Needtobreathe rocked WCU.
Photo by Melanie Cantrell.
Needtobreathe, a rock ’n’ roll band from South Carolina, played for a large audience of mostly students in Western Carolina University’s Ramsey Center on April 11, with WCU graduate Randall Harris on drums.
Needtobreathe plays a fusion of high-energy country and rock. Signed to Atlantic Records since 2005, the band consists of brothers Bear Rinehart (lead vocals, guitar, piano) and Bo Rinehart (lead guitar, banjo) as well as Seth Bolt (bass).
Josh Lovelace joined the group as a touring keyboardist in 2010. After founding drummer Joe Stillwell left the band in July 2012, Randall “Randog” Harris joined Needtobreathe as a touring drummer.
Needtobreathe opened for Taylor Swift during her 2011 tour and is now headlining the current Drive All Night Tour 2013, with Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors as the tour’s opening act. Needtobreathe’s fifth album, La Diferencia, will hit stores this fall.
The April 11 show was the first Needtobreathe concert at WCU. The crowd jumped, sang along and cheered for the band throughout the night. Fans lined up outside of the Ramsey Center after the show to meet the band and get autographs in the pouring rain and rolling thunder.
Among the fans who met the band was Abby Cantrell, a fan of Needtobreathe since their beginning, featured speaking in a video from the WCU concert below. Also interviewed was Evan Dykes, the production director of North Asheville Baptist Church and a graduate of Montreat College.
