Paul's roots are in classic country tunes with a bunch of classic rock influences, you know the stuff that's guitar orientated. Gary is the rocker that knows all the classic rock and oldies stuff, Tim's also hip with the oldies but he has hidden talents in jazz, tuba and trombone that he expresses with the other musical groups he plays with.
Our goal is to play music that makes people want to dance and that we like. We try not to play songs that musicians like but nobody can dance to it or they think it's lame. ,
Also we're trying to add recent music into the sets all the time but it's hard to find those perfect guitar orientated songs that don't have a 100 chords in them or you need a vocalist that can scream.
Sounds Like
Having a Wedding?
Whiskey River takes your wedding serious, this is a big day and we can help make it a success. We've been in the wedding dance business since 1985 and know how crucial it is to have a fond memory of that event, (we're all married and we understand the importance of a good dance).
Here's an example of a typical wedding dance with Whiskey River.
Arrive before the reception begins and have microphones and speakers ready & available to use. Accommodate the wedding party on their 1st special requested songs, whether played live by the band or played from a cd or mp3 file.
Once the special song(s) are finished, we've had good luck playing a collection of fun dance songs that we encourage the wedding party to split and bring others back to the dance floor. This works really well to "break the ice" and get people comfortable on the dance floor.The remainder of the 1st set is filled with all genres of music, something for everyone, but mostly to give the band feel for what kind of crowd it is and what music will be best suited for the rest of the evening.
During the 1st break, the band will DJ. the classic wedding dance songs, i.e.; Chicken Dance, Hokey Poky, Macarana, Cha Cha Slide, YMCA, etc. The rest of the evening is planned to take care of things like the "Dollar dance" (We like to call it the $5 or $10 dance) the auction of the garter (we recommend a raffle instead), the bouquet toss, and other fun things like the "I'm Too Sexy" dance.
We cover all types and genres of music and always play several slow songs during the night in addition to the high energy songs that get people going.
If you hire Whiskey River for your wedding dance, you'll be assured of getting professional, experienced musicians that you can count on to provide a great, memorable night of entertainment.
Approximate cost for a 4 hour booking
Fargo - Moorhead $700 - $1000
50 to 100 miles $1500
100 to 200 miles $2000
200+ miles $2500 +
The Whiskey River band has been around Fargo - Moorhead for many decades but it was in 1993 that Paul Fossum & his brother Mark joined the band after filling in a few gigs with Whiskey River's drummer Ron Kinshella, who had some jobs to play even though the Whiskey River band was suppose to break up. Mark handled most of the vocals and helped continue Whiskey river's country music tradition. Gary Johnson replaced Ron in 1994 & opened up a whole new genre of classic rock & 60's that Whiskey River added to their play list. In addition to being a very talented drummer Gary's singing style is very broad & has been an asset to the band. In 2005 Marty Weets joined the band after an extensive search over several months & near a dozen auditions to replace Mark. Marty brought to the band rock solid rhythm, timing & perfection. Tim Johnson replaced Marty in 2006 & along with his excellent bass playing & vocals he's a joker & added some real charisma to the show. Whiskey Rivers last gig was May 30th 2009 and featured the original members, over 15 years since Mark, Gary and Paul 1st played together, it was a fitting end.
Hey Paul, Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'd like you to hear us when we turn 180 degrees and do Roo Fighters and other tunes geared for a different audience, like we did at Rascals or Wild Knights bar. I'm sure you know about playing for the room, etc. I don't like betraying or alienating the crowd. Thanks again for the encouraging words! Ron
Thanks for comin' out to the Jam guys and the nice compliments! Ya'll rocked as well...didn't know Neil Diamond played the drums too! Keep up the good stuff.
