Junkyard Dogs
Quartet energizes crowd at Hing’s Happy Lounge
Junkyard Dogs
Junkyard Dogs has honed it's craft for seven years, performing around the region. Talented members including Jeff Bonds, guitar and vocals; Troy Miller, drums, percussion and vocals; Ron Hampton, bass guitar and vocals and Ron Trueherz, lead guitar, meld together as one music machine. Each performer in this quartet brings years of experience to the band.
Bonds, a proclaimed self-taught guitarist, grew up in the Portland area, where he pursued music. Singing, his other talent, was introduced to him at a young age, coming from a family of vocalists. The dream of signing a record deal materialized with Suncity Records in the early ‘90s with the band Dirty Rhythm. Performance has been a driving force for Bonds over the years and with the Junkyard Dogs, the focus continues not just on cover tunes, but on original music.
Miller, also part of the band Dirty Rhythm, brings that percussive tightness to the group. Oregonian and determined drummer, Miller picked up the drumsticks at an early age and started club work by the age of 13. He has performed in many different groups with various styles of music. He also brings his vocal work to the band to create the group's three-part harmonies.
Hampton on bass guitar also adds his voice to the group, either singing lead vocal lines or harmonies. His mother first introduced him to the piano, taking him to lessons at the age of five. This led Hampton to the clarinet, performing in school bands into high school. In 1970, he acquired his first bass guitar and has yet to set it down. Performing in numerous groups along the way, Hampton got on board with the Junkyard Dogs in 2007.
The newest member of the band, Trueherz, on lead guitar, hooked up with the band a little over a year ago. Hailing from New York State and educated at Boston's Berkley School of Music, Trueherz makes the guitar come cleanly to life. He’s featured in the band on lead guitar work such as Joe Satriani's Always With Me , Always With You. It was a treat. Trueherz has performed with many groups and is excited to be working with the Junkyard Dogs. Trueherz has also released an instrumental solo CD titled My Passion and can be found at www.cdbaby.com.
The goal of the Junkyard Dogs is to perform for more and more people, continue to work on original music and to create a full original CD. This is a group of very talented musicians who continue to work at their craft and have fun all at the same time. You can find out more about the Junkyard Dogs on the web at www.myspace.com/4junkyarddogs and see Bandstand this issue for schedule.
HING’S
Hing’s Restaurant and Happy Lounge supports and features live music every weekend. If you enjoy gourmet Cantonese and Mandarin Cuisine, Hing's comes highly recommended for their extensive menu and you won’t go away hungry. Hing's offers delicious food, great drinks and rockin' music. The club can be found at 517 Main Street, downtown Oregon City. They can also accommodate your banquet needs up to 200 people. Call 503- 655-6688 for details. (See Music on Tap and ad for music schedule.)