Dusty Rhodes and the River Band

Finding a home somewhere between the homey groove of '70s country rock, the smarts and irony of indie rock, and the chops-heavy musical wanderlust of prog rock, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band are a one-of-a-kind roots rock band from Anaheim, CA. Dusty Rhodes and the River Band's story begins in 2002, when Kyle Divine left his native Kansas for Southern California. Divine quickly struck up a friendship with fellow musician Dustin Apodaca, a keyboard player who sometimes played gigs as "Dusty Rhodes," taking the latter name from his vintage electric piano. After repeated viewings of the Band's celebrated documentary of their final gig, The Last Waltz, Divine and Apodaca decided to form a group, with Divine on drums and Apodaca on keys. But the band began changing after just a few gigs, with Apodaca moving out front with an accordion and Divine singing and playing guitar. In time, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band grew to a six-piece ensemble, with Apodaca and Divine joined by Edson Choi (guitar, banjo, sitar, and vocals), Andrea Babinski (violin, mandolin, and vocals), Allen Van Orman (bass), and Eric Chirco (drums). The group developed a passionate following in Orange County, and a standing gig at the Key Club in West Hollywood helped spread the word elsewhere. After three years of steady regional touring and a handful of self-released CDs and DVDs, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band scored a record deal with the Los Angeles-based independent label SideOneDummy and began working on their debut album in 2006, with Ikey Owens of the Mars Volta serving as producer. The finished produced, First You Live, was released in the fall of 2007. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide