Staff Sgt Angie Johnson, 571st Air National Guard, Bomber Wing.. The band is the Sidewinders. -------------------------------- Tuneage: Rolling In The Deep (cover of original by Adele). --------------------------------------------- ----------------AIR FORCE BAND WILL ROCK OUT FOR TROOPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST -------------------------- A band called Sidewinder will soon embark on what could be the most grueling two-month road trip in the history of rock 'n' roll.------------------------ The band will play as many as 45 shows in 60 days, in cities where the temperatures reach 130 degrees, and where the members of the audience are paid to carry guns. There will no champagne and vodka to help them relax, no roadies to break down the stage, or groupies to break up the monotony.---------------- The Clash named an album "Combat Rock." Sidewinder lives it.----------------- The nine-piece band — known to the government as the 571st Air Force Band, 131st Bomb Wing, Air National Guard (try fitting that on a bass drum head) — will entertain their fellow U.S. military personnel by visiting air bases and camps in the Middle East.--------------- "There's a lot of people over there feeling down about being away from their families," said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Maret of Kansas City, who keeps the rhythm as the band's drummer and keeps the order as its noncommissioned officer in charge.------- "If we can bring them a moment of rest and peace, then we have done our jobs," Maret said.---------- Make no mistake, this is not a pickup band with garage-band skills. They have, in the most unmilitary of terms, serious chops.------- Listening to the two lead singers, Staff Sgts. Brian Owens of Ferguson and Angie Johnson, a St. Ann native who now lives in Nashville, rehearse "Empire State of Mind," you could close your eyes and almost believe you were listening to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Later, the band worked out the kinks on Cee Lo Green's "Forget You." Again, it sounded incredibly close to the hit recording.------ "Most of these people either play in bands or did play" in civilian life, said Master Sgt. Brian House, the public affairs officer for the band and also its trumpet player. House, by the way, recently injured his knee and is disappointed he won't be able to make the trip.------- "We're ambassadors for our country, and we aim to raise morale among our troops," House said, explaining why he'd rather play on a bad knee than stay home.----- The band practices in an abandoned rocket warehouse at the wing's headquarters near Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Because they only meet one weekend a month, their practice session is strictly business and they move with a military no-nonsense approach from one song to the next, no goofing around.-------- "Goofy? We are part of the U.S. military," Maret said with mock seriousness. "We do not do 'goofy.'"----- And as you would guess with a military unit, many of the members are cross-trained in other duties. In other words, they play other instruments.------ Capt. John Arata of Eureka and Staff Sgt. Devin Larue of St. Louis both play keyboards, unless Arata is needed on the fiddle or Larue picks up a guitar to add depth to the harder rock numbers.------ Tech Sgt. John Cavanaugh of Alton stayed with his bass, Staff Sgt. Toby Callaway of Columbia, Mo., kept his tenor sax wailing through the afternoon while Staff Sgt. Sean Navarro, also of Columbia, mixed the sound. Lead guitarist Joey Castilleja was not present at the rehearsal and a trumpet player, to fill in for House, will meet the band overseas.------- (By the way, the government does not reveal specific departure dates and House could only say the band begins its tour in early July.)----- Want old-school rock 'n' roll? Sing along with "Honky Tonk Woman" and "Gimme Some Lovin," then take it south with "Sweet Home Alabama" and punk it up a little bit with "I Love Rock 'n Roll." Bring in the Chicago horns for "Saturday in the Park" and "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is"; moonwalk a few steps with "Thriller" and "Billie Jean"; then get the funk with "Brick House" and "Superstition." Of course, they can go country and saddle up with "Chicken Fried," "Gunpowder and Lead" and "Undo It." ------- "We try to do a little bit of every kind of music, so that all of the soldiers can tune into something we do," House said.-------- The band also can be called on to do the more traditional sets one would expect from a military ensemble. House said the members have to know how to do military ceremonial music, just in case some official event calls for accompaniment. When back stateside, Sidewinder visits veterans homes and performs for the old soldiers.------ Johnson, who has been on this rock road show before with the band, said that aside from the logistics, playing for the troops is a lot easier than playing Nashville nightclubs.------ "They like just about anything we do. They're ready to cheer and are very receptive, just thirsty for a touch of home," Johnson said, adding that the band and the troops get to share a feeling.----- "We don't have to be soldiers for that while," she said. "We get to be human beings." ------------------ http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/columns/joe-holleman/article_d9569d96-9dd1-57e9-be29-36fe5b8628bc.html