By Shannon Livick
Dolores Star Editor
The Hollywood Bar in Dolores will rock Saturday night with the sounds of the Beautiful Losers — a Dolores band that hasn’t played a gig in about a year and a half.
Lead singer Chuck Barry promises a good time.
“We are going to play some of our old songs, but some new songs too. The desire is to have people dance and have fun.”
And if you are still humming some of the songs next week and travel to the United Kingdom or Italy, for example, don’t be surprised if you hear people humming the same song there too.
The band has been together for 11 years and has had some success on the Freeform American Roots and the Roots Music Report Charts, spending 31 weeks on the chart and making it up to number eight for albums. The charts keep track of and help promote independent artists and record how much airtime independent albums get.
But what surprised Barry was just how well their albums were selling in Italy.
“Europeans appreciate our music, they appreciate American Music,” Barry said.
Barry describes the Beautiful Losers’ music as alternative country or roots rock. Songs, which can be heard on their Myspace page, range in title from Shade Tree Mechanic and One Good Dog to Coal Miners Lament and it is hard not to tap one’s toes as you listen to Barry sing about a woman’s “State Fair hair” and a loyal dog.
Band members are Kevin Chelf on lead guitar, Craig Jorgenson on bass and Danny Bankston on drums.
Barry has been writing songs and playing guitar since he was 10 years old and says the band will release a new album sometime this spring.
He said he has worked hard to teach himself how to promote the Beautiful Losers, known as The Beautiful Loser Society on their records. They have released two albums: “The Long Slow Decline” and “Aim Low.”
“I enjoy doing records and they have done pretty well,” Barry said.
The newest album just needs a bit more work, he said.
“It is amazing people can live in Montezuma County and sell records in Europe,” he said, thanks to the Internet and current recording technology.
Barry has taught himself how to promote the band, something he said is a bit easier in Europe because they can talk to disc jockeys and the countries, for the most part, appreciate independent artists and stations have not been taken over by large companies such as Clear Channel, Barry said.
“None of us can tour though, we all have jobs and stuff,” Barry said.
Barry, farms, along with wife Rosie Carter. Bankston is in trucking, Chelf is a carpenter and Jorgenson can often be seen helping out at the Dolores Visitor’s Center.
Also Saturday night in Dolores, the Sideshow Emporium and Gallery will play a pre Beautiful Losers show at the gallery, featuring the music of the Mudflaps, who describe their music as dry land bluegrass.