Event

Swinging Doors

Swinging Doors is a five-piece electric country band with a combined century-plus of professional performing experience on stages and bandstands around the world. They explore country music's great honky-tonk song tradition (roughly 1950-1975), featuring shuffles, stomps, shouts, and laments from the repertoires of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich, George Jones, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and the Amazing Rhythm Aces. Their specialty is vocal versatility, with four singers and many three-part harmonies.

Steve Baker, well known as the general manager of Freight and Salvage, but also has decades of experience as a country electric guitarist and singer.

Ray Bierl is chief lead singer and plays fiddle, and acoustic guitar. His name is on the front of two CDs, and he has a long track record with Hillbillies from Mars.

Mayne Smith is famous in the Bay Area from his decades of great bands and performances, including the Redwood Canyon Ramblers, not to mention his many recordings. In Swinging Doors, he concentrates on Pedal Steel Guitar.

Markie Sanders plays electric bass, and is a fine singer, too. She has recorded and performed with too many bands to name, and spent fourteen years in Nashville with appearances on TV and the Grand Ole Opry.

Lloyd Ferris is a drummer's drummer, just as comfortable with a sentimental slow-dance or a mellow waltz as with raucous Zydeco stomps, country-rocking boogies, and boot-scooting Buck Owens shuffles. He and Markie make an unbeatable groove team.