About Hat On, Drinking Wine

Hat On, Drinking Wine began in October 2006 with three musicians who shared a love of roots music and literate lyrics.  The three original members wrote dozens of songs, and honed them during live sets around the city of Worcester for a couple of years before adding bass and drums to the lineup. 

With the full band in place, the various members began to dig deeper into other musical styles and instruments, and to explore how they could contribute to the unique HODW sound.  The door was cracked open when the band introduced the tin whistle on the Irish rocker “Jackie”; it flew off the hinges in the following months as new instruments began to pop up in more and more songs: harmonica, accordion, lap steel, mandolin, tambourine.  These instruments allowed the band to begin to incorporate other musical styles into their sound, from blues and reggae to folk and traditional Irish music.

The band’s first CD, self-titled, received rave reviews from local media, and the band has played widely throughout Central New England.  Highlights include gigs playing at the Worcester Art Museum for the opening of an exhibit of Rock and Roll photography; college shows at the Assumption College Senior Pub Night and the Senior/Faculty Barbecue; festival appearances at the Pet Rock Festival, the Douglas Oktoberfest, and the Newton Square Summer Concert Series; shows at storied music clubs like Lucky Dog and Tammany Hall, as well as newer venues like Nick’s and Beatnik’s; and a long list of private parties and political and charitable events.

The band’s second CD, featuring a dozen original songs, will be released in June of 2010