Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 25, 1995                   TAG: 9503010042
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IT TOOK A WHILE, BUT DIAMOND RIO ROCKED THE HOUSE

Then things at the Roanoke Civic Center auditorium got interesting.

That's not to say its skillful renderings of "Norma Jean Riley," "Oh Me, Oh My, Sweet Baby," "In a Week or Two," "This Romeo Ain't Got Julie Yet" and "Mirror Mirror" weren't well done. They were all delivered tightly and professionally from one of the best bands working in country music.

But then the six-member band started strutting its stuff, first by pulling out the three songs the group contributed to the recent tribute albums to Keith Whitley ("It Was Her Ten Feet Away"), The Eagles ("Lyin' Eyes"), and Merle Haggard ("Working Man Blues"). Of the three, the band covered "Working Man Blues" the best. The line goes: "Drink a little a beer in the tavern and sing a little bit of these working man blues." You can't beat that at any country concert.

Then it was on to more covers.

Singer Marty Roe and keyboard player Dan Truman teamed for a show-stopping cover of Kenny Loggins' syrupy "Forever in My Heart." Bassist Dana Williams followed with a hammy version of the oldie "Knock On Wood." His Jim or John Belushi-like knock-along routine with the audience was a hoot.

Next was a terrific three-part bluegrass harmony with Roe, Williams and mandolin player Gene Johnson, followed by a spacy, harmonic guitar clinic by guitarist Jimmy Olander. A drum solo by drummer Brian Prout was thrown in for good measure.

All in all, fun stuff. It also showcased the band members' various talents and influences.

Of course, a skeptic might say the covers could have been a little extra padding to help fill out an entire show for a group that was short on original material. But if that was the case, there didn't seem to be any restless complaints from the audience of 1,550.

The group concluded the 90-minute show by returning to its own songs, finishing strong with "Kentucky Mine," "Bubba Hyde," "Love a Little Stronger" and "Meet in the Middle." For the encore, the band changed gears again, ending with a medley of Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good" and Journey's "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'."

The opening act for Friday night's show was country newcomer George Ducas.

Fortunately, Ducas proved to be something more than the standard cookie-cutter hat act so readily churned out these days.

Through his 45-minute opening set, he played good, punchy traditional country that strongly echoed Dwight Yoakam, only without quite the same edge.

But the edge wasn't missed. Ducas was rock-solid in his own right.

In fact, he appears to be one of the few legitimate talents to come out since the most recent boom in country music began with Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson and Vince Gill five years ago. Several of his songs, "Cruel Cruel You (Shame On Me)," "My World Stopped Turning When You Walked Away," "Lonesome Train On a Lonesome Track" and "It Ain't Me," sounded like hits in the making.

If they don't make the charts - and if Ducas doesn't subsequently find the audience he deserves - then there is something wrong in Nashville. He's a keeper.