| Dixie Hicks to open for national country stars |
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| Thursday, 28 May 2009 | ||||
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by Elyse Kaner Staff writer Ask Duane Stombaugh about the sound of his band Dixie Hicks and he is not hard-pressed for words. High-energy country. High-powered rock. Bluesy. Crisp, hard-hitting, hard-driving sound without puncturing your ear drums. The words flow from him faster than a keg of beer at a beach party on a warm summer night.
But the band’s sound is definitely authentic country. “We do have a signature sound,” said Stombaugh, a resident of Spring Lake Park for 12 years. Stombaugh started the band in 2006. Since then, band members have come and gone, with Stombaugh remaining as the only original member of the group. Still, he and the band have made remarkable strides in a short period of time. This summer, the Dixie Hicks will show off its licks when the band opens for national country singing sensations The Lost Trailers, LeAnn Rimes and Big & Rich on the big stage at the Winstock ‘09 Country Music Festival. The country extravaganza, named with a play on words for the iconic New York 1969 rock blow-out, Woodstock, will be held June 12 and June 13 in Winsted, Minn., about an hour’s drive from the southwestern metro area. The Dixie Hicks are scheduled to perform Saturday, June 12 at 4:30 p.m. Band members are Sherry Ann Reps, bass guitarist on lead and harmony vocals; Dusty Anderson, lead guitarist and lead vocals; Scott Fraser, lead guitar and vocals; Bob Anderson, drums, Lauren Eggert, lead singer; and Stombaugh on keyboard. Matt Guzy, who has worked on sound for such greats as Bruce Springsteen and Barbra Streisand, is soundman for the group. The Dixie Hicks practice four to five hours a week, plus an additional two to three hours for vocal rehearsals. That’s not to mention the preparation the members do at home on their own time.
Lucky for Stombaugh he listened to his father, a minister, who when Stombaugh was a kid growing up in Superior, Wis., forbade him to play guitar but urged him to take piano lessons instead. Stombaugh balked at the idea, but his dad said to give the lessons a try for six months. Disliking them so much, Stombaugh crossed off the days on a calendar and at the end of the six months begged his dad to quit. But his dad talked him into another six months. The half-year of lessons turned into three years and a strong foundation for Stombaugh’s keyboarding skills that he uses in the Dixie Hicks. The group has played in venues ranging from regional night clubs to VFWs to music festivals. The cover band with “catchy and dancy” rhythms features songs by country greats Shania Twain, Martina McBride, Gretchen Wilson, Trisha Yearwood, Dwight Yoakum, Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, Alan Jackson, to name a few. The group is also working on a CD with some original tunes, penned by Stombaugh. Stombaugh describes lead singer Lauren Eggert as a natural. “When she sings, she just has a smile on her face like she’s in heaven,” he said. Last year, Dixie Hicks played on the small stage for emerging country artists at Winstock. They opened for The Lost Trailers, a country band started in 2000 out of Atlanta, Ga. The band’s video for “Holler Back” was nominated for CMT’s (Country Music Television) 2009 awards for best group video of the year for its song “Holler Back.” This year, Dixie Hicks are the only Minnesota band performing on the big stage at Winstock. “It’s really an honor that we were the only Minnesota band,” Stombaugh said. If you can’t make it to Winstock, the Dixie Hicks are slated to play Jumpin’ Jax in Weber, just outside of North Branch, Minn., Saturday, May 30 from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The band will appear June 5 and June 6 at the Fridley VFW Post 363, 1040 Osborne Road N.E., from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. In the long run, Stombaugh hopes the Dixie Hicks someday will play to national audiences and produce a best-selling CD. He encourages audience members to come up to the band and say “hi” during breaks. “We get to know people,” he said. “They become our friends. It’s a very friendly band.” For more information about the band, visit www.dixiehicksband.com . For information about Winstock, visit www.winstockfestival.com . Elyse Kaner is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . |
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The Dixie Hicks, a Spring Lake Park-based country band with a blues sound, is slated to open for national country singers The Lost Trailers, LeAnn Rimes and Big & Rich at the Winstock ‘09 Country Music Festival in Winsted, Minn., June 12. (Photo submitted) | < Prev | Next > |
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