Coming Home Benefit Concert

With undaunted creativity and widespread support, Magee Payne embarked on a quest to capture a dream held by many and accomplished by few. All too often, bands appear attempting to reach the ranks of Jerry Jeff Walker, Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, Cory Morrow, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Roger Creager and others, hoping to see their name in lights on the marquis officially joining the prestigious fraternity of Texas music only to fall short and to never be heard of again. Fort Worth native, Payne, is an exception to this rule. Surrounded by untainted Texas talent, a promising future lies ahead for one band that has graced the stage with some of the best known names in Texas music. Cory Morrow, Jack Ingram, Tommy Alverson, Reckless Kelly, Rusty Wier, Cooder Graw, Dub Miller, Bleu Edmondson, Cross Canadian Ragweed, John Price, Peter Dawson, Roger Creager, Mark David Manders, and the Hollisters have all collaborated with Magee Payne chalking up strong reviews and an ever-growing fan base. From his start as an opener for those passing through College Station to headlining his own at venues such as Woody’s Tavern in Fort Worth or The Firehouse Saloon in Houston, Magee Payne is beginning to make a name for himself and continues his climb up the Texas music ladder. Magee’s first CD, a four song release titled Ceiling Fan Demo, was so well received that Payne and his entourage have headed back to the boards for an amazing collaboration that proves to take Texas music by the horns and give it a good shake. The debut full length album, collectively entitled Habits of the Heart, was recorded at the prestigious Cedar Creek Studios, and includes contributions made by Les Lawless from Randy Rogers on drums, Brady Black from Dub Miller on fiddle; bass by Adam Odor the former bassist for Dub Miller, Steve Wedemeyer and Matt Skinner on guitar, Magee Payne on lead vocals, and a harmony vocal medley contribution by Dub Miller, Matt Skinner, Amy Rankin, Steven Harris from Harris and Ryden, Willy Braun of Reckless Kelly and Cody Canada of Cross Canadian Ragweed among others. Released in January 2002, Habits of the Heart has become an enormous stepping stone for Magee, showing undeniable talent, and proving that heart can take you wherever you want to go. Magee’s highly anticipated sophomore album tentatively entitled, Bottom of the Glass, has a scheduled release date of January 2004. This second disc is currently in production at Behind the Barn Studios with Doc Wesson and Curtis Tilton behind the production wheel, and with such an experienced production crew, we can only anticipate an awesome finished product once the album is completed. Only to add to our excitement, The Magee Payne Band team has changed significantly since the Ceiling Fan Demo days. Now officially retiring previous long time musicians, such as Nick Worley (who now backs Cooder Graw), Bryan Reece, and Brent Harlan, The Magee Payne Band has carefully selected replacement musicians to add to the sound and stretch the live performance to even greater heights - See more at: http://www.lonestarmusic.com/MageePayne#sthash.gCaohumf.dpuf

Monica Moser grew up in Fort Worth but currently lives in Nashville, TN. She is studying Songwriting and Music Business at Belmont University. A year ago she put out an EP "Human Heart" and following its release, went on a mini tour in Texas with a few songwriter friends from Belmont.

"Human Heart" has since been featured on the New and Notable section of Noisetrade and the title track won second place in a worship contest. In October of this year, Monica was chosen to perform in Belmont's Urban/Pop Showcase which is held annually in the university's event center. Recently she has signed on for a year with Lyric House Publishing, a publishing/synch company based out of Colorado.

She has enjoyed her time at Belmont, learning from industry professionals and being constantly surrounded by amazing talent. This fall she had the opportunity to intern for Barbara Cloyd who hosts play for publishers workshops at the Bluebird Cafe. She assisted in selecting the writers and was able to volunteer at the workshop, learning form the publishers' feedback and making contacts with other writers.

She will be putting out a short record in January that will be released for free on Noisetrade. She is very excited to be playing in her hometown for a cause that is so near and dear to her heart! A big thanks to the staff at Live Oak and the Rutledge family!