In 1985, the Los Angeles punk band X startled fans when they released an LP of country music under the name The Knitters.
While they may not have been the first punk band to dabble in roots and country music, they arguably were one of the first to get noticed, stripping down and showing punks that there was beauty, grace and aggression in country.
Two decades later, bands like Lagwagon, No Use for a Name, All and Armchair Martian all had members moonlighting in the roots world. For Chad Price of All and Jon Snodgrass of Armchair Martian, their love of roots prompted them to form Drag the River, a Fort Collins-based country rock outfit that will play Saturday at The Balcony Backstage.
In addition to guitarists and vocalists Price and Snodgrass, they are Kyle Oppold on bass and, for this tour, original drummer Paul Rucker.
Snodgrass’ Colorado music career began not with alternative country but rock. Armchair Martian was a rock trio that formed at the start of the alternative country movement.
“Where I was from, all the bands were sounding like Uncle Tupelo, who I love,” Snodgrass said in a phone interview. “But I thought, ‘You can’t do that – you can’t start a band that sounds like Uncle Tupelo,’ so I moved to Colorado and started a band that sounded like Husker Du.”
But he kept country music in his back pocket, recording quieter songs here and there with All’s Price. That was nearly 20 years ago, and since then, Drag the River has toured as a duo, quartet and quintet. They’ve taken a hiatus or two, and there’s a good reason one record is called “Bad at Breaking Up.”
Yet they’ve maintained a working-class approach, clocking in and out on stages everywhere in an unglamorous pursuit of performing via tours around the world, offering their take on country rock, from upbeat, cowpunk numbers to cry-in-your-beer ballads. The songs have remained the same, even if the band hasn’t.
“We can do the really quiet me-and-Chad songs, too. There’s versatility. The only thing that’s a drag about playing with a band is having to move a drum set,” Snodgrass joked.
Durango is the second of only two headlining shows for the band, then they’ll meet up with Social Distortion as the opener for a tour around the country for the rest of the summer. Their shows tend to be loose affairs, asking for requests and making up the set as they go along.
“We’ll be fresh and kind of unpracticed, but we’ll play all night long,” Snodgrass said. “If you want to come to a free practice, that’s what you’ll get to see, and those are normally the most fun.”
Liggett_b@fortlewis.edu. Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and KDUR station manager.
Bryant’s best
Friday: Little Wilderness plays rock music, 7 p.m. No cover. Moe’s, 937 Main Ave., 259-9018.
Saturday: Alternative country and rock with Drag the River, 8 p.m. No cover. The Balcony Backstage, upstairs at 600 Main Ave., 764-4083.
