Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 6, 1992 TAG: 9203060342
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By JOE TENNIS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: WALTON LENGTH: Medium
The musicians say they got their fill of rowdy run-ins with shoot-'em-up types three years ago while they were playing under the name Hard Country: That's when a gig at a North Carolina bar turned into a brawl.
Drummer Eddie "Pudgy" Edwards, 29, of Pulaski, remembers an angry fellow cranking up an argument while his band cranked up guitars on stage.
Later, after the show, while the Hard Country boys were packing their music equipment into trucks, they found Mr. Argument had become Mr. Gunslinger: The guy went berserk and started firing shots in the club's parking lot.
"You could see people scattered in all directions," said guitarist Blaine Edwards, a 38-year-old Pulaski County resident who's both a brother-in-law and cousin to Pudgy.
Fifteen people - men and women - piled into one of the restrooms. "You could see all these eyeballs looking out the door," Pudgy Edwards recalled, laughing.
Luckily, no one was hurt.
Soon after that, the Edwards cousins and Hard Country guitarist Timmy Dawson, 21, of Pulaski, formed their present band, Sierra.
This time out, the guys made a couple of rules: 1) They would develop a more mature variety-type dance music sound, and 2) They would choose places where shoot-outs aren't common.
Sierra will perform Saturday night at the Walton House Dance Club. The show starts at 9 p.m. Cover is $10. The liquor policy is B.Y.O.B.; the club furnishes the set-ups.
The club is on Morning Glory Drive, off Virginia 663 in Montgomery County.
Blaine Edwards said he likes playing at the Walton House because "the people are friendly."
Essentially what he means is: They don't carry guns.
Dawson and Pudgy Edwards named the group Sierra after a night of brainstorming produced a list of 15 names. "We finally got fed up, closed our eyes and just pointed to one," Edwards said.
The name Sierra got a second nod of approval when the guys noticed the band's lead singer and guitarist Danny O'Brien, 38, of Blacksburg, drove - you guessed it - a GMC Sierra.
Plus, Dawson said, the name fit because "it sounded kinda country, but not strictly country."
Dawson's dad, Roger Dawson, 47, an engineer at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, came aboard when Hard Country evolved into Sierra. A bassist since 1979, he got on the Sierra trail by accident: He started as a sound man, but began filling in on bass and never left.
The senior Dawson's music career includes a stint with the Pulaski-based Claytor Dean and the Outlaws. And he played with his son in a group called Amarillo.
The Dawsons admit that being bandmates crisscrosses their father-son relationship.
"Sometimes our home life will interfere with the band. And sometimes the problems with the band will carry over to home," Timmy Dawson said.
Here's Daddy Dawson's side of the story: "It's pretty trying at times because of the age difference. . . . But we've always been best friends."
Sierra's set list includes: Alan Jackson's "Don't Rock the Jukebox," Georgia Satellites' "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire," Garth Brooks' "The Dance," John Conley's "Rose Colored Glasses," Eric Clapton's "Cocaine," Kentucky Headhunters' "Dumas Walker," Sammy Kershaw's "Cadillac Style" and three dozen more.
"Most of the songs that really go over the best are fast," Pudgy Edwards said.
In May, the band plans to release a tape of its favorite cover tunes to sell as mementos at shows.
The band aims to keep things light and fun on stage. Often, O'Brien will slip into Johnny Cash impersonations.
"We've all agreed that if it gets to where it's not fun, we're not going to drag it out," said Timmy Dawson, an electronics student at New River Community College.
Roger Dawson added: "When the crowd enjoys it is when we enjoy it and do the best."
"And," returned Timmy, "the bigger the crowd, the better we like it."
by CNB