMicken (Dr Dog), E-S Guthrie (New Familiars), David Steele (Steve Earle), Cindy Bullens, and Joe Shade (Legendary CBGB's band The Sic F*cks.) And is now coming to your town.

"Known for his innovative guitar playing, the DC-based singer songwriter plays his catchy, clever pop tunes." ~Washington Post's Going Out Guide

"What an awesome and inspiring experience to work with Adrian Krygowski. Totally prepared, professional and easy to work with. Can't wait to finish the album and for everyone to hear it." ~Ed Pettersen - Split Rock Records Nashville

"The music is a folk/alt country blend...reminds me of a young Jimmy Lafave. I bought his CD and I think you should, too." ~Stuck Inside of Knoxville