Band
with local ties rooted
in
jug, folk styles
By
Glypie Grider
Staff Writer
It seems
to be a recipe for success.
Take
an acoustic guitar, and add a fiddle, mandolin and banjo for good
measure.
Dab some blues here, a little jug music there. Toss in some folk,
and maybe a pinch of 1920s upbeat tunes — just for fun.
Throw in four boys.
Age for about 10 months, and let it go.
That’s the story of The Downtown County Band, a four-member
string ensemble featuring the talents of two Owen County boys
and two from neighboring Franklin County.
Not even a year-old, the band has a summer packed full of shows,
including a one-hour performance this past Friday night at the
10th annual Relay for Life event at the Owen County High School
track.
“They’re upbeat and peppy, yet still keep it very
small town,” said Emily Horton Friday night at Relay. Horton,
a fan of the band, saw the group when they performed at Hideaway
Saloon in Louisville last September.
The group has performed in Lexington, Cincinnati, Bowling Green
— all across the state.
And sometimes they have multiple gigs in multiple cities on the
same day.
Last Friday, for example, the DCB played at the American Founder’s
Bank festivities in Lexington for three hours before heading to
Owenton where they played until midnight. Bright and early the
next morning, the group was back in Lexington and traveling to
Cincinnati for a private party by Saturday night.
“We go where we’re wanted,” admitted Dan Atkins,
36, the man on the mandolin and vocals.
And the
fan base is getting bigger, the four boast.
“We have little pockets of followers, and of course, our
close friends and family who always come and support us,”
said Wes Petzinger, 29, the guy on guitar and vocals.
Keith Clifton, 26, does his own thing on the open back banjo,
and Sam McWilliams, 16, saws the fiddle.
Band beginnings
Dan, who was (and still is) dating Wes’ sister, Ellie, started
hanging out with Wes in Monterey.
The two had an appreciation of folk music and played around on
the guitar.
Wes played the saxophone in high school, but the acoustic guitar
“had a special appeal,” he said. Likewise, Dan played
the guitar for years and was interested in learning how to play
the mandolin.
Then about two years ago, Keith, one of Wes’ high school
buddies, started coming over, and the idea of forming a folk band
germinated.
The three shared an appreciation of roots music and wanted to
learn how to play it.
To keep with the image, Keith decided to pick up the banjo.
“It’s an essential part of medicine show bands,”
Keith said.
All three started practicing their new instruments, and by last
August, they were performing at open mic shows in Frankfort.
They weren’t overly concerned about naming the band, though.
“We figured it would happen on its own,” Wes said.
When a man at the open mic show said, “You all are just
like a downtown county band,” Wes knew it was the perfect
name for their group.
“We all live out in the county but come downtown to perform,”
Wes said.
The band meets once or twice a week at Wes’ house in Monterey.
“You literally have to drive across a creek to get there,
so no one really bothers us,” Wes said.
Sam joins the group
Sam, 16, is the latest addition to the group, having joined about
a month ago.
Dan knew Sam’s father and invited Sam out for a gig —
which quickly turned into another show, and then another.
“But it’s like he’s been here all along,”
Dan said of Sam’s transition into the band.
And while he’s 20 years younger than Dan, Sam’s got
several years on him musically. Sam started playing the fiddle
eight years ago, and can play the mandolin, guitar and drums.
“Americana” style
Dan readily admits that it’s hard to label the DCB’s
musical style. It draws upon an eclectic combination of folk,
Old Timey and jug band and blends it with a contemporary edge.
“Americana,” Dan said. “That’s about the
only way we can sum it up.”
“We have people of all ages following us. I think that says
something about the style we’re going for,” Dan said.
“I think people are just looking for simpler music.”
They’ve still got day jobs
Dan, who has been a string musician for quite a while, generally
books the group and keeps up the Web site.
Wes, who says he’s more of a people-person, uses word-of-mouth
to get people interested in the band.
Keith designs flyers for the group, putting his college graphic
arts degree to work.
And Sam, well, he’s just glad he finally has a car to go
along with his driver’s license.
But the DCB is just a hobby at this point. Everyone else has a
day job — except for Sam, of course, who just wrapped up
his junior year at Frankfort High School.
Wes is employed at Owen Electric, while Dan and Keith both work
in Frankfort. Keith is a carpenter and Dan works his finger-picking
talent as a systems programmer for the state government.
Future plans
The DCB has six summer festivals scheduled this summer, some as
far away as North Carolina.
So where will the DCB be a year from now?
Dan hopes the band will expand into neighboring states, and Wes
said he’d like to continue appearances in the festival market.
Producing a CD is on the agenda as well.
Keith jokingly hopes everyone in the group has bigger calluses
by next year, too.
The DCB is slated to open for the Katie Laur Band Saturday at
5 p.m. at Elk Creek Vineyards. Tickets for the June 16 show at
Elk Creek Vineyards are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Price
includes a barbecue dinner. Call 484-0005 for more information.
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