Country Music Rising In Popularity Behind ‘The Orange Curtain’

Anyone who suggests that the popularity of platinum-selling country music stars such as Randy Travis, the Judds and Hank Williams Jr. is limited to high-profile recording artists evidently missed the regional finals of the Marlboro Country Music Talent Round-Up on Tuesday at the Bandstand in Anaheim.

Although Tuesday is traditionally a slow night on the bar circuit, the club was packed belly-to-belly with country music fans and supporters of the nine bands. The acts were competing for $7,500, a berth in the national finals in Nashville and the opening slot at the upcoming Alabama/Merle Haggard/Restless Heart/K.T. Oslin show at the Forum in Los Angeles on Sept. 23.

Although the winner, the Bonners, hails from Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County, five of the nine bands which reached the Los Angeles-area finals are Orange County-based, which some of the participants believe is no accident.

As J.B. Crabtree, pedal steel player for the Manhattan Beach-based Side Kicks, explained, “Country seems to be growing faster (in Orange County) than anywhere else. It’s coming out of the closet here and the people really seem to enjoy getting out here, putting on a cowboy hat and having a good time.

“If we have anything going for us,” seconded P.M. Howard, bass player for the Purple Sky Band from Costa Mesa-Santa Ana, “it’s that we play every night . . . because we know that’s the only way we’re going to be able to develop our sound. With clubs like the Wounded Knee in Anaheim, the Silver Bullet in Long Beach, the Swallows Inn in San Juan Capistrano and the Bandstand, there’s plenty of work for country bands--so much so that even the L.A. bands spend a lot of time down here because there’s just not as much work up in their area.”

And things are starting to happen for some of the bands. The Bonners, a black family act with middle-of-the-road appeal, was the eventual winner in a contest judged in five categories: originality of material and arrangement, stage presence, musical ability, audience rapport and choice of material.

Like many of the acts in this year’s contest, the Bonners still hold day jobs to make financial ends meet--in spite of the fact that they’ve seen their “Way Beyond the Blue” (on O.L. Records) single actually edge into Billboard’s country chart.

Holding jobs ranging from physical therapy to data processing to public relations, the Bonners are biding their time while developing their sound. Now it looks as though their hard work and perseverance are starting to pay off. “I think people can relate to us because what we do and what country music is about: (is) being a family. And I hope one day we’ll be able to make our music worldwide.”

The evening was characterized by a general tone of friendly competition, which was tainted only at the end when several audience members booed the announcement of the Bonners as the contest winners.

Otherwise, it appeared that Orange County may be on the verge of annexing Los Angeles in a second wave of West Coast country. Los Angeles-based acts such as Dwight Yoakam, the Desert Rose Band, Highway 101 and Southern Pacific are all making their presence felt. Previous Talent Round-Ups were won by Orange County groups including the American Made Band and the Western Union Band. And Jann Brown, a competitor in last year’s Talent Round-Up, had a track featured on “A Town South of Bakersfield 2” compilation album and was subsequently signed to a recording contract with Curb Records.

Needless to say, there was something for everyone in Tuesday night’s 15-minute sets from each of the contestants. The Anaheim-based Night Riders turned to the high-powered country and stage gymnastics of early Alabama, while the all-original straight country approach of Placentia’s Richard J. Cody took the evening’s third place honors. Cody only put a band together two weeks ago so he’d have backup for his 15-minute segment.

Though most of the musicians say they hope one day to make it big in Nashville, they are in no hurry to abandon Orange County. As the Purple Sky Band’s Margaret Jensen explained, “This is where I grew up. I went to Huntington Beach High and my whole family’s here. Music is music and if you can’t make it in the clubs here, chances are you won’t be able to make it anywhere else.”

Some acts have built-in ties to Nashville that they believe will pay off when the time is right. Both the Side Kicks’ J.B. Crabtree and bassist Max Noland were members of the Sweethearts of the Rodeo during that duo’s formative years, while their guitarist Allen Wald is a veteran of Byron Berline’s Sun-dance band. And steel player Ed Black, who’s currently playing with the Purple Sky Band, was a cornerstone of the Eddys.

It may take these acts a while to break through what some players refer to as “The Orange Curtain” syndrome they encounter. “L.A. doesn’t look toward Orange County for music and Nashville hardly looks at us at all,” Night Rider’s drummer Bob Williams said. “If you talk to any producer, they’ll tell you to move to Nashville--and we’ve had conversations about that.

“But the thing is, Orange County is a great place to play. It’s great for club work and making money at it. We were finally able to quit our day jobs two months ago. And we know that if we go to Nashville, we’ll have a hard time finding places to play, which is really the best way to work on your music.”