The Concrete Cowboys aim for big time, release tightly produced original CD, book top venues
By Dan Golden
Photos by Mark Warye
"It's great to be in a band that can play the music I hear in my head", states Travis Dow, songwriter and guitarist for the entertaining local "hard" country band The Concrete Cowboys.
Together little more than a year, this group has already put together an impressive string of successful shows at top-notch area venues and events. They just released a tightly produced CD featuring songs penned mainly by Dow. With seasoned vocalist Chad Kessner acting as pointman, this band of veteran performers is definitely aiming for the big time.
Concrete Cowboys' press kit leads with the line "to put it simply, this band is NUTS."
Crazy enough to enter and win a "Battle of the Bands" at their first ever show, they flew to Nashville a few months later. They peddled their demos to promoters along the famed "Music Row," then garnered airplay on KUPL, Portland's top country music radio station. "There ain't no rookies in this band," with a lineup of personnel whose ages range from 32 to 60.
Every position is manned by a competent journeyman player, each with their own interesting resume of accomplishments. The rhythm section is comprised of drummer Ed Mesa, who hails from the island of Guam; and bass player Darin Wirth, who grew up in Southern Oregon.
Lead guitarist Al Carness, cofounder of the esteemed Valley Arts guitar company and recently retired from Gibson, weaves his musical magic over the top of it all. Together, the group produces a tough but smooth sound that keeps the ears interested and puts boots on the dance floor.
Multi-instrumentalist Dow was born in Boston, but spent his "formative years" in the San Francisco Bay area, eventually earning a degree in Theater Arts from Humbolt State University. He worked with a variety of bands, performing live and recording several studio albums, traveling and generating airplay across the country. Later solo projects and collaborations brought experience and a honing of his songwriting skills. Dow moved to the Portland area in the fall of 2006 and met lead singer Kessner, who then helped pull together the rest of the Concrete Cowboy crew.
Fiddle player Jason Barlow sat in this night.
The band's first real booking was to enter and win a Battle of the Bands at what has become their home court, the legendary Ponderosa Lounge, 10350 N. Vancouver Way, at Jubitz Travel Center Way near the Jantzen Beach area.
The Ponderosa, part of the interconnected Portlander Inn and Marketplace complex, has featured live country music for over 30 years. The lounge boasts two dance floors, five flat-screen TVs, pool tables, Oregon Lottery games and a very friendly staff and atmosphere. This venue is perfectly suited for live music, utilizing a high quality "house" PA system to deliver the goods. The place really blows its top when the Concrete Cowboys come by to bring on the heat.
The surrounding Jubitz Travel Center is a renowned all-in-one truck stop. It contains not only the Ponderosa Lounge, but The Portlander Inn and Marketplace, housing an 80-seat cinema, featuring first run movies, a laundromat, arcade, hair salon, shoe repair shop and the late-night Cascade Grill restaurant. There is even Moe's Deli, now serving fresh pizza. With plenty of parking, an on-site gas station and internet services, Jubitz is truly a self-contained village that travelers hail as a perfect destination point.
The Concrete Cowboys have followed their debut at the Ponderosa with a string of gigs at places such as the Mt. Tabor Legacy, Spirit Mountain Casino, Bushwhackers in Tualatin and the vaunted Black Horse Saloon in Bend, as well as events including the Columbia County Fair and the Molalla Buckaroo.
Their first CD showcases the band at their finest, playing Dow's compositions with grit and determination. Kessner's reading of the ballad, and potential hit single Even Misery, hits the mark with just the right feel. The group has a sophomore effort in the works and will trim their schedule to just a few strategically chosen live shows in the coming months, including return dates at the Ponderosa Lounge on Saturday nights Oct. 25 and Nov. 22.
A major marketing campaign should follow, helping to raise the band's profile to a wider audience. See CC's ad this issue for further information. Check their website, www.theconcretecowboys.net to join the gang for a ride into the sunset...