The New Vintage

The New Vintage formed in 2004 and debuted at the North Versus South Music Festival in August of that year. Since then the band has toured and gigged in hometown Minneapolis/St. Paul. Released self titled debut CD in early 2006.Founded by longtime Minneapolis musician Grant Johnson. Johnson has been performing in bands and solo since the 1980's. Most notably with bands such as Beyond Zebra who released two albums for Twin/Tone records in the early 1990's. Has also performed and recorded with acts such as: Carpetbaggers (cool Country band), Lucky Jeremy and the New Minneapolis (quirky Indie rock) and Danny Commando y Los Guapos.As Baby Grant Johnson, performed numerous solo gigs across the US and released several albums in the rootsy Blues vein. Titles include A Lonesome Road (1997) and All Over Your Town (2000). In 2000 Johnson founded the Northeast Folk Festival in Minneapolis occuring annually in July and featuring the talents of artists too numerous to mention.Recently Johnson helped his buddy Mike McCoy of Kansas City's Cher UK found the North Versus South Music Festival in 2004. For the last couple of years the Festival has brought together the finest in Rock and Roll from Minneapolis, MN and Austin, TX to neutral ground in Lawrence, KS for a notable and raucous weekend of incredible music.In 2004 Johnson wrote a batch of songs that seemed to require the backing of a guitar based Rock group and was immediately joined by longtime musical pal and sometime Austin, TX resident: Mike Nicolai.Mike Nicolai also began performing in the 1980's. At that time Nicolai fronted the terrific and underrated group the Draghounds. The Draghounds released two albums on the Crackpot label in Minneapolis in the early 1990's. Following the demise of the band Nicolai relocated from Minneapolis to Austin, TX in 1994. In 1997 released self titled solo album, gigged and toured, teaming up with Baby Grant Johnson on many occasions. Nicolai continued gigging, touring (sometimes with the Gourds) and releasing his own recordings. Other titles include: Woody Allen Stunt Footage, Rooster Nudes and most recently; God Fatigue In The Post Atom Age.To round out the group rhythmically speaking, Johnson and Nicolai enlisted the talents of younger compadres, Tony Zaccardi and Ben Hayter both veterans of groups such as Kruddler and the Manta Rays.Rich Mattson of the excellent Ol Yeller provided valuable guidance and support. Mattson engineered and helped produce the recordings that are now available.Now that the album has been released the New Vintage in preparing to tour and support the record in 2006. Look for them in your town.