Grand Stafford is going to have a great week with Max Stalling on Friday night and the Dirty River Boys on Saturday night. Suffice to say: you may want to spend your weekend in Bryan if only for the music scene.
Nino Cooper, Marco Gutierrez, and Travis Stearns all grew up in El Paso and sang as a trio in the city before expanding around Texas. The band formed when Cooper decided to return to El Paso and pursue music after abandoning a cooperate career in Southern California. Dirty River Boys, named after the Rio Grande, are a truly balanced band.
There’s no front man, as each of all its members sing, write songs, and play different instruments. This unique blend of evenly distributed talents gives the Dirty River Boys a sound that could only be produced by everyone being a front man. Their sound ranges anywhere from honky-tonk country to Celtic rock to full on rock music. They wanted to produce an anthem and they succeeded.
The Dirty River Boys have released two albums and two EP’s, their latest album being their self-titled album, released in 2012. They are currently
hard at work on their third full-length album.
One name you will no longer see on stage is Travis Stearns, who recently left the band. The Dirty River Boys have recently announced his replacement, Chris Hausler, who has been playing with them since June. That brings the band to its current capacity with Nino Cooper on vocals, guitar, harmonica, and mandolin, Marco Gutierrez on vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo, and bass, Colton James on vocals, bass, guitar, and banjo, and finally, Chris Hausler on drums and percussion.
If the Dirty River Boys have shown their fans anything, it is that they are tough as nails and will play through anything, including a broken collarbone (Colton James).
Head over to the Grand Stafford Theater on Saturday to listen to their collage of country, rock, and good vibes.
Tickets are $15. Arrive early to get a good spot and doors open at 7pm and the music starts at 8pm.
