SATURDAY, JAN. 10
Saddle up and break out your denim and cowboy hats because Centennial Hall is getting a little bit country with a cavalcade of local country-inspired artists taking the stage for the Winter Country Fest. The event is being hosted by Erie’s latest country sensation Ray & the County Kind, featuring Ryan Ray (on lead vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and harmonica) and Tanner Edwards (on upright bass, electric bass, and vocals) from Paper Street, along with drummer extraordinaire Steve Barone and guitar virtuoso Jonathan Nolan.
“Ryan called me up to see if I knew anyone who could play lead in an outlaw country band playing original material. I asked him to send me some of his songs. I liked the songs right off the bat and offered myself as a guitarist,” Nolan recalls. After forming, they began to play around the region and were able to record a five-song EP called Courtesy of a Dirt Road Vol.1 at GCR Audio in Buffalo. They split their stage time doing a mix of covers and originals, with some songs reworked into country-ified versions, giving a new sound to some familiar tunes. Nolan stated, “We hear people say they aren’t into country music, but they are into us. I compare it to people who like Johnny Cash and Willie, but never go beyond that. We could be a gateway band for some people.”…