Live Oak

Also at Cumberland's, all the pretty ladies and gents came out to play last Friday with Live Oak. Bassist Joel Bunn had everyone in his thumpin' grip like a stone-groovin' pimp on Christmas morning. The party went on until the wee hours and was absolutely hot! - The Charleston City Paper

...After Sol Driven Train came a performance by another popular local band. This was my first time seeing Live Oak even though more than a few friends had urged me to check them out. I immediately heard what my friends had been talking about. Live Oak has a sound that combines the sounds of funk, blues and rock. Think of the Allman Brothers with special guest Bootsy Collins, and you begin to get an idea of Live Oak's sound. Sunday's lineup for Live Oak consisted of BG and Campbell Brown on guitars and vocals, Ike Griffin on bass and Dan ogan on drums. Sitting in that day on guitar was Al "Purple" Haze, who normally plays with the band Soul Experience.
Haze had his guitar rigged with an effect that made it sound like a Hammond B3 organ, and throughout Live Oak's performance, Haze kept things humming along with his unusual contribution. At one point, Eddie White, also of Soul Experience, sat in on the drums on a reggae tune, which once again got everyone dancing.
It appears Sunday's shindig was a success, which means that the environmental education program will be able to continue it's important mission. - The Post and Courier

I first saw Live Oak about six years ago. The band was just getting it's stage legs, so to speak. At the time the band was marketed mainly by word of mouth.
I didn't know anything about the group, yet I'd repeatedly been urged to see them by many of my friends. When I finally did see them live, their enthusiasm was incredibly striking. It came across in the rawness and vigor of the group's performances.
These days, having shifted into set-lists made up of mainly original songs, Live Oak is as driven and enthusiastic as ever.
Playing groove based music that falls comfortably between Steely Dan and The Meters, this is a band that's honed it's craft over the last six years into a solid identity.
Featuring Campbell Brown and Brian Graham on guitar, Steven Stokes on keys and organ, Joel Bunn on bass, and Oliver Roberts on drums.
Thanks to the fact that Brown, Graham and Stokes share vocal duties the songs are never boring. As for the writing process, Brown says, "Everyone writes on every song. A lot of it happens in an open forum. Every now and then someone will bring in an entire song."
On Saturday, Live Oak will hold a CD release party at the Warehouse. The band spent many hours in Mt. Pleasant's Fusion Five Studios over the past several weeks.
What the band has to show for it's work is a big-sounding, well recorded and mastered studio album that's faithful to the group's live songs, but definately shows Live Oak's growth into a band that artfully conceives entire albums of work. - The Preview

Live Oak's sophomore CD offers tighter rhythms, funkier bass lines, and a little deviation from what fans of their first CD might expect.
“Fair Deal” is reflective of the overall mood — a brass-infused low-key rock number with a hint of retro Southern rock influence.
“Glimpse” is a deep groove song, just begging you to get it on with your honey on a bearskin rug — it's what the band calls their “sex song.”
“The Return of Buck Stetson” is the most outlandish song on the CD, a tribute to an imaginary bounty hunter seeking revenge on the man that killed his seÒorita — full of beady little guitar work, inspired by Tex-Mex rock.
Variety and skilled musicianship hit the mark on this funky find. Get Already Gone for free by coming to Live Oak's show this Saturday at The Warehouse.

—ShawntÈ Salabert(Charleston City Paper) - The Charleston City Paper