Perhaps no other band has gotten more mileage out of the element of surprise than the Bacon Brothers. Through countless gigs and five albums—including the new New Year's Day—surprising people is something the band has gotten quite good at since forming some 11 years ago. Put simply, at each tour stop, the Bacon Brothers encounter cynical or curious listeners expecting no more than a vanity project. What they encounter instead is a group of guys who can actually play.