Smokey red, yellow, green, and blue lights swirl around five musicians as they perform on a small stage in a packed house on a Saturday night at Slimo’s Saloon in Salem, Ind. The southern country rock band, Country Bourne, performs most weekend nights somewhere in southern Indiana.
“Country, old country, classic rock, and southern rock. There’s something for everyone that comes out to listen to us,” Lead singer D.J. Richie said.
The band has been together since February 2013, but Richie said some of the members have been playing together for years.
Drummer Nicky La LaRosa and guitarist Allan Phelps have played on and off together for about 25 years and were formerly in a band called easy Money. LaRosa and bass guitarist Rich Hinchman have been playing together for about three years in formulated bands and specific gigs. Richie and guitarist, Gene Holloway about three years in a band they called Hollowrich.
“I love the guys that are in this band,” Richie said. “They are like family.”
La Rosa said Country Bourne is different from a lot of bands because they bring a lot more energy to the shows.
“We try to keep it real and try not to play fakey,” LaRosa said. “A lot of musicians do that.”
All the musicians agree that they knew at an early age they were going to be musicians.
“I was six when I started playing music,” LaRosa, music major said. “I was also in marching band for the University of Kentucky.”
LaRosa said he got the opportunity to play alongside John Mellencamp, in the late 1970’s, when LaRosa had a house gig at the Walton Hotel in Seymour, Ind.
“Every week he would bring his acoustic guitar in during our shows,” LaRosa said. “He would try his songs out on the dance crowd and I would accompany him on what were his first hit songs, before he recorded them. I was only 16 or 17 at the time. He would use my room to stay at the hotel and I drove back to Louisville usually every night. It was pretty cool.”
Hinchman said the set-ups and tear downs are the lows of the business and compares it to moving refrigerators at 4 a.m.
“It’s not all glory,” Hinchman said. “When you are reaching into the depths of your inner soul, when you are up there communicating with the people you are playing with there’s a lot of things that goes on and what comes of that later can depress you, but you overcome it.
They band members agree that it is the love of music that keeps them playing.
“Being a musician, and the love of playing, there’s nothing better than seeing the people enjoying it. That is what it all boils down to. That’s the drive that makes us get up and do what we do.”
Country Bourne will perform at Slimo’s in Salem, Ind. March 15, Jimmy’s in Campbellsburg, Ky. March 22, and Hardy’s Café in Scottsburg, Ind. March 29.
