The Oregon Valley Boys

They Like Us! They Really Like Us!

2011-08-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

We are just plumb tickled beyond belief to have been nominated by the American Academy of Western Artists for not one, not two, but three award categories: "Best Western Swing Band," Best Western Swing Song" and Best Western Swing Album." The award ceremony will be held next January in Ft. Worth. Here's hoping that we win!

Dancin' In The Streets - August 3, 2011 Downtown Salem

2011-08-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

It was nice to be invited back this year to the annual Dancin' In The Streets celebration put on by Go Downtown Salem every year. Highlights of this year's gig was watching a man and a large dog two-steppin' to our music. Then there was the unidentified gentleman who has showed up more than once to our gigs to sway to the music (if you know what we mean).

Loren, Hank and Doc get ready for the gig

Loren tries out his new cherry flavored guitar picks

Smokey having fun plunkin' on his gee-tar

It's not every day that we get to play in the middle of the street

Smokey

Good times at the Polk County Fair

2011-08-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Valley Boys were honored to play at this year's Polk County Fair in Rickreall, Oregon. Lots of cattle, sheep and other varmints were on display throughout the fairgrounds (including us). We followed "A Tribute to Patsy Cline" by Jeanne Coady and then Joe Shinkle and his band followed us. Lot's of fun and about as close as you can get to how rural county fairs were back in the day.

Swingin' on the Les Schwab stage.

Vicki greets some friends off stage

Oregon Valley girls Dawn and Robin cool off in the van

Hank goes incognito

4th of July: Cascade Locks

2011-07-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

We took our swinging fandango of a show up to Cascade Locks in the Columbia Gorge for their annual 4th of July celebration. Fortunately the weather treated us a lot better than it did for the statue unveiling we played at there a few months ago.

Kids love Western Swing!

Smokey and the Man of Steel get their swing on before the gig.

Robert Waterhouse sat in on fiddle...great playing Robert!

The ladies of Western Swing

Some of our biggest fans

Loren gases up the steel...ready for another hot show!

View from the stage...that's Washington in the background.

The boss lady "manning" the controls.

Drain, Oregon

2011-07-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

June 24th we took the Oregon Valley Boys tour down to the town of Drain, Oregon for their monthly dance at the Civic Center there. We had a nice drive down there; the folks were super and the dance was a success. We had some great Mexican food while we were there at a nearby Mexican restaurant.

February 3rd at the Dixie Creek Saloon in Tangent, Oregon

2011-02-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

Another rip roaring, knee slappin' swingin' time at the Dixie. Thanks to all who showed up. Mildred won "best swing dancer" award once again. Congratulations!

Aumsville Tornado Benefit a Success

2011-01-19T19:35:00.000-08:00

We were honored to perform "unplugged" at the "Little Opry In The Valley" benefit on January 15th for victims of the Aumsville tornado that struck on December 14. The benefit raised $10,139. Many thanks to Ken Cartwright for putting this all together.

Photo Time!

2010-12-17T10:49:00.000-08:00

We all headed down to Paz "Smokey" Reingans' joint to have some photos taken by his lovely daughter Sophie. Of course, Doc was the hammiest of the bunch.

Hot Club of Cowtown, "What Makes Bob Holler"

2010-12-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

Hot Club of Cowtown playing at The button Factory, Dublin, 25th October 2010. This song features on their new album "What Makes Bob Holler", a tribute to Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys.

Cindy Walker and Willie Nelson

2010-12-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,
Please bring us this CD for Christmas.
Thanks and Adios!
The Oregon Valley Boys

Chuckaroo the Buckaroo gives the Oregon Valley Boys a spin

2010-12-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

The radio spins of our new CD, "All Roads Lead To Howell Prairie" just keep 'a comin! Thanks to Chuckaroo the Buckaroo in Bend, Oregon for playing "Starry Night In The Valley" off the CD.
http://tinyurl.com/yfpbjuv

Faded Love - The Texas Playboys

2010-12-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

Review of the new Oregon Valley Boys CD

2010-12-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

Good news from the land of french fries...a review of our new CD "All Roads Lead To Howell Prairie. This from Cri du Coyote 120:

The Oregon Valley Boys - All Roads Lead To Howell Prairie

"A new band to add to the list of those who play western swing. From Oregon, formed by Randy Hill, Chuck Doc Z Zendner, Loren The Man of Steel Depping, Vicki Bakanoff, Paz Reingans, Oscar Quijano and Paul Hank Saunders, they're in the true tradition, apart from a modern country rock. But there are nuggets among the 10 tracks : the excellent All roads lead to Howell Prairie, mixing hillbillybop, R'n'R and western swing, the Bakersfield sounding honky tonk One foot, the stirring tex-mex Little white lie and the superb western waltz "à la Marty Robbins", Molalla waltz. A must to discover, you won't be disappointed."

