But that's just how things go for Bang Bang Bang. When confronted with the bands irresistible, infectious brand of greasy, sleazy Southern rock, spiked liberally with punk energy and pop songwriting smarts, new listeners typically don't put up much resistance. "It's a high energy rock and roll thing," says drummer Neil Mason of the quartet's electrifying live show. "It's all about crowd interaction." "Everybody's usually singing along," adds Johnston. "It's great to see how people react. People are excited about the buzz that we've built—which is awesome to see, because we’ve worked so hard to get here." This, too, is true. Bang Bang Bang may have only existed since 2005, but its members—and their respective resumes—goes back a lot further. All the Bangers grew up in Nashville, TN, and three of the four attended Hume-Fogg High School there together. “We all knew each other, and we were in bands together throughout high school. We went through the drug phases, the drinking phases—which we’re still in,” jokes Johnston. “We did all that together.”

The band’s abiding friendships, which stretch back a decade now, have only grown closer through playing as many as 200 shows a year. They know each other now as only siblings do. “When Kelby gets quiet, that means he’s hungry,” notes Johnston with a chuckle. “When Ben’s drunk and tired at the end of the night, it’s time to go.” “It’s the most fun band I’ve ever played in,” declares lead guitarist Ben Brown. “Not just for the music, but because I get to hang out with these guys all the time.” In addition to a long personal history, the members also have a wealth of hard-won music-business experience behind them. Mason and Brown were in the acoustic-rock band Llama, which released one major-label album; Johnston played drums in The Kicks, who released two efforts on large independent labels. Both were dropped by those same labels and promptly dissolved, leaving all involved a little unsure about the future. “We’ve seen the other side of things,” notes Johnston. “The things we did wrong with those bands, we now get to do right.”

Doing things right officially began one day at that most rock-and-roll of locations, the Smoothie King. Johnston began telling his old friend Mason (who worked there) about the fiery rock songs he’d been writing, and Mason took a listen. The band experimented with a few lineup variations, but when Kelby Ray took over bass duties, the chemistry was finally correct. The band’s varied influences—from The Black Crowes and Lenny Kravitz to The Sex Pistols and The Dead Kennedys—began to gel. “We want to be able to play Bonnaroo, and then go on the road with the Strokes,” explains Johnston. “Go out with Bloc Party, then hit some Black Crowes dates.” Why not? The band’s furiously energetic, effortlessly hooky sound has already inspired a wild variety of audiences to surrender to the urge to dance, headbang, sing along and whatever else the group’s sweaty, kinetic music brings to mind in the moment.

Its lineup settled, the band was soon packing shows with fellow “Movement Nashville” rock acts like AutoVaughn and Jeremy Lister, being namedropped in Rolling Stone by pals The Pink Spiders and opening for O.A.R. at Nashville’s world-famous Ryman Auditorium (Ray’s third gig ever as bass player) and country-rock royalty Shooter Jennings all over the place. They quickly attracted and enlisted high-powered management, booking, publishing companies and ultimately a record deal with Warner Brothers.

Bang Bang Bang are ready to explode—and things can’t happen too quickly for these hard-working road dogs. “The faster it gets and the more intense it gets,” declares Brown, “the more fun it gets.”

“Within a year, we’ve built up this thing,” marvels Johnston. “We’ve kinda taken over Nashville, and we’re trying to do the same thing all over the place. We’ve spent the last year building this team to where it’s gonna be unstoppable. We want to be so damn big you can’t not know who we are.”

Presenting acts from the U.S. and abroad, BMI will showcase an array of rising rock, pop and singer/songwriter acts. From the blues rock of the Isle of Man’s Back Door Slam, to the power rock trio of Inward Eye, infectiousness of Bang Bang Bang and John Paul White’s rhythmic guitar, BMI’s Lollapalooza stage is guaranteed to satisfy all musical tastes.

The schedule for the BMI sponsored Lollapalooza stage is as follows:

Friday, August 3
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. - The Switches: Hailing from London, England, the Switches debut album, Heart Tuned To D.E.A.D, is influenced by artists such as David Bowie, The Rakes, Super Furry Animals, and the Beach Boys.

12:30 – 1:15 p.m. - Tom Schraeder: With a delicate, drunken honesty and a knack for setting the simple desperation of young love against a background of Brit-pop-laced Americana, Tom Schraeder’s songs for his upcoming album, The Door, are not for the faint of heart.

