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Whether you’re into Willie Nelson, Widespread Panic, Lynyrd Skynyrd, or Funkadelic, pick a flavor, and The Goatheads deliver. For this rock fusion/jam band trio, who also happen to belong to old-school Albuquerque band, The Withdrawals, the natural thing to do when two of their band members relocated to Arizona, was to start their own band. And that’s how The Goatheads emerged.

Vocalist and lead guitarist, Andy Dunn, double-neck, bass player, Brian Ostrom, and drummer, Vance Van Donselaar, all veteran musicians with 20-plus years of experience, either began their music careers as a result of playing in high-school band or because they inherited musical talent from their parents.

The name The Goatheads does not imply a Southwestern matanza—a severed goat’s head on a wooden pole—but rather those lovely little, sharp, thorny, devil head like things that stick to virtually anything. “We were loading some stuff out of Vance’s front yard on our way to Arizona,” says bass player, Brian, “and we were wondering what would be a good name for our band, and there was a goathead [sticker] stuck to my shoe, and that’s what made me think of the name.” Frontman and guitarist, Andy adds, “We like to refer to ourselves as ‘music that sticks to ya’ and it [the name] also reflects the fact that we’re a New Mexican band.

A typical jam band, they’re not. With their retro-rock harmonies, and newly fashioned, funk/blues style, The Goatheads certainly go beyond any one specific genre of music. While this trio plays their share of original music, they don’t mind playing cover tunes in order to appease their audience, “Usually there’s someone yelling out they want to hear some Skynyrd anyway, so we figure we might as well learn some of that stuff, and give them what they want to hear,” explains drummer, Vance, “It’s fun!” ”And,” adds bass player, Brian, “it’s good practice.” In addition to practice, playing covers can also be a vehicle for promoting their original tunes “We’ve noticed with some audience members, once they hear a song that they already know, they get a little more comfortable with us and then they’re more open to accepting our original music” explains Andy.

It’s easy to find people grooving out to The Goatheads with the graceful synergy they exude. Whether it’s your first, or one-hundredth time seeing them you’ll inevitably want to get up and dance once they start playing. And more than that, it’s clear this three-piece band genuinely like each other. Their camaraderie is obvious.

The Goatheads have a quality that takes you somewhere else -just listening to their music can bring on a natural high; no alcohol or drugs required. And no jacket required for that matter, as this is definitely not a ‘suit and tie’ band. In fact, they are just the opposite. You’re likely to want to kick off your shoes when you hear their unique, upbeat sound.

Like the name implies, it really is music that sticks to ya, as vocalist/guitarist Andy Dunn puts it so well. And ultimately the music does stick to their fans’ psyche.

All in all, it’s about quality music, and a guaranteed great time for the crowd. As fans will attest, if you’re watching The Goatheads, you’re bound to be having a fantastic time.

By Ann Mary Reyes