The Samples

The Samples are more than a band – they represent a culture of loyal fans for whom these songs are timeless anthems and musical bookmarks to important memories. Fans who came to love the heady mix of rock, reggae, and folk combined with childlike glee and melancholy remain steadfast to this day. Any Gen-Xer worth their salt can sing you the chorus to their 1992 hit “Did You Ever Look So Nice.” Formed by Sean Kelly in 1987 in Boulder, CO, The Samples became one of the most enduring acts to spring from the fertile independent music scene of the early 90s. The band was a stalwart on Blues Traveler’s H.O.R.D.E. Festival and have sold over a million copies of their 20 albums. Over the years, The Samples have played with Phish, Sting, and the Allman Brothers, and were instrumental in launching the careers of the Dave Matthews Band, Lisa Loeb, and Hootie and the Blowfish – all three opened for The Samples in their early days of national touring. It’s a testament to the enduring songwriting of Sean Kelly that The Samples have had so much staying power over their so far 30-year span.