Inside the cover of Sister Hazel’s latest CD, like many bands’, is a merchandise catalog advertising a variety of T-shirts, hats, stickers and posters.

But Sister Hazel’s catalog is different from most. It is bound by a letter from the band. It begins “Dear Friends:

“We just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your overwhelming support since this project began. We believe that it’s not only a gift, but a privilege to be able to play music night in and night out. Without YOU, it wouldn’t be the same.”

Although there are no references to it, the letter strikes a similar chord to the band’s hit single “All For You.”

The letter, the song, the band’s name (which comes from a female minister in Gainesville, Fla.) all sum up what Sister Hazel is about — happiness. There is even a song on “Somewhere More Familiar” titled “Happy.”

“Our whole thing is we don’t try to do it,” Sister Hazel drummer Mark Trojanowski explained. “We don’t go out of our way to be a happy band. It’s just how we were brought up.

“We put a positive twist on things, and there aren’t many other bands doing that,” he continued. “So we stand out for it.”

Believe it or not, Sister Hazel has been criticized for its positive attitude toward music. Much to do with “All For You,” the band has been pigeon-holed by many critics as a one-dimensional “happy pop song band.”

“I think that changes when people see us live,” Trojanowski said. “People come up to us after the show and they can’t believe how aggressive it was. Aggressive in the sense of there’s a lot of energy.”

The flyer

It is easy to see why the members of Sister Hazel are such up-beat musicians.

When Gainesville vocalist/guitarist Ken Block decided to put together a band, he posted a flyer incorporating adjectives such as creative, positive, insightful and energetic.

Block’s first answer was from bassist Jeff Beres. Along with rhythm guitarist Andrew Copeland, whom Block had been playing with as a popular cover duo, Block and Beres recorded the band’s self-titled debut record (often called “The White CD” by Sister Hazel members and fans).

The independently released “Sister Hazel” sold more than 11,000 copies and introduced an acoustic version of “All For You,” a song Block wrote seven years ago for a radio-station contest.

After the success of “The White CD,” Sister Hazel recruited a full-time drummer in Trojanowski and an additional guitarist in Ryan Newell.

“I was doing some other projects, but I wanted to be in a band where I would be equally involved,” Trojanowski said. “I jumped in Sister Hazel head-first, and it was exactly what I was looking for.”

When Trojanowski joined Sister Hazel, he began doing more than just playing drums. As part of the band’s do-it-yourself plan, he worked on creating the band’s newsletter, a job he cherished.

“We did probably 99 percent of the business stuff ourselves,” Trojanowski said.

In fact, in Sister Hazel’s letter, the band explains how all of its clothing was designed by band members or close friends.

“We are by no means Michealangelos’ or Leonardo D’Vincis’, but we did come up with some decent stuff,” it explains.

Booming Florida

In September of 1996, Sister Hazel drew crowds of over 5,000 to CD release parties in Gainesville and Tallahassee, Fla. This was one of many signs that the Florida music scene was improving.

Two local bands, Seven Mary Three and Four Squirrels, had just been signed to national record labels and were touring the country. (Sadly, Four Squirrels experienced a brutal car accident that killed two of its members.)

Other acts were on the verge of breaking: Creed, Less Than Jake, Limp Bizkit, Matchbox 20 and a few others.

Sister Hazel was fortunate enough to be among that list.

“It is really just starting to boom,” Trojanowski said. “And there are no bands that sound alike. All of the bands that have gotten signed have been totally different, which is unique. Unlike Seattle, where all of the bands were playing the same music.

“Here,” he added, “you know the difference between bands.”

Trojanowski credits the attitude among the musicians to the scene’s success.

“Everyone is helping everyone,” he said. “You do whatever you can to take care of the other bands.”

Because Sister Hazel has spent most of its time on the road as the headlining act, the band has been able to bring local bands such as House Dreams and My Friend Steve out with it.

However, Trojanowski and his gang have spent a few evenings in the smaller of two dressing rooms, most notably as openers on a two-month Allman Brothers tour.

“Playing in front of 60,000 people is a totally different vibe than a club,” Trojanowski said. “It’s exciting, but our ideal venue is probably a 2,000 seat venue, where people can come right up to the stage and be a part of it.”

Sister Hazel, who has toured with Tonic, Matchbox 20, the Freddy Jones Band, Cravin’ Melon and Alana Davis, will be performing at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand Sunday at 7:30 p.m. with Seven Mary Three. Tickets are $15.