South Florida's favorite jam band, the Heavy Pets, recently returned from two months of touring with an evolved writing style, a new EP, and many stories to tell. Their latest run saw them sharing the stage in other parts of the country with notable acts such as Matisyahu, Umphrey's McGee, Tea Leaf Green, and Perpetual Groove. Living on the road is nothing new for the band, as the Pets spent the bulk of 2008 playing their genre-blurring, funk-infused jams for any audience willing to hear them. To bring the year to a close, the Pets are playing the Culture Room for New Year's Eve, and it sounds like they're down to perform in front of the fans who know them best. "We are excited to get back home after a great but long tour," notes lead guitarist Jeff Lloyd. "It will be our first South Florida show in two months," he adds in reference to their upcoming New Year's appearance. "The Culture Room has always been a special venue for this band, and I couldn't picture a better place for us to welcome-in 2009." After this gig, the Pets are heading back on the road in continued promotion of their latest EP, Slow Motion Conductor, so fans of the band should see them now before they go back on tour again.