Grammy-winning R&B singer Van Hunt [ tickets ] probably has been polishing his chops as long as he can remember. Though he's yet to achieve household-name status, Hunt continues to bide his time, touring and performing alongside such A-list artists as Coldplay [ tickets ], Kanye West [ tickets ], Mary J. Blige [ tickets ], Alicia Keys [ tickets ], The Roots [ tickets ] and Seal [ tickets ], to name a few.

Hunt took up the drums at age 7, followed by keyboards, guitar, bass and sax, according to his bio. By age 16, he was performing in local nightclubs around Dayton, OH. In 2004 he released his self-titled debut album, and 2 years later he followed it up with "On the Jungle Floor." His new set, comprised largely of previously unreleased material, is called "Use In Case Of Emergency (rare items from the vault)."

Van Hunt performs tomorrow (7/3) and Saturday (7/4) in his home town of Atlanta, and on July 26 the House of Blues in San Diego. In June of 2006 he headlined a show in San Francisco, and I was there to get some photos.

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