The Burning River Ramblers/Ray Flanagan & the Authorities/New Moon Rising

Cheekily dubbed "Your friendly neighborhood alt/rock/funk/reggae/folk band," the Burning River Ramblers hail from Lakewood and Athens. The band really took its present form after To Color A Fool was written and recorded. Throughout the writing process, which the band explains takes place both in various houses and onstage, collaboration is always the key. Often enough, songs start out as seedlings brought in by one member. With the ethos of an improv-friendly jam band, the Ramblers riff on the ideas coming and going throughout rehearsal. "So we would take these songs and everyone would help each other out," singer-guitarist Conor Standish told Scene last year, describing how the band’s material consistently builds on itself. (Sandy)