Lonnie Hentzell (Pahrump “Mirror” Staff Writer) commented the following after viewing an Open Road live performance,
“They covered a good selection of classic rock songs, a few oldies and a bit of country…They had line dancers, slow dancers
and swing dancers out on the dance floor all night….Music for everyone!”
Bobby Bonehead (“Spotlight on Pahrump” Music Critic) had a chance to see the group perform live at the Pahrump
Nugget and said the following in his review, “The choice and diversity of The Open Road Band’s song list was great….Aaron
actually came off the stage and ran through the crowd while playing his guitar. The crowd loved it, and so did I ….. they put
their hearts into their music and performance.”
________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Feeling the Blues Vibe”
By Pat Muir, Staff Writer
Daily Record, Ellensburg, WA
The only constant in an Open Road Band performance is “that feeling,” band members said.
The feeling they referred to is that low-down rock and blues vibe, that intangible thing they see in artists such as Stevie Ray
Vaughan and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Beyond that, the band’s shows are tailored to its audiences – more blues for
some, more rock for others, for example.
“Regardless of what we’re playing, we always try to put that feeling in them,” said Aaron Giedra, lead singer and guitarist
of The Open Road Band.
As for Aaron Giedra and Alana Thew, they’ve never had a professional lesson between them. They’re both from musical
families, and Giedra said he started teaching himself guitar at about 17. Later he taught Thew, who now plays bass for the
band.
“We just played together around the house,” Thew said. “And it grew into this!”
Now the band is a full-time job, Giedra said. And the couple has less living-room furniture than it has high-end musical
equipment, Thew added.
“We put a lot of time and effort into trying to do this right,” Giedra said. Skimping on sound is not an option, he said.
The band’s live sets include a variety reaching from John Lee Hooker and B.B. King to the Beatles and the Animals.
Sometimes there’s even some Ricky Nelson or Hank Williams in there, he said.
The Open Road Band doesn’t play exacting cover versions of those artists’ songs, though, eschewing strict accuracy in favor
of “that feeling.”
Whether it’s note for note with the original artist is irrelevant,” Giedra said. “I’m never going to be Jimi Hendrix or Stevie Ray
or John Fogerty, but if I can take the parts to make my own music, then you’ve got something cool going on.”
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Diane Starkweather (Parks & Recreation Dept, City of Ellensburg) says, “One of the friendliest bands I have worked
with. Their performance is always professional. They go the extra mile…I want to book them now for our next year’s event!
They involve the crowd, and develop special relationships with their following of enthusiasts. They really enjoy what they do.”
Submitted by Jodi Lowe (of Wa State Apple Blossom Festival). The following was written in the evaluation notebook
regarding 2 performances during the 2004 Festival, “Wonderful!! Great sound and easy to work with! The crowd loves these
guys! …great lead singer! Have them back!! Good family group from Teens to Seniors!”
Director of Entertainment (Yakima Wa Folklife Festival) submitted, “These guys ROCK! They covered quite a few gigs for
us last minute during our one week festival, plus performed in their scheduled time slots…and did an AWESOME job! The
audiences loved them! They pleased everyone – young and old! Definitely going to ask them back next year!”
Maria Valdez (of Wells Fargo HM) reported, “Our company sponsored Open Road for our annual event (Wa State
Realtor’s Association Annual Election Banquet) and they were a big HIT! Everyone loved the music, absolutely no complaints!
This band creates the perfect mood for any occasion. Very professional and easy to work with…we look forward to having
them back!”
Director (Yakima Arboretum – Autumn Bounty Harvest Festival) “Where have these guys been hiding? They are wonderful!
Everyone was impressed by their musical talents and their fun energy on-stage! Good music for everyone…great for dancing!
What a great group…we’d love to have them back!
Press Reviews/Interviews
