Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Eldorado Band



Describe your band, telling a little about it.
The Eldorado Band, is a rockin' - country band with powerful vocals, blazing guitars, honky tonk piano, and a tight rhythm section. Combined with a state of the art sound system, lighting, and crowd-pleasing show, this band is one you won't want to miss. The Eldorado Band was formed in December of 2003, by five of Beaver County PA's best musicians. A strong desire to create original music, "true to the artist" covers, and an upbeat, exciting, fan friendly stage show drives this five piece outfit. Hard work, dedication and determination best describes The Eldorado Band. Strong lead vocals and ringing harmonies, along with a clean, smooth professional sound are earmarks of this country powerhouse. Tone filled guitar licks and tasteful piano chops are just a few more reasons why many believe The Eldorado Band to be one of the hottest country-rock bands in the region.

What are your names? / Who plays what?
The lineup consists of Ronnie Herbert on vocals, acoustic and electric guitars and harmonica; Jeff Paul on electric guitars, banjo and vocals; Joe Feick on piano, keyboards and vocals; Todd Tusick on bass guitar and vocals; Todd Pfister on drums and percussion;  Rich Roy on the sound board; and Jason Buffington on roadie duty! Marie Herbert handles a good bit of the behind the scenes work including; contracts, secretarial, booking and merchandising.

Have members played with any other bands?
Yeah! We’ve all been playing for many years, Joe, Jeff, Todd P and I (Ron), played in the last version of the popular Skeeter Hill Band. Other bands are Fine Line, Mydus, Pyramid, the guise, several acoustic projects, way too many to mention!!

Do you write your own music or perform covers?  Has it always been this way?  Yes, we have a few originals on a rough cut demo CD. Some of which we recorded in the WDVE studio in Pittsburgh. We’re mostly a cover band with our originals sprinkled through our set! We’ve always written songs, and record when we get a chance.

What year did the band form? 
December 2003 was our inception!

Where is bands home?  I would consider us a Beaver County Band. Everyone was either born or is a transplant to Beaver Co.. Joe lives in Marshall Twp., PA now but was originally from Ambridge.

What's your style or genre?
I like to call us “Rockin’ Country” That is, we are a mix of top country, southern rock and classic rock.

What inspires your music?
We love strong vocal harmonies and melodic instrumentation. We enjoy blending our vocal abilities into a rich solid ringing tone, then enhancing it with quality solo’s and a rock solid rhythm section.

How often do you rehearse?
We try to get together once a week, but sometimes it’s tough ‘cause we all work day jobs.

What gear do you guys use?
Jeff uses Fender and Marshall amps, Gibson, Fender, and Gretsch guitars along with a Martin acoustic. I (Ron) have Gibsons, Fenders, a Takemine acoustic and also a couple Martin acoustics. I (Ron) use Blackstar and Mesa Boogie amps. TT plays a Music Man Bass and TP uses Premier Drums. Joe uses Roland and Yamaha keyboards.

Do you utilize a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that?  Tough subject, we’ve tried several agencies, but always end up doing things on our own.  It just seems to work out that way.

Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that?  Not really looking for a label. We all just enjoy playing and are satisfied to stay regional. Not to say we’d turn an opportunity down!

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs?  We’ve done some pretty nice sized gigs, not arena size, but decent. We play some 100 seat venues too! 
We love ‘em all!

What ages are most of your concert attendants?
Probably 8 to 80!! In the summer we play lots of fairs, festivals and family type events where there are a lot of kids, and older folks. We also do a lot of bar gigs with the twenty somethings and up!

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary?
We change our set up regularly to suit the venue 
and the type of crowd.

Do you have a regular place you play live often?
Sure, lots of regular gigs! Jergel’s Rhythm Grille,  Kendrew’s Lounge, Whiskey Rhythm Grille, Luanne’s Rt. 68 along with a bunch of outdoor venues and festivals we play every year!

What was your latest gig?
We just played Whiskey Rhythm in Monaca, PA
 last weekend!  Always a great time there!

Have you had to cancel a gig?
We take pride in never cancelling.  I would have a hard
 time remembering the last time we cancelled.

Where have you played live this year?
Jergel’s Rhythm Grille, The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, Whiskey Rhythm Grille, Kendrew’s Lounge, Luanne’s Rt. 68, New Brighton Eagles, Beaver Falls Turners to name a few!

Where do you plan to gig the coming year?
All of those same venues along with 
our extensive summer outdoor schedule!

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?  We started about 8 yrs. ago. We sell t-shirts, spaghetti  tops, v-necks, bandana’s, ball caps, cool camo shirts, window stickers, bracelets and more.

Where can people buy your merchandise?  We sell our merch at our live shows. There is almost always a display!!

Do you have any role models or idols?  Yeah, we love Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray, Vince Gill, Hank Jr, Skynyrd and more

Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?
We’ve always seemed to find inspiration from the older bands. The music just seemed more pure and it has always been very natural for us to lean that way.

What have been your biggest obstacles?  Just keeping everything afloat. Booking good paying gigs and keeping us working.  The promo side of the business is a tough one for us too.  We are kind of self-sustained, and there is a lot of things most people (not in the business) 
don’t realize need to be done.

What advice would you give other bands or artists?
I always say, “Just keep at it”. Work hard and be patient. It’s not an easy road for any band to survive the jungle out there.

What are your web sites?
www.theeldoradoband.com

How can people reach you?
theeldoradoband@comcast.net
724-843-2426

Social media addresses?
www.facebook.com/TheEldoradoBand/

What are your plans for the future?
We just want to keep making 
great music and performing live.

What do you think of my work?
I think it’s fantastic!  You are helping so many bands out there get noticed!  Awesome job!

How do you think that this interview could help you in the local music scene and beyond?  It’s great to let the folks who don’t know us, have a chance to learn a bit about us, and maybe get out to a live show and see what we’re all about!

Do you have anything to add?  I know it’s pretty rare to be in a  band that has lasted 12 plus years.  To have the same 5 band members as when we started is very amazing.  We are blessed to have this great group of guys to call friends and band-mates!  We love to play music and perform, and that comes in second only to pleasing the people who come out to support us!!  Eldorado Nation is alive and well, they are the best!!  Thank you for the interview, I enjoyed it thoroughly! 
Keep up the great work!
Best Regards,
Ronnie H. & The Eldorado Band

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