Sam Payne Guitar,Vocals
Lee Roberts Jr. ,Bass
Dustin Norder Mandolin, Vocals
Dan Andree Fiddle, Vocals >
Dave Soucek Banjo, Vocals
Bob Watson, Dobro
Influences
Bill Monroe, Flatt & Sruggs, Jimmy Martin, The Stanley Brothers, The Carter Family, The Del McCoury Band, Old & in the Way....pickers on front porchs everwhere..and many more
The Corn Desert Ramblers are an acoustic band out of Champaign-Urbana. They played their first show with their current lineup booked as the Flat Land String Band at the Iron Post in November, 2006. The original group featured Dave Soucek, Lee Roberts, Dustin Norder and their first guitar player Ken. Ken left the band, and was soon replaced by Sam Payne in January '06. Rounding out the band, and solidifying the current lineup, Dan Andree was added after he met Dustin and Sam playing on the quad in Sep. '06--The rest is history.
They officially debuted as the Corn Desert Ramblers on January 18th, 2007 opening for Reverend Payton's Big Dam Band at the Canopy Club. In May of '07, CDR started playing a weekly gig at the Rose Bowl Tavern in downtown Urbana with Russel Clark on Bass and Bob Watson on Dobro. This configuration flirted with the name Bug Tussle, but as Lee joined the jam and Bob played more shows with the group, it melded into one happy family. To top off the first year, the Ramblers played the Strip Mines Music Festival at The Caves in Murphysboro, IL on Labor Day. In the sprit of bluegrass they continue to play monthly shows were they started, at the Iron Post, with great friends and family.
The Corn Desert Ramblers are an exciting "Traditional Newgrass" band pickin' and grinnin' the only way they know how--Chambana style.
I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace))
Hope to see you at the Fundraiser on Jan.23rd/6pm at The Brass Rail on Farmington Rd.We have Johnny Reefer Seed and The High Rollers (Marijuana Music Award Winners), TV BLUES BAND and The Easy Riders playing music.There will be lots given out.The BIG DOOR PRIZE is a piece of Art Donated by Excessive Colors.$10 donation with Door prize and $5 with out Door Prize.You can hear more about the Illinois Medical Marijuana NFP Fund Raiser on The Church of Rock @ 99.9 The Buzz where we Sponsor The Ganja Hit of the Night on Sundays from 7 to 10. Rev.Moodey himself and Chaplin Chip V will be our MC for the night at the event.It is going to be a Damn good time for sure.Would like to thank Excessive Colors,Mad Tattoo,Bacci Pizza also,Tell your friends,If you need to know more feel free to drop me a line here
hey i have a gig for your band on aug 29th at the old watseka theatre. that is how he spells it.They want to have a bluegrass night.so of course i thought of you guys so hit me up.
Thanks for add fellas. Come on out to The Cowboy Monkey Blues Jam on July 2nd hosted by The Sugar Prophets. Get your 4th of July weekend started right on Thursday night!
Hickory Robot is happy to have you as a friend! We just posted a new tune - I hope you'll check it out and let us know what you think. And then come back again, because we'll have some more music to share real soon. Thanks!
I had my marketing cap on about a week ago and with all the bad news; the Taliban in Pakistan, the looming Chyrsler bankruptcy, the new flu epidemic, etc; I decided to go with a more optimistic theme for this summer in a bumper sticker (old school). I think its working. There are currently a little more than 50 cars in the Branson area sporting this lil’ beauty. (Yes, I comped them) What do you think?