Sunset Bridge Band

Gracie performs live on WTSP Studio 10 May 8th, 2012 - WTSP

A couple of years ago, the Tampa Bay area experienced a surge in young, talented indie folk bands — The Sun Society, the Grecian Urns, Friends of Giants, John Gold, etc. The latest entry is The Happiness Machine.

Led by singing sisters Kathleen and Shaundra McGuire and guitarist Nick Arnal (all formerly of The Sun Society), they are joined by drummer Evan Eubanks and organist Jackson Davis. It’s a relatively new project, and their sound is still evolving, but if first single Greentown, IL, is any indication, you can expect more of the dreamy vintage indie pop those other bands embraced, mixed with “some world beats and tight homespun harmonies,” they say. “We try a lot of crazy ideas when we work out the songs, but the result, we hope, will be original and personal music.”

The Happiness Machine will be part of a very happy show on Saturday (3/31): The Talking Animals Music Night at New World Brewery. Organized by WMNF’s Talking Animals, the event features a ton of local artists performing animal-themed songs — for example, Talk To Mark will do the Pixies’ Monkey Gone To Heaven and Cake’s Sheep Go To Heaven, while Sunset Bridge will perform Miike Snow’s Animal. The Happiness Machine will do Pigeon by Tennis, Eagle on a Pole by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Electric Feel by MGMT (like electric eel, get it?).

Other artists on the bill include Tribal Style, Sons of Hippies, Rebekah Pulley and Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso. Tickets are $8-$10. Click here for details.

And at 11 a.m. Wednesday, artists from several of the bands (Sunset Bridge, Talk To Mark, Ricky Wilcox) will be in-studio with Talking Animals host Duncan Strauss to talk about the concert and other animal issues. Check it out on WMNF-88.5 - TBT Soundcheck

It was relaxing to just close my eyes and listen to the beautiful voice of Sunset Bridge Band's lead singer, Gracie Grieshop, while she strummed her acoustic guitar. After listening to a few songs on the patio, some even tinged with a bit of a country feel, I made my way inside to the bar to check out the beer selection.
However, I have to admit that I was tempted to sway from the beer collection to order from the wine list when I saw Palarea, made by my favorite Tampa winemaker, Terroir Wine Cellars. It's the perfect blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah without any pretention.
A great part of the outdoor seating here is that the Independent has patio heaters to keep the customers warm while they enjoy live entertainment. And so, after enjoying a glass of cider and watching some of my newly-made friends play darts, I headed back outside to chat with Gracie after she finished her set.
"It's our first time playing at the Independent," she said. "We love it here."
- Jen Straw

A Kansas City Cheesesteak, a pint of Lost Coast Brewery's Tangerine Wheat beer and the amazing voice of Sunset Bridge Band’s Gracie Grieshop— that’s my perfect Sunday in Seminole Heights.
On a recent Sunday, the Tampa band held its CD release party at Ella's Folk Art Café. The CD, “No Worries,” epitomizes exactly how I felt the minute I walked in the door and pulled up a stool at the bar with a few friends.
“Don’t let ‘em get the best of what you got. Move over Mr. Dark Cloud and let Mr. Sunshine through. Don’t worry about the worries… ,” Gracie crooned as she strummed her guitar.
Sunset Bridge Band’s style, with its alternative country guitar rhythm and Gracie’s soulful voice, is hard to describe until you've heard the music yourself.
“She’s like a mix between Janis Joplin, Melissa Etheridge and... ,” I said to her longtime friend, Heather Bresnahan, pausing to pick just the perfect singer.
“I still get teary-eyed listening to her music,” Heather s - Jen Straw

Sunday, Jan. 02 Suset Bridge CD Release Party Led by sweetly soulful songstress and acoustic guitarist Gracie Grieshop, local quartet Sunset Bridge draws on elements of folk, alt country and Americana to craft their bass-swaying, percussive-infused grooves. The band celebrates the release of their new album, No Worries, at this afternoon post-New Year’s show. (Ella's Americana Folk Art Cafe, - Leilani Polk

When: Sun., Aug. 28, 4 p.m. 2011
Price: Free
"Move on over dark cloud and let Mr. Sunshine through / Don't worry about the worries 'cause the worries ain't worried about you," Sunset Bridge frontwoman and visionary Gracie Grieshop sings with high-toned honeyed-soulful vocals in "No Worries," the latest single by her folk-roots outfit, which bounces and sways as if carried along a rutted, sun-dappled country road. Perfect music for chowing down at Ella's on a Sunday afternoon.
— Leilani Polk - Leilani Polk