Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew

? six albums, hundreds of thousands of road miles, international touring and all with a high octane stage show that will knock you off your feet. Chris Colepaugh embodies southern-rock Americana with a big ?ole doubleneck guitar and unforgettable melodies. Born and based in New Brunswick, Chris Colepaugh and his Cosmic Crew are a new twist on a vintage sound that has fans flocking to shows.

He is the winner of both the 2007 Contact East Touring Excellence Award and four 2007 Toronto Music Magazine Awards, a finalist for the 2008 International Acoustic Music Awards, and nominated for numerous ECMA awards. Imagine Government Mule meets the Black Crowes with Steve Earle and the Allman Brothers and you'll start realizing why Colepaugh & Crew are creating a legion of dedicated fans from coast to coast.


BIOGRAPHY

CHRIS COLEPAUGH channels the cry of a Gibson doubleneck 12/6 through the power of an over-driven tube amp in a hard-driving southern-rock groove. Multi-award winning, international touring and with a fest o' crunchy guitar licks, Colepaugh will have you air-guitaring all night long.

CHRIS COLEPAUGH is blazing a trail with his album ?In Your Backyard.? The album drips with thick electric guitars, Bonham-esque style drums, massive bass, and soulful songwriting and lyrics. From the heavy guitar-soaked-rocker-single ?Caught Up To You? , to the acoustic guitar/mandolin picking of ?Don't Want You ?Round No More?, ?In Your Backyard ?is a fantastic guitar-intense, southern rock album.

CHRIS COLEPAUGH has performed at festivals in Canada and the United States including SXSW , CMW, NXNE, NEMO, Evolve, Canadian Music Cafe and have toured extensively with over fifteen national coast-to-coast tours including tours in the United States. Part of his US itineraries have included dates with Government Mule, North Mississippi Allstars as well as performances at the House Of Blues, the Hard Rock Caf?, tours of New England and southern US, the U.S. West Coast and two tours of Southern California.

Chris was announced as a finalist for the 2008 International Acoustic Music Awards and won both the 2007 Contact East Touring Excellence Award and four 2007 Toronto Music Magazine Awards. He also recently signed an endorsement deal with Sennheiser Microphones, Gibson guitars ( full feature and interview on Gibson.com USA ) and Traynor Amplifiers, and signed a deal with his Management Company and Fontana North Distribution. In addition, after the album ?In Your Backyard? was completed, Chris spent two weeks in Austin, Texas working under the mentorship of platinum selling artist/producer Gordie Johnson on his new Grady CD project at Willie Nelson's Studios. ? Working with Gordie was an incredible experience. ? says Colepaugh who works in the industry as a music producer himself. ? It was inspiring to see Willie's platinum records on the wall everyday and to think of the caliber of musicians that have recorded at Pedernales.?

In November 2008, Chris Colepaugh's song ?Caught Up To You? was featured on the international hit television show Degrassi : The Next Generation ( Episode 808 ). Chris was also a semi finalist in the Starbucks Music Maker Series in Vermont and was featured alongside of Moe., Bob Weir and Umphrey's McGee on the 2007 - 10,000 Lakes Festival CD, on the 2007 Atlantic Film Festival Compilation CD and on the 2007 Dewey Beach Music Festival Compilation CD.





Current Press Clippings and reviews

Herenb.com interview with GORDIE JOHNSON : by Chuck Teed (http://herenb.canadaeast.com/music/article/270069)
"I've seen a guy like Chris Colepaugh in front of 1,000 people and I've seen him in front of 15 people and he plays the same way, just takes over the stage. I have a lot of respect for people who come from the hinterland and support their own scene, and I always leave going 'Man, I've gotta work harder.'"- Gordie Johnson ( Big Sugar/Grady producer for Government Mule )

UK Review of "In Your Backyard":Leicesterbangs
Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew - In Your Backyard (Malkin Music)

Sources inside the Ministry of Taste today confirmed that the thirty year embargo on 70's Rock has officially been lifted. Which is very good news for Canadians Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew, whose latest release pointedly invokes the spirit of the Allman Brothers, Stephen Stills and the Band. Solid riffs and soaring solos, propelled by a disciplined but soulful rhythm section, nod respectfully at the likes of Tom Petty, John Fogerty and the Black Crowes without being any the worse for it. These songs burn with a personal frustration and small town claustrophobia that is several worlds away from Californian beaches, while a crisp, uncluttered production lets loose a pop sensibility that is genuinely uplifting and makes them at least as contemporary as anything by My Morning Jacket or Kings of Leon. No slack at all here, just 14 gems and a little treasure of an album.

Jambase.com SXSW Review - Austin, Texas
http://www.jambase.com/headsup.asp?storyID=8228&disp=all

I was blown away by the Canucks in Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew as the gravelly soul in Colepaugh's voice was at the helm of this band, which can lay down a wicked Southern-fried boogie with a kick in the ass. The dude has a cool beard too.

Colepaugh Proves there's an audience for jam bands
EDMONTON JOURNAL ? Edmonton, AB

While the jam band and progressive rock scenes in the States continue to thrive, thanks to a startling number of passionate and gifted acts, it's been relatively tough sledding for those musical forms in this country. However, the upward direction that Chris Colepaugh's career has taken is a sure sign that rock music fuelled by instrumental intensity does have an audience in Canada ? and a devoted one at that ? if it is properly minded. Heading into a Saturday night show a the Sidetrack Caf?, the Moncton, NB ? based guitarist, singer and songwriter expects nothing less than the rabid reception he's enjoyed in other parts of this country during his lengthy road trip.

?This is our ninth tour across Canada and we see the turnouts in every city and town we play picking up, ?says Colepaugh. For some time now the adventurous musician who appreciates the ground tilled by The Grateful Dead and Phish has enjoyed pulling in to what he terms ?cool hot spots? for the band.

?We're known for putting on pretty intense shows. My philosophy is I want the performance to be a show. Some jam bands forget that element, ?continues Colepaugh, who is starting to gain notoriety stateside, particularly along the eastern seaboard of that country, where the band recently toured with the North Mississippi All-stars. Thanks to some connections via a friend working for Artimus Records, which distributes Tone Cool ? home base for the All-stars ? Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew were introduced to what he says was ?a read made crowd for us.?

?One show was in front of a crowd of about 5,000 in Providence, RI and we kicked the living daylights out of them.?

COLEPAUGH ? IN YOUR BACKYARD
ARGOSY ? Mount Allison University, New Brunswick

As I write this, the first snow of this winter is falling outside, which is kind of funny, because In Your Backyard, the latest disc from Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew, is a perfect summer album: think Dave Matthews Band's groovy jams with an ample shot of classic rock and blues. It also happens to be one of the best East Coast albums of the year.

All three musicians are in top form, and the production is crisp and clear without being too busy, allowing the songs to shine. And what songs they are: soon-to-be-classic rock tunes with impossibly catchy riffs, soaring Stevie Ray Vaughan-like vocals and stellar work by Daigle and Sasnyiuk. It's hard to pick a highlight when the album is so consistently good. Colepaugh and company avoid repetition by mixing up straight ahead rockers (?Caught Up to You?), lighter-waving ballads (?California Mountain?), fiery blues (?Runnin' Out?), and twangy country (?Don't Want You ?Round No More?). The disc even closes with a great cover of Neil Young's classic ?After the Goldrush? that turns the original song's sparse desperation into a cathartic anthem.

So, go pick up a copy of In Your Backyard, bundle up in your snowsuits and enjoy summer all over again, snow or no snow. And be sure to check out Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew when they hit George's Roadhouse later this month.