1:45 – 2:30 p.m. - Bang Bang Bang: With influences like The Sex Pistols and Lenny Kravitz, Bang Bang Bang inked a record deal with Warner Brothers after dazzling them with their irresistible, infectious brand of greasy, sleazy Southern rock, spiked liberally with punk energy and songwriting smarts.

3:00 – 3:45 p.m. - Powerspace: This young quartet specialize in a cross between hooky power pop à la Fountains of Wayne, ironic glam metal in the tradition of the Darkness, and '80s-influenced dance-rock textures that recall early MTV stars like INXS and Duran Duran.

4:15 – 5:00 p.m. - Inward Eye: With a nod to the Jam and the Who, this rock trio from Winnipeg, Canada write and perform songs with the wit and guitar-based energy that have won them a global audience.

5:30 – 6:15 p.m. - Wax on Radio: Chicago' s Wax On Radio has emerged at the forefront of a new breed of important young rock bands. At once artistic, virtuosic, heavy, and reminiscent of an era when great songs and evocative aural atmospherics coexisted with strong hooks, the bands music resonates as an uncommonly multifaceted, engaging, and convincing statement.

Saturday, August 4
11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Dear and the Headlights: Rock band Dear and the Headlights, calls Phoenix, Arizona home and consists of five members influenced by artists such as Radiohead, Bob Dylan, The Flaming Lips, and Leonard Cohen.

12:30 – 1:15 - Ludo: Critics embraced their second album, The Broken Bride, as “a rock and roll adventure for the ages” and “a competitor for the best EP of the year.”

1:45-2:30 - Kevin Michael: With an irresistible blend of soul, funk, r&b and pop, Kevin Michael invokes greats from the past while bringing something totally new to the game on his debut album, YaDig?

3:00 – 3:45 - Lady GaGa: Lady GaGa’s debut album combines her love of Beatles’ melodies with retro dance beats, plastic synth sounds, and a quirky rock piano style. Her dramatic live shows have won over fans and critics in her hometown of New York City.

4:15-5:00 - Cage the Elephant: Bowling Green, Kentucky’s Cage the Elephant formed in 2006, debuting their self-released album this past March. With a strong buzz off of their SXSW and Bonnaroo performances, the band is winning indie rock fans over with their no-frills,  no-boundaries performances.

5:30 – 6:15 - Back Door Slam: This blues-rock trio from the Isle of Man has made jaws drop when 19-year-old singer Davy Knowles showcases his exceptional blues-rock guitar skills and vocals, showing that the passion and heart of the blues is evolving outside the U.S.

Sunday, August 5
11:15 – 12:00 - The Graduate: After their debut album, Anhedonia, hit stores this past April, The Graduate has gained momentum due to memorable songs, an interactive live show and the friendly disposition of its members.

12:30 – 1:15 - Mr. North: This four-piece band, comprising two brothers, a first cousin and a next-door neighbor, started playing together when they were young teens. Their second album, Fear and Desire, showcases the bands’ powerful live sound.

1:45 – 2:30 - Smoosh: the first true rock Tween act to come from the indie scene, Smoosh offers a rare combination of honesty, perseverance, and passion for music.

3:00 – 3:45 - The Diffs: Inspired by early L.A. punk bands like The Germs, Black Flag and the Adolescents, the Diffs go back to the source and make the sound their own. The LA Weekly hails The Diffs as “L.A.’s coolest high-school band.”

4:15 – 5: -  John Paul White: John Paul White, a Lawrenceburg, Tennessee native, journeyed over to Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals this past fall to record his debut album with Capitol Records.

5:30 – 6:15 - Bound Stems: When reporting on the Bound Stems, Rolling Stone exclaimed, “These Chicago indie rockers build on Modest Mouse’s quirky popiness with low-fi samples and a bouncy groove all their own.”
Press credentials can be requested through Lollapalooza at www.lollapalooza.com/credentials_start.asp

BMI presents and sponsors a stage at all three of C3 and Capital Sports & Entertainment’s music festivals: Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Music Festival September 14-16, and the inaugural Big State Festival, October 13-14. BMI’s partnership with this elite festival is designed to offer more prime showcasing opportunities to its songwriters — a distinct priority of the organization. For more information on Lollapalooza, please visit www.lollapalooza.com; for information on the Austin City Limits Music Festival, visit www.aclfestival.com; and for details regarding the Big State Festival, please go to www.bigstatefestival.com.