56 Hope Road is a band bonded like a family, and as a result, their music has an unmistakable honesty and openness. Uncanny, intuitive communication creates an easy interplay on stage, making even the most layered tunes sound effortless. They allow the joy of spontaneous creativity to color their song-based arrangements - neither losing their musical center, nor restricting its growth. The music is acoustic funk at its finest with sounds reminiscent of G-Love and Special Sauce, Richie Havens, MMW, Grateful Dead, Paul Simon and Gomez. This Chicago-based "acoustic funk explosion" is known for clever songwriting, lush vocal harmonies and one of the tightest rhythm sections on the scene. Formed in 1999, 56 Hope Road is made up of vocalist/guitarist Dave Hamilton, drummer Greg Fundis, upright bassist Chad Sanders, saxophonist Casey Fitzpatrick, and often augmented by vocalist Anne Katzfey, and percussionist Matt Katzfey.
The band has been coined the "#1 Road Warriors" by the renowned online musical resources JamBase and Leeway's Home Grown Music Network, gaining national attention for their energetic live shows and relentless tour schedule totaling 660 performances throughout 2007, 2006, and 2005. Rising stars on the festival scene and national touring circuit, 56 Hope Road has appeared at High Sierra, Summercamp, 10,000 Lakes, Wakarusa and has supported a variety of national artists such as Stevie Wonder, Dave Matthews Band, Page McConnell of Phish, Tom Cochrane and Red Ryder, ekoostik hookah, Umphrey's McGee, Tea Leaf Green, Devon Allman, Spyro Gyra, Verve Pipe, Bob Schneider, Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise, Drums and Tuba, Campbell Brothers, Jazz Mandolin Project, The Samples, and DJ Le Spam.
56 Hope Road has released 4 full-length albums on their independent label Albino Deer Records working with such industry moguls as GRAMMY nominated engineers as producer Rick Barnes (Smashing Pumpkins, Liquid Soul), Steve Albini (Nirvana, Page & Plant), and Mark Rubel (Hum and Poster Children). 56 Hope Road released their most recent album Law of Attraction early 2008 to critic acclaim. Law of Attraction left Richard Milne from WXRT in Chicago to wonder if 56 Hope Road had visited the crossroads and sold their soul. Once In Our Lives (live), Drop It All, and All Points Connect precede the band's latest release.
Their songs have been featured regularly on Sirius Satellite Radio's Channel 17-Jam On, WXRT Chicago, United Airlines Radio, college and community radio stations across the country, National Public Radio, the soundtrack to "A Place in France," in an upcoming film "Road to Woodstock," a Fox Sports Net Pilot/Warren Miller production "Destination Wild," and the Chicago Minds and Souls Compilation Volume 1. The band's music has earned both a JamOff title and a JamOff Runners-up title from Relix Magazine's CD compilation competition, as well as an invitation of inclusion in the Noteborn Music Catalog.
The name 56 Hope Road pays homage to the positive influence that Bob Marley's message and music has on the world.
