Berkshire Theatre Group to Welcome BlackHawk and the Outlaws

Berkshire Theatre Group presents Country Rock Bands BlackHawk and the Outlaws at The Colonial Theatre on Thursday, December 4 at 8pm.

Tickets are on sale now for $39, $59, and $79. Contact the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street, Pittsfield by calling 413-997-4444. Tickets can also be bought online at www.berkshiretheatregroup.org. The Ticket Office is open Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-2pm or on any performance day from 10am until curtain.

Multi-platinum-selling country group BlackHawk have signed with Loud & Proud Records and just released their first studio release in 12 years. The band (guitarist/vocalist Henry Paul and keyboardist/vocalist Dave Robbins) with co-producer Dale Oliver (Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman),released their new album Brothers Of The Southland in July.

"Brothers of the Southland is the product of BlackHawk's evolution," says Loud & Proud Owner & President Tom Lipsky. "It represents the band through the years and their many hits, the adversity they faced and Henry and Dave's decision to continue their musical journey together. BlackHawk's sound remains a beautiful blend of melody and harmony with genuine and purposeful lyrics and Loud & Proud is excited to be their label partner. We know their legions of fans are going to love experiencing this new music."

"We're thrilled to be working with Tom Lipsky and Loud & Proud," says Henry Paul. "His belief, commitment and appreciation for our music has us excited for the future. We're looking forward to the next chapter of our story."

Along with third founding member Van Stephenson, Henry Paul and Dave Robbins exploded onto the country music landscape in 1993 with their self-titled album and top 10 hit single "Goodbye Says It All." Three more hit singles followed "Every Once In A While," "I Sure Can Smell The Rain" and "That's Just About Right," propelling the album to platinum status. They maintained that pace in the years that followed, scoring a dozen top ten hits, including two number ones, while selling more than seven million records.

Over the course of their amazing career, BlackHawk's songs have touched people young and old. Their unique musical character has been a catalyst in bringing non-country music fans to the genre. 21years after their arrival, BlackHawk's legend grows.

For The Outlaws, it was always about the music. For 40 years, the Southern Rock legends celebrated triumphs, endured tragedies and survived legal nightmares to remain one of the most influential and best-loved bands of the genre. Now The Outlaws return with new music, new focus and an uncompromising new mission: It's about a band of brothers bound together by history, harmony and the road. It's about a group that respects its own legacy while refusing to be defined by its past. But most of all, it's about pride.

It's About Pride is the new album from The Outlaws, a record four years in the making and perhaps 20 or more in the waiting. And for original Outlaws singer/songwriter/guitarist Henry Paul, it's a hard-fought revival whose success can be measured in old fans and new music.

Formed in Tampa in 1972, The Outlaws - known for their triple-guitar rock attack and three-part country harmonies - became one of the first acts signed by Clive Davis (at the urging of Ronnie Van Zant) to his then-fledgling Arista Records. The band's first three albums The Outlaws, Lady In Waiting and Hurry Sundown - featuring such rock radio favorites as "There Goes Another Love Song", "Green Grass & High Tides," "Knoxville Girl" and "Freeborn Man" - would become worldwide gold and platinum landmarks of the Southern Rock era. Known as 'The Florida Guitar Army' by their fans, The Outlaws earned a formidable reputation as an incendiary live act touring with friends The Allman Brothers, LynyrdSkynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band and The Charlie Daniels Band as well as The Doobie Brothers, The Who, Eagles and The Rolling Stones.

Along with founding members Paul and Yoho, the band features several of Southern Rock's most respected veterans: Lead guitarist Billy Crain first developed a fervent following as an original member of The Henry Paul Band and would later become a hit songwriter for The Dixie Chicks, The Bellamy Brothers, Martina McBride and Poco. Co-lead guitarist and longtime Outlaw Chris Anderson is well known for his collaborations with artists that include Dickey Betts, Lucinda Williams, Hank Williams Jr., and Skynyrd. Keyboardist/vocalist Dave Robbins is a co-founding member of Blackhawk and has written hit songs for artists that include Restless Heart, Kenny Rogers and Eric Clapton. Bassist/vocalist Randy Threet has performed with Pam Tillis, Trisha Yearwood and Blackhawk, and is familiar to TV audiences from USA Network's 'Nashville Star.' "From the very beginning, our band had a heart," Monte Yoho says. "And a lot of people who come out and see this incarnation of the band respond to the exact same things we used to put on that stage in the '70s and '80s."

The new album - produced by Michael Bush and Henry Paul - brings the experience home. The disc opens with "Tomorrow's Another Night," a scorching take on the band's history complete with monster harmonies and a killer hook. "Hidin' Out In Tennessee" delivers classic Outlaws country/bluegrass energy. "Born To Be Bad" is biker boogie and "Last Ghost Town" is solid guitar rock. "Nothin' Main About Main Street" is an affecting Springsteen/Seger style look at lost small-town life. "The Flame" - Hughie Thomasson's nickname - is a potent tribute to the much-loved late Outlaw. Chris Anderson's "Trail Of Tears" electrifies via bitter history, intense vocals and searing guitars. "Right Where I Belong," "Alex's Song" and "Trouble Rides A Fast Horse" could easily be lost tracks from any of the band's first three albums. The disc's closer, "So Long," is a haunting re-recording of Henry's 1979 classic. "It was the first song on the first Henry Paul Band album, and it's the final song on this record," explains Paul. "I wanted it to be a sort of coda to the new music, but I also want it to be a relevant part of the new Outlaws landscape. I think it's one of the best songs I've ever written, and I think we've done an admirable job of giving it a new personality." But the new album's true centerpiece is its title track, co-written by Henry Paul and Billy Crain. "It's About Pride" is both tribute and testimony from a band that has lived it all, played it all, and returns to reclaim it all.

"I want people to hear this album and see our show and realize that The Outlaws are back," says Henry Paul. "Our goal is to unite the fans and bring the band back into the light. In a way, this is like a second chance at my first love. It's about finishing what we started." For Henry, Monte, Billy, Chris, Dave and Randy, it's about a band of brothers who love playing their own style of rock, and who 40 years ago first got the chance to take it from Florida to the world.

For The Outlaws, it's still about the music. And now more than ever, it's about pride.