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Merrill

Packing houses since 2006 with self-described, “emotionally charged rock ‘n roll for the masses,” Merrill will pull you in and just possibly melt your heart.
With their high energy full band rock shows, or stripped down, intimate acoustic sets, these guys are full of energy and pure positive vibes.

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Hometown	Nashville, TN
Genres	Rock, Pop
Band Members	Chris Merrill - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar; Eli Johnson... » more
Achievements	» more
Upcoming Shows	None

Contact Information:	Publicist Rebecca Stentz beckystentz@yahoo.com 503-349-2978 Booking Synergy Music LLC bookings@merrillmusic.com 503-449-4961
# Years Experience Performing Live:	5
# Live Perfomances Past Six-months:	74
Market Draw:	Portland, Oregon: 251-300; Seattle, Washington: 101-150; San Francisco, Ca.: 151-200; Reno, Nevada: 76-100
Venue History:	Dantes - Portland, Or Doug Fir - Portland, OR Nuemos - Seattle, WA The Union Room - San Francisco, CA White River Amphitheatre - Auburn, WA Key Club - Los Angeles, CA Alice Coopers Town - Phoenix, AZ
Opener Experience:	Maroon 5; Counting Crows; Augustana; Crowded House
Similar Artists:	Goo Goo Dolls; Butch Walker; Kelly Clarkson; Rob Thomas
Performing Rights Society:	BMI
Discography:	Loves of Yesterday Single—2011; A Beautiful Disaster LP—2009; Evolutions EP—2008

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About the Artist

When it comes to street cred, Merrill doesn’t fall short. In addition to playing regular shows throughout the great northwest, they have rocked the house as opening acts for bands such as Maroon 5, Counting Crows, and Augustana. They also played at the...

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Music

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Achievements

EJ Interview

Bumbershoot Showcase

Reached 13th in Best of Country chart in 2017. In the top 20 for 3 weeks.

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Press Coverage

Bumbershoot Notes by Bumbershoot 2007 Program
Oregon native Chris Merrill has been writing and producing songs all his life. Recently, his band rose to the top of Ourstage.com fan voting with their hook-laden track, "Intervention."

Merrill opens for Maroon 5 by ourstage.com
With recent success, landing a spot opening Maroon 5 and Counting Crows, pop-rockers, Merrill have been tearing it up. Honoring their recent accomplishment we have a track for download today that proves, “It’s U” (helping great music succeed!) A shockingly sunny sound from oft rainy/cloudy Portland, Ore., Merrill overcame missing equipment and technical difficulties, at the Maroon 5 set, to rock the crowd. Discover, Merrill.

