Kingsford Joins Forces With Zac Brown Band To Ignite Summer Fun For Concert Goers

New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) Kingsford Charcoal and the GRAMMY Award winning Zac Brown Band, one of the hottest musical acts in the country, share a passion: gathering people around the grill for great food and music. The barbecue brand is partnering with Zac Brown Band for select dates during its 2011 tour to amp up traditional concert fare by sponsoring pre-show events spotlighting Brown's favorite Southern recipes prepared using fresh local ingredients by Southern Ground Executive Chef, Rusty Hamlin.

Dynamic live shows and home-style cooking have been part of the band's playlist since the early days when it started jamming at Zac's Place, a restaurant located outside of Atlanta, formerly owned by front man Zac Brown and his dad. The restaurant might be a thing of the past, but the tradition continues. Prior to select shows, Kingsford charcoal will present Southern Ground Supper Clubs where fans will have the opportunity to sample southern style dishes while enjoying intimate performances from artists signed to Brown's label, Southern Ground Artists, Inc. Supper Club passes will be available to the general public for purchase and via contests run by Kingsford.

The barbecue brand also will serve up exclusive Eat & Greet events, where a few lucky fans will have the opportunity to interact and dine with Zac Brown Band members. To break bread with the band, fans will need to enter for the chance to win at Facebook.com/KingsfordCharcoal. Fare served at both pre-show events will reflect Chef Rusty's daily picks and selections from Brown's "Southern Ground" cookbook, a collection of recipes developed in conjunction with family and friends that includes delicious down-home dishes like Boursin-Stuffed Filet, Your Mama's Collard Greens, Pocketknife Coleslaw and Revival Peach Cobbler.

"We appreciate our fans and want them to have as much fun at our shows as we have performing for them, which is why we're working to make the concert experience even better, to capture all five senses," said Brown. "People can come to our show to enjoy our music, the music of artists we support, and Chef Rusty's Southern Ground foods charcoal grilled to perfection."

Zac Brown Band hit the ground running when its 2009 album, "The Foundation," became the first major label debut in 18 years to feature five No. 1 hits. The band continues to catch fire - winning its second GRAMMY in 2011 for Best Country Collaboration for "As She's Walking Away" featuring Alan Jackson, while also being nominated in three other categories. The band also earned five 2010 Country Music Awards nominations, including "Entertainer of the Year," and Zac Brown led all nominations at the 2011 Academy of Country Music Awards with nine nods. Fans come from near and far to enjoy the band's critically hailed performances, an experience that begins the moment they enter the parking lot, with thousands tailgating before the show.

"Our partnership with Zac Brown Band was a natural because they feel the same way we do about grilling," said Drew McGowan, with Kingsford. "We're tapping into something authentic and real - the way people feel when they relax and unwind when turning up the tunes and firing up the grill. Music and grilling are the perfect passion points for fans - and all summer long we'll be giving them the chance to connect with Zac Brown Band over a plate of charcoal grilled food."

Step onto Southern Ground
With a style rooted in the rich traditions of Louisiana and the American South, Executive Chef Rusty Hamlin aims to continuously satisfy concert-goers with original culinary creations, using ingredients sourced from local farmers' markets. Whether on the road with Zac Brown Band, or at his restaurant Atkins Park, Chef Rusty's passion for good eats comes to life in everything he does. In fact, he worked with the band to design a tractor trailer outfitted with a commercial kitchen customized for the tour, complete with a pit that will be fired up with Kingsford Competition Briquets. The mobile kitchen, or "Cookie" as the band calls it, is on the road with the group for the first time this year. Additionally, Chef Rusty plans to collaborate with world champion pitmaster and Kingsford charcoal consultant, Chris Lilly. He's visiting Lilly's famed Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q restaurant in Decatur, Ala., and taking a trip to New York City to help him pump out pulled pork for thousands of hungry Big Apple Block Party attendees.

"Zac and I are on a mission to bring people together before the concert with southern style cuisine," said Hamlin. "Grilling is an American tradition that we all have in common, whether you are tailgating before the concert in a parking lot or jamming to Zac Brown Band tunes at a backyard barbecue - it's something everyone can relate to."

Chef Rusty has created exclusive recipes for the 2011 tour to share his passion for Southern Ground grub with country music fans, which will be available on grilling.com throughout the tour.

Enter to Win a VIP Experience
The makers of Kingsford charcoal invite fans to enter for the chance to see Zac Brown Band at Facebook.com/KingsfordCharcoal for the chance to win concert tickets, as well as the opportunity to interact with the band and sample southern style barbecue prior to the show at Eat & Greets presented by Kingsford charcoal. Starting in June, fans also will have the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime Zac Brown Band experience by visiting grilling.com through the September 6, 2011.

About Zac Brown Band In 2010, Zac Brown Band was named GRAMMY's "Best New Artist" and nominated for the Academy of Country Music Awards' "Entertainer of the Year." In 2011, they've already earned another GRAMMY win and five ACM nods, Zac himself was the most-nominated artist for the 2011 ACM Awards with nine nominations. Their double platinum-certified, major label debut 'The Foundation' (Atlantic Records) was one of Billboard's Top 20 albums of 2009. The band's sophomore album 'You Get What You Give' (Atlantic/Southern Ground Artists, Inc.) debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and features guest appearances by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett. Collectively both albums feature an unprecedented seven consecutive No.1 hit singles. Zac Brown Band is represented by ROAR, a Beverly Hills-based talent and brand management company. Additional information can be found at https://www.zacbrownband.com/.