These ain’t just any old country and western bands, and did we mention they play “Jerry,” times two?
— The name’s generic, but definitely not the music. The Country Western Band, playing the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt on Saturday night, Dec, Sept. 9, is a four-piece that’s been together for five years performing a wide range of country/rock/blues style music covers with their own definite style and energy: Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard or even some of the Double Js, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jerry Reed. As they say, The Country Western Band always loves to mix it up, and they even played one prominent Twin Cities gig where their contribution was an entire set of just Waylon. This quote from band leader Red says it all: “We only play songs we love. Just the hits. If I don’t love a song, I won’t be able to sing it right or do it any justice.”
— The Chad Edwards Band, at the Smilin’ Moose on Friday night, is hard-rocking Minnesota-based country. Channeling the gritty sounds of the Marshall Tucker Band and the fiddle sounds of real country, these guys keep the dial set on dance, all night long. With over a catalog of more than 200 cover songs, between old country favorites, new country hits, rock and pop oldies and a couple of surprises, plus maybe a bit of stage fog, the band won RAWKZILLA Battle Of The Bands at The Ramble Jam music festival. All that and no cover charge Friday, as The Moose is now going in that no-pay direction with most bands.