Hot Day at the Zoo

Rank #2 Lowell, MA Americana / Jamband / Bluegrass

About

Members: John Cumming, Michael Dion, JT Lawrence, Jed Rosen

Sounds Like: Yonder Mountain String Band, Grateful Dead, Mumford and Sons, The Avett Brothers, Trampled by Turtles

Label: INTA --> Records

Manager: Great Northeast Productions, Inc.

Bio: Hot Day at the Zoo (HDATZ) the groove-friendly quintet mix folk, blues, ragtime and jazz with progressive bluegrass and Americana-infused rock and roll. HDATZ's powerful acoustic music truly resonates in their energizing live show. The newly configured band now includes multi-instrumentalist Nick... See Full Bio

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Status

Hot Day at the Zoo has a show on 05/25/2013 at 11:00 AM @ Sterling... in Sterling, NY http://www.reverbnation.com/c./poni/202055462 #concert

Press

“ HDATZ pens tunes that ease up to one real easy and then stick around by invitation once one’s gotten to know them. Oh, these guys play and sing as well as just about any outfit working mandolins and acoustic guitars, but it’s ultimately their damn fine, workingman’s songwriting, right from the beginning, that’s endeared them to DI.”

— Dennis Cook, Dirty Impound

“Hot Day At The Zoo proved a crowd pleaser when they drew several audience members onto the dance floor between the tables and the stage.”

— Bill Copeland, Bill Copeland Music News

“Fans of the acoustic Grateful Dead, as well as of New Riders of the Purple Sage and Jerry Garcia’s side project, Old & In the Way, should pay attention to this hard-driving New England string band. ”

— Steve Morse, Boston Globe

"Zoograss" is one of the best albums to come out in a long time. It spans genres, unites fans of multiple sounds, and infuses such a frenetic energy into the listener that after only one song they are die-hard fans until the day they die.

— Dino Lull, Metro Spirit

“On Zoograss, what you hear is a high-energy gig played by musicians who are so fluent they can jump out into adventurously layered solos without ever sounding like they're noodling between tokes.”

— Tom Vannah , The Valley Advocate

"Hot Day's best offerings strike a balance between bemused souls and screw-it abandon that isn't tethered to any one emotion. They're a band that can encore with a bluegrassed-up Steely Dan song (My Old School) that makes sense for no reason at all.

— Chad Berndston, Relix Magazine

“With this album, HDATZ has shown us their souls and their extreme musical talent. Both instrumentally and lyrically they have surpassed their first album and they should be commended for it because now, there is no stopping them.”

— Holly, Upstate Live

“Layered with intricacy and depth, Hot Day at the Zoo reminds listeners of the best Americana has to offer while exploring the ability to tell stories via melody that has seemed to be forgotten in most of the mainstream world. ”

— J. EDWARD SUMERAU, Metro Spirit - Athens, GA

"Whether it's punchy undercurrent of "Gypsy Moon" and "Lost" or the near-perfct mellow hipness of the Grateful Dead-ified title track, HDATZ brings a contemporary sensibility to its sound that makes it likeable to even the most bluegrass-phobic listeners."

— Brett Cromwell, Lowell Sun

“Acoustic has never sounded so electric!”

— Boston Globe

“The new EP does show a creative leap from Cool As Tuesday. The sound is more diverse, and the arrangements are more tightly meshed. ”

— Ted Drodrowski, Boston Phoenix

“Bluegrass young bloods, Hot Day at the Zoo, respect the music’s tradition but tug the genre in ways Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs never expected!”

— Boston Phoenix

“HDATZ sprawls and folds in plenty of flavors without making "polyglot" a necessary adjective. And the three-set show is their specialty. Everyone goes home tired and satisfied, and each song makes the beer taste a little bit better.”

— Chad Berndtson, Jambase.com

“HDATZ brings a contemporary sensibility to its sound that makes it likeable to even the most bluegrass-phobic listener”

— Hippo Press

“It's clear these boys are primo pickers but they're developing a strong sense of where to cut back so the songs shine. It's something a lot of string bands don't get, strumming so hard you can't help but notice the player at the expense of the tune... In tone and delivery it's reminiscent of Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia in their early '70s heyday, a cut worthy of American Beauty/Workingman's Dead.”

— Jambase

“Coming from a state that managed to produce both New Kids on the Block and Aerosmith, we should have been prepared for the day when four nice Massachusetts boys would rock out with bluegrass instruments and form a band that’s destined to become a powerful musical demigod.”

— Armeney Derderian, The Pulse Magazine

“HDATZ brings a forceful modern backbone to support their time-tested acoustic instrumentation and rootsy, bluesy, bluegrassy songwriting.”

