Floating Men

Formed in Nashville in 1990 by guitarist Jeff Holmes, bassist Scot Evans, and drummer Jeff Bishop, the Floating Men would become perennial draws on the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic touring circuit, playing well over 100 shows yearly. Holmes and Evans were veterans of popular Nashville rock band Little Saints, playing the late-'80s frat-house and party trail to enthusiastic crowds. When Little Saints broke up, Holmes and Evans began writing together, working on songs in an acoustic vein. The pair auditioned a number of drummers in an attempt to find one who would fit into their musical philosophy, discovering Jeff Bishop, a Berklee School of Music alumni. The trio began to play local and regional clubs, amazing audiences with their ability to pull off a rowdy rock & roll show with nothing but acoustic instruments. The Floating Men recorded their debut album, Tall Shadows, on nights and weekends when schedules and jobs permitted. Several major labels showed interest, but also confusion over the band's unique acoustic sound. In the end, the three decided to release the album on their own, forming the Meridian label and releasing Tall Shadows in 1993. Constant touring followed, the band notching up 600 shows during the next two years. In answer to their growing fan base's cries for a live album, the Floating Men released Bootleg Snacks, Vol. 1 in 1994, the first in a series of authorized "bootleg" albums documenting the band's live performances. The band's second studio album, Invoking Michelangelo, was produced by the E Street Band's Garry Tallent and released in 1995, followed a year later by a double-live set, Bootleg Snacks, Vol. 2. For the third studio album, The Song of the Wind in the Pines (1998), the band expanded its sound beyond its original acoustic mandate to...