The Steepwater Band

In 1999 the band met singer-songwriter Michael Connelly, who collaborated with them on their inaugural effort, the five-song EP Goin' Back Home.

The band released its first full-length album, Brother to the Snake, in 2001 with the support of radio station WXRT and Jim Beam to a packed house at Chicago's Double Door.

This relationship resulted in the production of one album, Dharmakaya, which was recorded with producers Sean Slade and Paul Kolderie (Radiohead, Warren Zevon, the Pixies, Uncle Tupelo) in Boston and released on May 18, 2004.

In addition to their own 70-minute set, they hosted a late-night jam session with members of the Drive-by Truckers and the Basque band The Soulbreaker Company.

In November 2005, the band was invited by Chicago rock radio station WLUP to open for Bon Jovi at the sold-out United Center.

The tour began with a concert in Barcelona, Spain, on July 5 with Gov't Mule and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, and also included a date with long-time Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford.

In conjunction with the tour the band also released Songs From the Eighth Day, featuring covers of Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer", Bob Dylan's "Phantom Engineer", Big Bill Broonzy's "Key to the Highway", Robert Johnson's "Walkin' Blues", a live version of "Collision", and two new Steepwater Band songs.