Cari Dell & The Hard Drives
By Nicole Laird
The Independent Thursday,
February 28, 2007
Colorado Springs, CO

Thirsty's, 2028 Sheldon Ave., 444-8515 Friday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. 21-plus, no cover.

Will's Sports Pub, 424 S. Nevada Ave., 475-2122 Open Mic Night, Monday, Feb. 26, 6-10 p.m. No cover.

Benny's Restaurant and Lounge, 517 W. Colorado Ave., 634-9309 Open Jam, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m. to midnight No cover.

Cari Dell and her three-piece blues-and-rock band, Cari Dell & the Hard Drives, are everything their name promises them to be.

They're a determined bunch, possessing an intense competitive streak, and intent on making it in the music industry.

For more than 12 years, Dell (lead guitar and vocals) and band mate Michael Brown (bass) have played together. And recently, the duo added drummer Russell Beck to the mix.

Originally from Texas, but most recently from Las Vegas, Dell and Brown are new to the Springs. But they call their new home "wonderful" and "a breath of fresh air." And they're ready to fully immerse themselves in the local music scene.

After all, with 12 years under their belts, Dell and Brown know what it takes to get noticed musically: Upstaging the competition and always putting on a good show.

"In Vegas, we learned how to be good performers," Dell says. "Showmanship gets people's attention."

She's right; since moving to the Springs, Dell has quickly earned herself and her band a reputation for flair, thanks to Dell's onstage guitar tricks.

"After 22 years of playing the guitar, all the hard work pays off," Dell says.

More importantly, after all those years, Dell says she's still having fun.

"It's an adrenaline rush," Dell says. "Like being on cloud nine."

CAUGHT LIVE TOO!
@ BARLEY'S CASINO

BY: DON BROWN SR.
PHOTO: DON BROWN SR.
SHADE TREE SHELTER'S A CAUSE FOR PAWS
June 18, 2005
Las Vegas, NV

It would be Cari Dell and The Hard Drives turn to follow Franky Perez and end the benefit. Guitarist Cari Dell and her band tore it up on a blistering version of Santana's, "Europa". Cari showed more of her abilities on Stevie ray Vaughan's version of "Mary Had A Little Lamb", and the Doobie Brothers, "Long Train Running". Cari Dell and the Hard Drives did the Box Tops hit, "The Letter" to end this wonderful event.

Click here to find out more about or to make a
THE SHADE TREE SHELTER
or NOAH'S ANIMAL HOSPITAL.

CARI DELL'S SONG, "ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO", REACHED # 2 ON RADIO SIX INTERNATIONAL 2004 RECORD OF THE YEAR COUNTDOWN IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
DECEMBER 25, 2004
http://www.radiosix.com

TRUE BLUES: ORGANIZATION AIMING TO REJUVENATE LOCAL BLUES SCENE

BY: SPENCER PATTERSON
Photos: BY SCOTT MORRIS

LAS VEGAS SUNDAY
April 22, 2004
Las Vegas, NV

SOUTHERN Nevada Blues Association
members listen as fellow members Ron Graham
and Cari Dell jam after a meeting of the club.

CARI DELL AWARDED,"2003 RECORD OF THE YEAR" IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
DECEMBER 27, 2003
http://www.atko.dk/ps/airplay.html

CARI DELL "DIFFERENT DREAMS"

By Mary Rudy
Muzik Reviews
& ALL ACCESS MAGAZINE
December 26, 2003
Las Vegas, NV &
Los Angeles, CA

Cari Dell can give you what you want to hear, she carries an abundance of talent in her singing/songwriting
and the musicianship she so superbly demonstrates in each of her songs in "Different Dreams", CD.

This CD is tightly packed with the musicianship of Cari Dell and the spectacular musicians that back her.
And they are: Michael Brown--Bass........Rick Connell / Richard Woolsey----Drums.......Paul Pearcy--Drums /
Tambourine / Congas..........Jeff Sturms----Keyboards / Piano / Organ / Shakers / Clavinet........David Webb---
Organ / Keyboards and of course Cari Dell----Vocals / Guitar / Piano.......

From the first song to the last, this CD has that great grabbin' power to pull the listener into the lyrics,
the music and the talents that have so obviously worked harder than hard to put out an outstanding
project. You can catch Cari Dell and her "Different Dreams" CD at her website at http://www.caridell.com
where you can pick up your own spin.

Cari possesses the most extraordinary guitar action, her axe-tion has a strong driving force.
She definitely knows her instrument and you can hear the love for her music coming through
her guitar playing. And Cari has the vocals to match her instrument driving force, she's up and
down that vocal spectrum throughout each verse and that folks is something any singer would
die for.................The rhythm section of the drums--bass---keyboards illustrates their expertise with
their being solid, clear-crisp and in the pocket with every beat of the drum, bass lick and
note on the keys. Spectacular work!!!!

Make sure to check out the following tunes: "Everything Will Be Alright"........."I Miss You".........
"Booby Trap"........"It's So Nice (Red, Blue, Yellow, & Green). In my opinion there is not one bad tune
on this CD and "I Miss You", is totally awesome.

