Archive for November, 2009

Quincy management group Sozo Productions is bringing Oklahoma rock/country act Hillbilly Vegas to Quincy Nov. 28 to perform at The State Room.

Lead singer Steve Harris recently answered some questions from how the band formed to their plans for 2010.

THE BEGINNING
“Last year in August I was contacted about the opening in the band Velvet Revolver after singer Scott Weiland left the band. It was a very exciting opportunity but it was slow going and my heart just wasn’t in that genre of music as much as it had once been. I had been writing this sort of hybrid rock/country music with a friend and it was very exciting to me, so last year during Thanksgiving week, I removed myself from consideration with Velvet Revolver and gave 100% of my time to getting Hillbilly Vegas off the ground. To my amazement people really grabbed on to the songs like nothing I had ever been a part of and I knew we had something potentially special.”

MEMBER CHANGES
“We were faced with a challenge that a couple of people involved with the band just couldn’t meet. This is a hard life to live and it takes a 100% commitment. I was able to bring in my long time friend Mitch Spencer who is undoubtebly one of the top two or three guitarist in Texas. I’m thrilled to finally have the guitarist that I wanted all along next to me on stage. It’s really cool because our trip to Quincy Nov. 28 will mark the first Hillbilly Vegas show with Mitch. We’re very excited.”

Merle Haggard

MUSICAL INFLUENCES
“We’re influenced by beer, wild women and rowdy honky tonks mostly. Oh, you said musically didn’t you? Well, it seems to me I’m influenced by somebody different on a daily basis, some examples are Merle Haggard, George Jones and Hank I, II and III. We have sort of a rough edge to our stuff so it’s easy to see the rock influences. I am a huge Rolling Stones fan first and foremost, but we also love Bad Company, Grand Funk, Three Dog Night, The Eagles and more. They laid the groundwork for what country music is today in my opinion. I love some of the new country out there right now too and Jason Aldean is one of my favorites. I also love what Big and Rich have done for country music. They brought back the party. Of course from our part of the world (Oklahoma, Texas) we love Cross Canandian Ragweed, Stoney LaRue, Mike McClure, and Jason Boland and friends.”

Cast of a famous John Hughes' movie "The Breakfast Club."

WHY COME TO QUINCY?
“Well, actually Quincy chose us. Our management company is based in Quincy.  Sozo Productions found us all the way down in the smokey bars of Oklahoma and signed us last Spring. Since that time we have been on the fast track to the next level, all due to the hard work that starts in Quincy with Sozo CEO Greg Fischer.  Sozo is not just Quincy though, in Peoria there’s Jack “Mad Dog” Manis, the president of the company. Jack knows everyone and has worked with everyone.  Example, we were in the studio a while back working with Bob Seger’s drummer David Teegarden, I emailed Jack and asked if he knew him.  The answer was ‘yes’ and there was a story to go along with that yes. I never get tired of the things Jack teaches us and when he tells us what is going on out there and what it takes to get to the next level. Jack gives us instant credibility.

Sozo’s head of production is a Quincy guy named David Hochgraber and he’s an amazing talent and quickly becoming nationally known as one of the best sound engineers in the business.   Down in Austin, Texas, the Sozo art director Kyle Strode makes us look a lot cooler than we are. He also just happens to be an award winning artist for numerous national campaigns too. Finally, in Oklahoma we have Sozo’s Donnie Wise running things day to day for us. Donnie is a lot like Arie on ‘Entourage,’ and that ain’t a band thing. Donnie makes our lives so much easier on a day to day basis and we always get first class treatment no matter where we play, all because Donnie is looking out for us. So to answer your question, we come to Quincy because it’s our second home now. We love the people we’ve met, the great food and the wonderful hospitality. It always reminds me of a John Hughes movie when I cross that bridge in to Quincy, I have really grown to love this place.”

LATEST RECORDINGS
“We are about three-fourths of the way finished with our CD. It’ll be out in the Spring. We just released our first single from the called “Oklahoma 3.2.” It’s a rowdy little number about the weak alcohol content of our Oklahoma beer. Seems that watered down beer makes folks a lot crazy and just a little drunk. So much bad behavior is blamed on “Oklahoma 3.2.” It’s a fun song and to our surprise, it’s catching on like crazy nationally. You can hear it on both Quincy stations. As a matter of fact since it’s release earlier this month it’s being added all over America and heading to sattellite radio just after the first of the year. We are very excited and thrilled that people are listening and loving the song. Our fan base is growing daily and to us there’s nothing more important than the people who support us.”

Cross Canadian Ragweed

FUTURE PLANS
“We are preparing to tour nationally in the spring. We will be doing both clubs and acting as a support act for bigger names. 2009 has been an amazing year for the band.  2010 looks even more promising. We have heard different names, places and events, but right now all we really know is we’re going to do it big in ’10.”

DREAM LINEUP
“We would love to tour with Cross Canadian Ragweed or any of the red dirt folks I mentioned earlier from our part of the world. Travis Tritt and his band were absolutely the coolest, we’d do that again in a heartbeat. Heck, we’re like star struck kids whenever we play with anyone we hear on the radio. It’s just an amazing feeling to be out doing what we love and meeting heros.  So…whoever, wherever and whenever…we are just five country boys who can’t believe this is happening!”