Hear the music of the Old West;  or, take a scenic trip to ‘Genuine Ranch Country’ for some down-home entertainment!

Barn Music

If you rope, cut, rein, or ride in any of the cow-horse related activities, I’ll bet your barn radio is always set to the local Country-Western station.  And I know for a fact that even a lot of the English riders tune to C-W on their dial, too!  

But, how much of that music is Country, and not really so Western?

Well, every once in a while those stations may play a tune by a band like Riders in the Sky, and that’s when you will get a taste of the real Cowboy sound.  

I recently had an opportunity to catch a live show by Riders in the Sky at a theater in a small town in eastern Oregon, and what an experience that was!  

Now, Riders in The Sky has long been one of my favorite CDs to pop in the sound box when on a road trip.  What better way to pass the time (and stay awake), than singing along with some of those great western tunes?  So, on my most recent, very long, road trip, I listened to them even more than usual, especially since I was traveling through a lot of the areas in the West they sing about. 

At one point on my way home, I wanted to check some detail about them on their website and there it was:  the next day they were appearing in a small town about 70 miles east of where I currently was traveling.  How could I resist that happy coincidence?  The rest, as they say, was history.

Riders in the Sky

Riders in the Sky is the consummate Cowboy band.  First of all, they have been together as a group since 1977 - yup, that’s going on 38 years.  

Riders in the Sky:  Ranger Doug, Woody Paul, Joey the CowPolka King, and Too Slim.  

Ranger Doug features on guitar and baritone vocals (including a virtuoso cowboy yodel);  both Woody Paul, who is known as the “King of the Cowboy Fiddlers” and Too Slim, who lays down the bottom line on bunkhouse bass,  are tenors with pretty mean yodels themselves.  They began performing as a group in Nashville and their first album was released in 1979.  Joey, “The CowPolka King,” played with them for a time in the 80s, left, then rejoined in the 90s.  Together, they’ve released 20 odd CDs, and the individual members have each recorded their own releases, often backed by the other members of the band.  

They have hosted both radio and tv shows, appeared in movies, and won two Grammy awards for their Toy Story CDs - yep, that’s them singing ‘Woody’s Round-up.’  

RiTS combine a great deal of talent with a lot of fun.  They have kept alive a true Western art form which thoroughly dominated the American airwaves from the 1930s through the 50s when radio, TV, and movie audiences couldn’t get enough of singing cowboys like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, and bands like the Sons of the Pioneers.  Ranger Doug is the music historian of the group and the whole band's commitment to the genre shows in their authentic cowboy sound.  

Their show is truly delightful.  With jokes and quips, quick character changes, and Too Slim playing some tunes on his face (you have to see this!), it’s obvious that these guys really love the music and enjoy entertaining the crowds that come to see them.  They did a meet and greet with the folks after the show, signing autographs, posing for pictures and just generally having a swell time.

So if you ever find that they are going to be in your neck of the woods, mosey on down to the old watering hole and prepare to be delighted!  Right now they’re touring throughout the country promoting their new CD of Roy Rogers tunes, so check their website for upcoming appearances, and while you’re on their site  you can pick up their albums and memorabilia.

The OK Theatre, Enterprise, Oregon

The second fun discovery on this trip was the venue in an historic town in Eastern Oregon’s cattle ranching country.  Well worth a visit, this is scenic Oregon at it’s best.  Springtime is definitely a prime season to tour this area with lush green pastures full of grazing cattle, flowers blooming, and rivers flowing briskly.

OK Theatre Photo by Cooper Trail of Misè (from Facebook page)

The OK Theatre was purpose built in 1918-19 to show movies in the silent era; a major construction innovation was the sloping floor which allows a clear line of sight for all audience members. The OK Theatre premiered a  ‘talking picture’ in 1929, among the first theaters in Oregon to do so.    It has passed through several owners in its 90+ years and was dark for a while in 2008 as offsite owners tried to figure out what to do with it, but it showed a steady program of films starting in 2009 .  In recognition of its important role in the region, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places 2012.   The current owner, Darrell Brann and his family, acquired the venue in 2013 and their ambition is to entertain northeastern Oregon in style.

Fortunately, Brann is in the construction business which ties in well with the family plans to renovate the theater to become a community focus for an wide range of local events such as theatrical productions, fund-raisers, and of course, musical entertainment.  Naturally, they screen movies including a frequent Free Movie Night featuring vintage titles, and they have booked talent representing such diverse genres as country rock, bluegrass, folk, rock ’n’ roll, blues, and funk.

Brann said that when he acquired the building, coming from a bluegrass musical background growing up in Maine, he immediately thought of contacting Riders in The Sky as an ideal act for the venue.  The only problem was getting the OK Theatre on the RiTS schedule which books out up to two years in advance.  

When word came through that the Old OK had made this year’s tour to promote RiTS's new Roy Rogers tribute CD, it all came together for the renewed Theatre’s first sold-out show.  

The Riders got into the swing of a small cattle-ranching town, inviting a local 11-year-old to introduce them and she did a fabulous job although she fell asleep before the show was over, way past her bedtime.  That’s just the way it feels at one of RiTS's shows:  great entertainment for all members of the family, from small kids to grandparents, who all had a fabulous time.  

By the way, The Riders did say that now that they know where it is, the OK Theatre would be on the schedule in the future.   Meanwhile, the Theatre’s Facebook page hints that there’s another Grammy winning act booked for August, so you don’t have to wait for two more years to catch great music or a vintage film in Enterprise!

A nearby place to stay is RimRock Inn, a bit over 30 miles away to the north and you can find locally sourced food at Lostine Tavern (cosponsor of the Riders in The Sky show) about a 10 mile drive from Enterprise.

For more information check:

Ridersinthesky.com

The EnterpriseOregon.org website

The LaGrande Observer.

TheOldOK.com