And by the way folks while we are on the subject of these fantastic songs we can not close this review without
congratulating Cari Dell on her song, " A THING FOR ME", which is one of the cuts off 'Different Dreams', won the
"2003 Record Of the Year", in GLASGOW, SCOTLAND. And this is where you can catch the RECORD OF THE YEAR
award at: http://www.radiosix.com

MUZIK REVIEWZ
------MARY RUDY

SPRINGS REJUVENATES
MUSICIAN'S CAREER

By Laura Austin-Eurich
The Gazette FRIDAY
July 27, 2001
Colorado Springs, CO

Moving from Austin, Texas--the self-proclaimed, "live music capital of the world"--to Colorado Springs
might sound like career suicide for a musician. But Cari Dell, a songwriter / guitarist from Austin, has
found new musical life in the Springs. Perhaps the biggest difference between Austin and the Springs
is that Dell, who came here in September 2000, has found she can now make a living as a musician.

In Austin, she said she was playing once a month and when she and her band did land gigs, they often
were playing for free or splitting $100 between band members. "In Austin, they see music seven days a week,"
she says. "It's harder to impress; there's so much musical talent there." In the Springs, she's playing nearly
every weekend. This weekend, you can catch her at Olde Towne Tavern.

"A lot of people say this isn't a musical town, but I've found at certain venues, crowds really get into the music," she says.
She's also pleased with the cooperative nature she sees in the local music scene. "The musicians are more apt to help each other," she says. "In Austin, the competitive nature means that people don't share information." Also, it was hard to find musicians willing to commit to a band. She says many people would play in three or four bands, making it harder to find people who were willing to spend the time it takes to get things started.

Dell, a native of Austin, moved to Colorado last summer with bass player Michael Brown after they took a job at a campground in Cripple Creek. After meeting Michael Nail, a drummer from Canon City, and finding what she calls, "musical chemistry", they decided to stick around and moved to Colorado Springs. She jokes that the band should be called, "Cari Dell and the Mikes," since the last drummer was Mike, too.

Dell first picked up the guitar at age 13. "The Beatles inspired me to play the guitar", she says. But it was her stepfather who suggested she take lessons--he also picked up the tab. "It was the best thing to ever happen to me," she says. "I found a way to be creative. And you never outgrow an instrument." Besides The Beatles, her musical influences include Elton John, U2, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Ray Vaughan (for the guitar playing more than songwriting, she says) and Bonnie Raitt (whom she calls her favorite female vocalist, "cause she's soulful.")

On the phone, her voice sounds young and timid. ("When sales people call, they ask for my mom," she says, laughing.) But on her debut album CD, "Anything You Want To Do," it rings out with a gusty, bluesy quality. The 12 songs on the disc show Dell's range, from blues to pop to ballads. You can get a copy of the disc at www.caridell.com or at her gigs. Dell is preparing to go into the studio to work on a second CD, which she says will be done by the end of the year.

Laura Austin-Eurich can be reached at 719-636-0261 or laura@gazette.com

PLAYING AROUND--THE CARI DELL BAND
By Kristen Sherwood
The Independent THURSDAY
November 30, 2000 Colorado Springs, CO

Cari Dell moved to the Pikes Peak region from Austin just a few short months ago, and already she has steady gigs booked all over town. Each weekend she can be found at some mountain bar, downtown club or rowdy tavern out in the woods playing her guitar and working on her impressive and diverse repertoire. It's encouraging to have a fresh, talented voice like Cari's on the scene.

When she was seven, Cari got her hands on an unlikely influence----the soundtrack to STAR WARS. She played the record hundreds of times, letting the melodies of John Williams foster an interest in music that led her to pick up a guitar and begin taking lessons at age 12. Instructor Virgil Massey advised her to learn on an acoustic instrument, but that Christmas, Santa brought Cari an electric guitar and she never went back.

Since then, Cari has mastered the instrument, enabling her to become one of the top performers in Austin, a live music Mecca with tight competition. While her set lists include music from The Beatles and Patsy Cline to Percy Sledge and U2, the majority of her talent is focused on her original songs and instrumental compositions, many of which ended up on her latest album, "Anything You Want To Do". You can catch Cari Dell playing their regular Wednesday night gig at Tres Hombres in Woodland Park, and Thursday night, Nov. 30, at the Underground, 633-0590.

CARI DELL
By Tom Strubbe
Austin Music Scene Magazine
February 1999
Austin, TX

CARI DELL & TIMEPEACE
By: Mark Gibson
HILL COUNTRY NEWS, CEDAR CHOPPER FESTIVAL Wednesday
June 11, 1997
Cedar Park, TX

With a strong 60's-70's influence, Cari Dell and Timepeace are great fun to watch perform. Her voice rasps
with a Melissa Ethridge belligerence, but it sooths like Sheryl Crow. Her guitar influences trace back to
Brian Setzer and Jeff Beck, yet her vulnerability is reflected in a Bonnie Raitt softness drifting through her
songs and melodies." Her music defies categorization---quiet, yet powerful-unique, yet familiar to the soul...."

YOUNG PRODUCER DEBUTS THEATRE
ON THE AIR
By: John Herndon
Austin American Statesman
December 19, 1996
Austin, TX

Cari Dell scored the music for the radio drama,"So Much Lost Time".