When the Zac Brown began making music, his main venue was Zac’s Place, the restaurant he and his dad owned in Dahlonega, Ga. Brown and his band may now be playing such mega-amphitheatres as the D.C. area’s Jiffy Lube Live, but the award-winning bandmates still have the same do-it-yourself attitude they did 15 years ago when concerts were on the restaurant’s lawn and served up alongside southern barbecue.
“I remember hearing a story when Garth [Brooks] first went on tour and would show up [at venues] at 7 a.m. with a drill and tool belt,” said bassist John Hopkins, who met Brown in 1999 and produced a solo album for him before joining the Zac Brown Band a few years later. “We still have that kind of mentality.”
| ONSTAGE |
| The Zac Brown Band |
| » When: 7 p.m. Saturday |
| » Where: Jiffy Lube Live, 7800 Cellar Door Drive, Bristow |
| » Info: $32 to 62; 202-397-SEAT; ticketmaster.com |
Now the bandmates content themselves more with writing, producing, engineering and recording their own music — and some of it for other artists signed to Brown’s record label — as well as playing shows. That ultraheavy workload is just fine with Hopkins. In fact, he indicated that he and his bandmates are itching to begin work on their next album this fall.
Credit Hopkins’ lifelong love for music — which began when he was just a toddler and culminated in his first self-penned song becoming the hit of his fifth-grade class when his teacher turned it into a choral number — for his restless musical spirit.
Brown himself is a talented and prolific songwriter, but Hopkins writes too.
Though Hopkins gives first dibs to the band for songs that he feels are “good enough” for them to consider recording, he does write for himself, too, and hopes to record a solo album in the not-too-distant future or perhaps even offer the songs to other musicians.
“People think [my bandmates and I] just come home and lounge,” Hopkins said of the few weeks the band has been off the road. “I personally completed three to four songs, went to Nashville for a couple days to write with some guys there. During the week, I’m usually in my [home] studio.”
Doubt his busy schedule? Consider that by late afternoon this past Tuesday, Hopkins didn’t realize that earlier that day the much-honored band was nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Band, Duo or Group – Country. The Band Perry and Lady Antebellum are the other nominees for the fan-voted award.
“Well, I didn’t know that,” he said with obvious pleasure. “We are just very, very grateful.”
