Country band steps outside genre lines

There's a good reason Two-bit Shotgun bills itself as a “country oriented variety band.”

That way folks aren't shocked when the set list goes from Little Big Town to Lady Gaga and back to George Strait.

“We're not afraid to step outside of the boundaries of traditional country,” says Eric Gilboe, one five musicians who make up Two-bit Shotgun. “Sometimes while we're in rehearsal a George Strait tune will suddenly turn into an Ozzy Osbourne riff, or a Patsy Cline tune will shift to Lady Gaga. Somehow, we manage to incorporate both of the sounds in our set life. That way we can keep things interesting and please crowds of all ages.”

Other surprises on their artist list are Adele, Nancy Sinatra, the Eagles and Bad Company.

The Phoenix-based band is bringing that flexible and flavorful sound to Yuma on Saturday at Cocopah Casino. Admission will be $5 for this 21-and-up show inside the River Room. Doors will open at 8 p.m.

“This will be our first performance in Yuma, so we're excited to be coming out,” Gilboe said during a recent interview with the Yuma Sun. “We perform regularly in Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming New Mexico, North Dakota, Nevada and California. Later this month, we'll be opening for Craig Campbell in Denver. We're also working on an opening for a few Texas-based artists such as Jason Boland and Granger Smith this summer/fall.”

Collectively the musicians who make up Two-bit Shotgun, in their careers prior to the band, have opened for new country stars such as Chris Young and the Eli Young Band, along with some classic acts such as Randy Travis and Clint Black.

“The majority of us are full-time musicians. However, Pete still works at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale. April got her degree in biochemistry, but she chose to play music instead,” Gilboe said. “Eric got his degree in broadcast management, but he chose to play music as well. We think Cole was born with a guitar in his hands.”

Gilboe added that it's a funny fact that although the band's musicians have been making music for years, as a band they're pretty new. Two-bit Shotgun hit the stage for the first time earlier this year.

“The whole band came together as a bit of an accident actually. Each of the members were working in other full-time musical projects that seemed to be winding down at the same time, so in January of this year, we all decided to put together a project.

“It's been a wild ride, but we've worked out some of the bugs and we continue to grow as musicians and friends.”

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MEET THE BAND

April Pomada: Vocals, guitar

April grew up in Chico, Calif. Her love of music came from her mother, who also played a 12-string acoustic. April would steal pages from her mom's songbook growing up and sing the tunes in her bedroom. After high school, April bought her own 12-string (which she nicknamed “Martine”). She began writing her own songs and started playing at open mics and in bands around Arizona. She has a degree in biochemistry from ASU, but she decided to pursue her passion of music instead.


Cole Sheldon: Vocals, guitar, steel

Cole grew up in the “frozen tundra” of Minnesota in a small town southeast of the Twin Cities. He originally wanted to play drums, but he eventually picked up a guitar and realized it was his true calling. Cole started playing in the “jam band” scene in Minnesota for several years, but eventually he followed Prince's advice and purified himself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka (and switched to country music). Cole is a huge fan of the Bakersfield sound (Buck Owens, Dwight Yoakam, etc.) and it can be heard in his playing style. “Cole has a very odd sense of humor, and it fits well with the rest of the Two-bit gang.”


Eric Gilboe: Vocals, bass

Eric's love for music began at the age 4 when he would line up all of his sister's records and spend the afternoon playing deejay. He started playing trombone in elementary school and ended up switching to bass in junior high because there wasn't a high demand for trombone players in the world of rock and country. After college, Eric began playing in country bands and spent time touring the U.S. He has opened shows for Chris Young, Randy Travis, the Eli Young Band, Gary Allen, and many more artists.


Pete Avelar: drums, vocals

“Pete is one of the few actual Arizona natives, as he was born in Kearney, AZ.” He has played with several regional bands, including Nathan Dean, Chad Freeman and others. His influences range from Brooks & Dunn to the Eagles to KISS and everything in between.

Source: Two-bit Shotgun publicity