Alternative rock band Needtobreathe will be coming to Tuscaloosa for the second stop on its 2010 “Young and Far from Home” tour.
The band will perform at the Bama Theatre tonight at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com for $26.10.
Needtobreathe is fronted by Bear and Nathaniel ‘Bo’ Bryant Rinehart, the sons of an Assembly of God pastor who are both named after the legendary Alabama football coach “Bear” Bryant.
“We’re from a small town in South Carolina called Possum Kingdom,” said Bear Rinehart on the band’s website. “Trust me, there was absolutely no music scene there.”
The brothers used the combined inherited talents of their father’s use of words and mother’s piano teaching to make their own music. After joining with childhood friends Joe Stillwell and Seth Bolt to complete the band in 1999, they signed with Atlantic Records in 2005.
The band’s first studio album, “Daylight,” was released in 2006, quickly followed by their second, “The Heat,” in 2007. “The Outsiders,” released in August 2009, is the band’s third album and peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Hot Christian Albums chart.
“Even if you haven’t heard of the band, you’ve probably heard one of their songs somewhere,” said Jen Deci, a junior majoring in nutrition. “The band is getting to be pretty big, and this is a show not to miss.”
This Tuscaloosa performance is part of a 32-stop tour that runs from Sept. 8 to Jan. 6, 2011 and will travel to various U.S. cities, as well as France, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.
Some tickets for the Tuscaloosa show are still available, but several of the upcoming shows have already sold out.
“I went to see Needtobreathe two years ago when they came here, and they were so good,” said Caitlyn Harrison, a junior majoring in finance. “Their music is the perfect balance between rock and folk, and they always put on a great live show that keeps the crowd engaged.”
On top of their album and stage success, the band’s songs have been featured in numerous big and small screen productions.
Their song “More Time” appeared on the soundtrack to the film “P.S. I Love You,” and an episode of MTV’s “The Hills” featured their song “We Could Run Away.” Their songs have also been used in other films such as “When in Rome” and “Employee of the Month,” and shows such as “Cougar Town” and “Oprah’s Big Give.”
At this year’s Dove Awards, an awards show designed by the Gospel Music Association to honor achievements in Christian music, the band took home three awards, 2010 Group of the Year, 2010 Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year for “The Outsiders,” and 2010 Rock/Contemporary Song of the Year for “Lay ‘Em Down.” These were the band’s first wins after two nominations in 2008 and one in 2009.
“It’s an honor for them to come to Tuscaloosa and play for us,” Deci said.