In addition to the great reviews we've been getting, the CD has been getting some good airplay around Europe as well.

Let's Swing!

Out of the studio and back to the Dixie

2010-03-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

Seems like we've been recording for ages...but I think you're gonna like the finished product! Just a little more recording and mixing to do - then mastering - and then we're finished.

Meanwhile, we dusted off our instruments and headed to the Dixie Creek Saloon which is now under new ownership. Must say, the place looked great. Jake has done a great job with it.

Super crowd once again and it was nice to see some old friends there.

Swingin' The Dixie Creek Saloon

2010-01-23T13:58:00.000-08:00

Boy howdy, we love playing at the Dixie Creek Saloon in Tangent, Oregon. Feels like an authentic beer joint, probably because it is. Great hamburgers, dance floor and the locals know how to have fun. Here's a few photos from last Thursday night's gig there.

Oregon County Fair Association Showcase

2010-01-10T21:13:00.000-08:00

We had a super time on Saturday the 9th of this month performing a showcase for the Oregon Fair Association. Representatives of county fairs from across Oregon gathered at the Salem Conference Center in downtown Salem. We had a blast playing together as usual and we had the opportunity to meet some fellow musicians who were showcasing as well that day.

The Oregon Valley Boys...In The Studio

2009-11-28T11:07:00.000-08:00

After a lot of writing, planning and dreaming, the Oregon Valley Boys finally made it into the recording studio to lay down tracks for our first CD. We don't have a title for it yet, so if you have a great idea for a name for the CD...let us know. In the meantime, here's a few shots from some recent sessions.

On the road to Christmas Valley

2009-10-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

The fall rain is starting to settle in for the next few months, but that isn't stopping the Oregon Valley Boys from our campaign to bring great western swing to music starved fans throughout Oregon! We just got back from a trip to Christmas Valley in eastern Oregon. We are still mystified as to where the name comes from. There were no Christmas trees and Santa was conspicuously absent. Thank goodness there were plenty of Christmas Valley residents ready to swing!

Hank, ever the daredevil western swing artist, hangs precariously from the rodeo box in Christmas Valley.

The Oregon Valley Boys, on stage at the Christmas Valley rodeo grounds. There was lots of ground too.

Loren takes the lead on a Carl Perkins tune.

Back on the road...Happy Trails!

Salem Saturday Market

2009-09-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the Salem Saturday Market today. The morning started out with a slight drizzle, but by the time we got set up we were heading toward clear skies. We introduced the crowd to some of our new material that we will be recording later on this fall. Oregon Valley Boys bassist, Chuck "Doc" Zendner got top honors for the spectacular sombrero that he wore during our new Tex-Mex song, "Little White Lie." Muy Bueno, señor Doc!

Aumsville Cornfest

2009-09-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well...we had a larappin' good time at this year's Aumsville Corn Festival in Aumsville, Oregon. After the parade finished downtown, everyone headed down to the park to enjoy fresh corn on the cob and some great swing music by none other than that little ol' band from the Willamette Valley - us! Americana at it's best. Don't let next year's celebration slip by on your calendar...we won't, because we're scheduled to play again - same time, same station.

On the road: Tillamook Farmers' Market and The Silverton Gardens

2009-08-24T18:04:00.001-07:00

Well, we had quite the day this past Saturday. We took off Friday evening from Salem and headed out to Manzanita Beach to stay at a house on the beach courtesy of Oscar and his wife Nichole. Let me tell you, there's nothing like going to sleep with the surf crashing in the background.

We all got up the next morning and headed over to the cheese capital of the world, Tillamook, Oregon for our morning gig at the Tillamook Farmers' Market. The sky was sunny, the wind was cool and we had a blast! Lots of smiling folks, dogs and kids doing the boogaloo if front of the "stage."

Next stop on our tour: The Oregon Gardens in Silverton where we played at the first annual Oregon Gardens Food and Wine Fest." Great crowd and some fine Texas two-steppin'.

The Oregon Valley Boys' biggest cheerleading team (our wives) hang out on Manzanita Beach.

Loren tunes up before the Tillamook Farmers Market gig.

The Three Wise Men? Chuck, Randy and Hank relax "backstage" at the Tillamook Farmers' Market

The Oregon Garden's first annual "Food and Wine Fest"