— Brian Rogers, Homegrown Music Network

“Hard to believe a band with so much cracked corn soul is from Massachusetts. There’s homebrewed magic here and returning for more swigs has only convinced me further of its kick. Take notice, Hot Day is gonna be around for a while! ”

— Dennis Cook, Jambase.com

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Recent Blogs

Anniversary show in NYC
Dec 21, 2012
HDATZ returns to Arlene’s Grocery (located at 95 Stanton St) in New York, NY 100... [more]

HDATZ & Jatoba celebrate NY...
Dec 21, 2012
HDATZ and Jatoba, Vermont’s “groove-grass” band will perform at the Stone Church... [more]

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Songs

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Long Way Home (Long…

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Gypsy Moon (Long Wa…

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Lost (Long Way Home)

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Outside Lookin' In …

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Wheel (Long Way Hom…

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Discography

Zoograss Released on Jan 10, 2010
Long Way Home Released on Jan 12, 2008
Cool As Tuesday Released on Jan 11, 2005

Videos

"Boom Boom Boom" by Hot Day at the Zoo - BTR Live Studio [Ep24]

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Shows

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Fri
May 31

The Stone Church
Newmarket, NH, US | 8:00pm
The Stone Church
Newmarket, NH, US
Fri May 31 8:00pm
Sat
Jun 1

Hilltown Spring Festiva…
Cummington, MA, US | 10:00am
Hilltown Spring Festival a...
Cummington, MA, US
Sat Jun 01 10:00am
- Show Details
- Tickets
Details

Save Saturday June 1, from 10 AM to 7 PM, to help us celebrate spring, the hilltown community, music, art, food, sustainability, kids, families and more. The Hilltown Spring Festival will feature 10 musical performances on two stages from 11:15 until 5:00 (click here for performance schedule), great food from local vendors, children’s activities all day long, a mid-day dance around the May pole, and exhibits of products and services from many local vendors, including a Focus on Sustainability. Last year 2,000 people came to celebrate spring and to enjoy each other and our community. There’s still time to sign up to volunteer, to be a sponsor (click here for sponsorship form), or to reserve a booth (click here for registration form). Admission is $8 per person; children 12 and under are free. All proceeds go to benefit the programs and services of Hilltown CDC, including business development and support programs for low income local elders. See you on June 1! Support is provided by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and many Local Cultural Councils; by local business sponsors; and by the exhibiting businesses.
Fri
Jun 21

Quiet Oaks Campground -…
Cross Fork, PA, US | 8:00am
Quiet Oaks Campground - S...
Cross Fork, PA, US
Fri Jun 21 8:00am
- Show Details
- Tickets
Fri
Jun 21

Smoked Country Jam Blue…
Cross Fork, PA, US | 8:00pm
Smoked Country Jam Bluegr...
Cross Fork, PA, US
Fri Jun 21 8:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Sat
Jun 22

Camp Coldbrook
Barre, MA, US | 8:00pm
Camp Coldbrook
Barre, MA, US
Sat Jun 22 8:00pm
- Show Details
- Tickets
Details

Camp Coldbrook Music and Arts Festival is honored to announce it’s 3rd annual gathering! On June 21-23, 2013, musicians and artists of all mediums from New England and beyond, gather on this beautiful summer solstice for the weekend of a lifetime. Camp Coldbrook 3 is proud to showcase over 100 talented acts ranging from funk groove to electronic bass and everything in between. Music is our passion, yes, but Camp Coldbrook 3 is a platform for artists of all mediums. For those looking to sell, Camp Coldbrook 3 offers Vendor Passes, allowing a small business to vend at an ideal location on the festival grounds. The land offers two outdoor swimming pools, a 9-hole par 3 golf course, catch and release fishing hole, bocce court, and much more. This is a festival of learning, loving, and experiencing. Thanks to In Ticketing and Trees for the Future, every ticket sold plants one tree. The proceeds help communities around the world plant trees through seed distribution and agroforestry training. Planting trees protects the environment and helps to preserve traditional livelihoods and cultures for generations. Camp Coldbrook’s waste management and recycling team are committed to keeping a clean and sanitary festival grounds, as well as collecting bottle and can returns to be donated to a local charity. The gathering of friends and sharing of knowledge is crucial to the growth and development of mankind. By gathering and sharing with each other we are strengthening friendships, knowledge and love. The very love that keeps families together and sparks innovation is the fuel that channels energy towards peace and harmony. This is a "leave no trace" gathering, take out what you bring in and please respect the land and your neighbors.

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Comments

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Ben Aaron
Great songs here, Fellas! Keep up the great bluegrass jams. From a fellow folkie, -Ben Aaron
Faces Of Mars
Hey Mike, it's John Fadden....LOVE THE MUSIC MAN!!! You guys are awesome....all the success in the world I wish upon you all.