The Blackout Project

Hailing from a town that has all but given up on any music but jam and folk bands, The Blackout Project is quietly taking over the town that Dave Matthews ruled. Started in December of 2006, The Blackout Project put one quick month together to good use and won UVA's Battle of the Bands in 2007.

Fast-forward 2 years. While the Blackout Project has remained relatively obscure to most music critics in Charlottesville, they're consistently pulling big crowds to venues in cities like New York as well as their hometown. The music is hard charging, exciting and undeniably catchy. With the addition of Granville Mullings, Jr on the drums, the band has suddenly come to life in a big way. Granville is like a rolling train, and he's the driving force behind the band's exciting live show--a mixture of swagger and musical pyrotechnics. Chris Plietz is a force on the piano. A cross between Keith Jarrett and Richard Wright (Pink Floyd), Chris blends jaw-dropping technical ability with taste and style. Ryan Gilchrist holds down the low end with a mixture of melodic riffs and killer bass solos. Chris and Ryan arranged several of the band’s songs to play with the UVA Jazz ensemble, to which The Blackout Project received a standing ovation and the approving nod of jazz trumpet great John D’Earth.

Word rounds out the band with a bluesy guitar style and a surprisingly unique voice. A former minor league baseball star, Word appears larger than life on stage (seriously, he's a BIG guy).

If you've ever listened to one of K-Nice’s (“the government calls me Kevin Turner”) raps, you'll quickly grasp that he's a sharp guy with a lot to say about society. His raps are witty and memorable and he's got a wicked sense of humor. He has the toughest job in the whole band from an image standpoint, but he pulls it off with ease and style. He is the orchestrator behind a very talented band with the ability to go national.

It's amazing that the Blackout Project is still working on a small scale. Their combination of musicianship, songwriting ability, and general showmanship makes them poised to blow up. For more information on this great band and live clips, check out their YouTube channel and their EP, available on iTunes.