Let me take you back in time. It was the spring of 2003, my junior year of high school. Sister Hazel concert. Hammerstein Ballroom. New York City. The venue was small and intimate; after a good fight, my girlfriends and I ended up only about 20 feet away from the stage. Sister Hazel took the stage; it was magic. We knew every word to every song from the band’s album “Chasing Daylight”; in fact, Sister Hazel was one of the few bands that provided the soundtrack to my high school experience. “Nobody understands me like you do, Sister Hazel!” As I belted out the words to one of my favorites, “Champagne High,” (one of the lesser-known Sister Hazel power ballads) lead guitarist Ryan Newell (hey, look at that!) made eye contact with me — I must have been singing with a noticeable, albeit embarrassing amount of ferocity — smiled, and pointed his finger right at me.

 

I. Died. Right. There.

 

Fast-forward five years to today. I’d like to think my music tastes have evolved, expanded and matured, due likely to my time spent in Nashville, the Blair music history classes I have taken and the time I spend at BET.com. Some of my previous musical obsessions have been fazed out, replaced or stealthily thrown away to avoid humiliation. And yet, when it comes to Sister Hazel, I’m still right there with my 17-year-old self.

 

The Gainesville, Fla. natives are still recording their warm and soulful breed of pop and southern rock. Their new stuff is as good, if not better, than the songs that made them famous years ago. And though hearing some of those classics like “Hard to Say” and “Your Winter” immediately bring me back to who and where I was when I first heard them, I nevertheless play them often and enjoy them.

 

Long story short, I chatted with Mark Trojanowski, the band’s drummer over the weekend, and it was everything I had hoped for and more. I know I’m going to be at Greek Week, front row, shouting the lyrics to “Champagne High” with all my might. Will you?

 

 

Darcy Newell