Rising pop rocker takes stage at M&M by Rob Cullivan of The Gresham Outlook
Chris Merrill, a 1996 graduate of Reynolds High School, licensed one of his songs a couple years ago to Fox Sports, which used “Back 4 More” during a TV broadcast of a Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game. “Actually, I’ve got a highlight reel of LeBron (James) to ‘Back 4 More,’ ” Merrill says. He then pauses when he realizes James left Cleveland on a sour note in 2010 to play for the Miami Heat, who just lost to Dallas in the NBA championship series. “And no one wants to see (the reel) anymore, especially in Cleveland,” Merrill says with a laugh. He’s not as rich as James, but Merrill may someday be as famous as he promotes his band’s unapologetically mainstream pop-rock tunes, which could be compared to Nickelback and Kings of Leon, but definitely possess a sound all Merrill’s own. He notes his band doesn’t quite fit in with Portland’s indie hipster scene, where live music fans often prefer quirkier or more eclectic music than might be found in other cities. Yet, Merrill still plays regularly around town when the band is not gigging up and down the West Coast, and his group has shared the stage with national acts, including Counting Crows and Maroon 5. “We want to write and record commercial music and try to reach the masses,” he says. “There’s just something about awesome hooks and fantastic singing and a polished product. People’s ears have gotten a little tired of just kind of canned music. Those great hooks, the polished product, is giving the listeners what they really want.” The Rockwood native and his band, which includes lead guitarist/vocalist Eli Johnson, bassist Brian Powell and keyboardist Blake Padilla, plays the M&M Lounge this Saturday. Merrill will share the stage with Chris Margolin & The Dregs, a ’90s style alternative rock band that’s been compared to Matchbox Twenty and Seven Mary Three. Merrill promises to pull out the works, with lights, smoke and “anything we can pretty much think of. “We’re going blow the doors off the place!” Long way to the top Merrill got a relatively late start in the music business, starting to play piano when he was 21. “I discovered I could sing pretty decently and found out that was something I enjoyed doing.” Since 2006, he’s played with his current outfit and has steadily made inroads in the music industry. The group’s song “The One Thing” was named “2010 Portland Song of the Year” by West Coast Songwriters, an industry organization. The single also placed second at the WCS 2010 annual songwriting competition in Berkeley, Calif. Merrill remembered the moment with a laugh, noting he and co-songwriter Johnson had van trouble that almost made them miss it. “We literally ran into the venue with minutes to spare,” he says. “Me and Eli ran onto the stage, dripping with sweat, and took second place.” Merrill also was awarded “Best Performance” at the WCS Portland chapter finals in April 2011. The group’s hard work paid off when they met multi-platinum songwriter George Merrill – no relation – who’s penned such hits as Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Merrill has taken Merrill and Johnson under his wing and is co-writing songs with them. “He’s a fantastic writer, and he’s really good to me and Eli,” Merrill says. The band has released two albums and plans to release singles digitally this summer, including “Loves of Yesterday,” which features Merrill on a vocal duet with Christie Bradley, a Portland singer/percussionist. “The song is definitely the strongest thing that we will have released to date, so we feel strong about its potential,” Merrill says. He adds that his ultimate goal is to tour nationally and to keep improving his craft. No matter how long you’re at it, there’s always room to improve your music game, he says, recalling how he felt after opening for Maroon 5 a few years back. “At the time I was feeling good,” he says. “I remember thinking to myself the only difference between them and us was the gear.” He pauses a moment, then says with a laugh: “But they were really polished. Once I was able to think about it and get past my ego, you could tell they had taken the time to put together a great show. I want my guys to put that same commitment in, and I think we do.”

Previews & Reviews: Headlights, The Subterranean H by Zaph Mann - OPB Music
Finally if you’re into ‘Radio Rock’ you shouldn’t miss the CD release show of Merrill (the band) at the Ponderosa Lounge, on October 29. Baffled by the appeal I’ve been following Chris Merrill for some time and discussing my dumbfoundedness regards the genre. Merrill is a genuine and talented musician who at least doesn’t do the false posing. He does sound a bit Vedderish and he writes well structured anguished songs true to the genre. Now that his star’s rising (opening for Maroon 5, Counting Crows, and Augustana - having his music used for a Nascar ad) here’s the properly produced album "A Beautiful Disaster" which certainly fit’s the PR “record that isn’t afraid to be sensitive – but also isn’t afraid to rock.” - I just don’t ‘get’ this genre but millions of people love it and maybe you’re one of them.

Merrill to release new single "Loves of Yesterday" by Jenny May - Band Weblogs
It's not often you hear about pop/radio rock coming out of the pacific northwest - but Merrill likes to be the exception to the rule. From cover band fun nights to pop/radio rock origionals, these guys are on fire. Recent collaborations with top industry writers such as George Merrill ("Waiting for a Star to Fall", "How Will I Know", "I Wanna Dance With Somebody") have the creative juices flowing, as you will hear with their latest single, "Loves of Yesterday. Loves of Yesterday" is the most recent single to be released by Portland based artist. With two albums (Evolutions and A Beautiful Disaster) already released, the guys are ready to take Portland's pop/rock scene to the next level with their latest heartfelt song that will have you tapping your feet and singing along with a single that evokes the soul of Lady Antebellum with the grit of Kings of Leon. Since 2006, lead vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Chris Merrill has been leading the band to success with first place awards for songwriting and performance in multiple west coast musical competitions, opened shows for big named artists such as Maroon 5 and Counting Crows, played the Bumbershoot Music Festival in Seattle and signed a licensing agreement with Fox Sports for use of their music. Merrill plays regularly at popular venues throughout the Pacific Northwest and has toured with other up and coming artists throughout much of the U.S. Loves of Yesterday" was co-written by Chris Merrill and Elijah Johnson. Label: Synergy Music LLC Digital MP3 Release Release Date: September 6, 2011 iTunes, CDBaby

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