John Backlund
Doctor of Teleocity
Trixie and I took my mother-in-law to a local western-themed musical dinner show last night, and it was absolutely fantastic, The house band, 'The Rocking Rangers' at the Fort Hays venue are an amazing group consisting of six very talented and versatile performers who crammed a ton of music into a one hour performance.
There are actually eleven who made up the band, and because they play seven days per week during the summer tourist months, they rotate the players so that the members can have a life off the stage once in a while.
These guys perform classic Western songs, as well as 60's and 70's rock and roll numbers, all superbly executed, as well as a good dose of comedy schtick with a bad, but very entertaining Elvis routine, and a brief visit onstage by 'Willie Nelson's, who arrives in a cloud of smoke from a stage side door, and more smoke somehow pouring out of the sound hole of his nylon string guitar, the player did a pretty convincing job of 'On The Road Again' too.
I've been to this show many times over the years, both as the driver of bus tour groups, and at least three times as a private attendee, and it never fails to impress me with the musicianship of the band members, both collectively and as featured solo players.
The Fort Hays dinner band always features 'Stringbean Swenson's, an EIGHTY-FIVE year old country fiddle player who, towards the end of the show performs an amazing 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia's, as well as a rocking 'Orange Blossom Special'. He's been playing as a member of this band for decades.
Our tickets for this show were $50 apiece, and included a 'Cowboy Chuckwagon Dinner', which was a choice of a beef or chicken breast entree, a baked potato, 'cowboy beans', a dollop of applesauce, a baking powder biscuit, and finally a piece of spice cake. Included beverages were the default lemonade in a tin cup, and coffee, cold tea as an option.
Before the musical show begins, the people attending line up for their supper, served and dished out pre-show by the band members themselves, then head back to the wooden bench seats in the music hall with their loaded tin plates.
At $50, It's an amazing value IMO, and a fantastic bargain when considering the entertainment value of the included musical show.
I don't know how they do it, but I've always been amazed at this show.
There are actually eleven who made up the band, and because they play seven days per week during the summer tourist months, they rotate the players so that the members can have a life off the stage once in a while.
These guys perform classic Western songs, as well as 60's and 70's rock and roll numbers, all superbly executed, as well as a good dose of comedy schtick with a bad, but very entertaining Elvis routine, and a brief visit onstage by 'Willie Nelson's, who arrives in a cloud of smoke from a stage side door, and more smoke somehow pouring out of the sound hole of his nylon string guitar, the player did a pretty convincing job of 'On The Road Again' too.
I've been to this show many times over the years, both as the driver of bus tour groups, and at least three times as a private attendee, and it never fails to impress me with the musicianship of the band members, both collectively and as featured solo players.
The Fort Hays dinner band always features 'Stringbean Swenson's, an EIGHTY-FIVE year old country fiddle player who, towards the end of the show performs an amazing 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia's, as well as a rocking 'Orange Blossom Special'. He's been playing as a member of this band for decades.
Our tickets for this show were $50 apiece, and included a 'Cowboy Chuckwagon Dinner', which was a choice of a beef or chicken breast entree, a baked potato, 'cowboy beans', a dollop of applesauce, a baking powder biscuit, and finally a piece of spice cake. Included beverages were the default lemonade in a tin cup, and coffee, cold tea as an option.
Before the musical show begins, the people attending line up for their supper, served and dished out pre-show by the band members themselves, then head back to the wooden bench seats in the music hall with their loaded tin plates.
At $50, It's an amazing value IMO, and a fantastic bargain when considering the entertainment value of the included musical show.
I don't know how they do it, but I've always been amazed at this show.
