This annual series shines a spotlight on the annual Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival, showcasing an array of themes, people and entertainers that contribute to the festival’s success during the Fourth of July holiday season.
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Part 4: Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival Series: Honky Tonk Heroes Play Country and Rock Favorites
They’re a little bit honky tonk… a little bit rock and roll.
With songs by Willie Nelson, Waylon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Creedence Clearwater Revival and more, the variety is sure to please the entire audience.
Honky Tonk Heroes is the Tri-State area’s premier outlaw country western band. Tony Burge has been said to sing Willie Nelson better than Willie did.
Judge for yourself at the Ellwood City Arts, Crafts, Food & Entertainment Festival on Sunday night from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
The other members of the band are Rockin’ Ron Lantz on bass and vocals, Tony Lang on guitar, Stephan Rodriguez on drums, and Scoot Dogg on harmonica. In addition to country and rock, you might hear some blues.
The band formed about three years ago, and Lang said Tony and Ron were in a band together and met through work.
“They invited me to play, and before I knew it, we were playing shows,” Lang said.
The name Honky Tonk Heroes was coined by Bruce Kohler one night while they were playing their first show in Grove City, and it stuck. The Honky Tonk Heroes now also play at Kohler’s Brewery in Ellwood City.
The band is based in Ellwood City but plays all over the area, including many clubs such as Sons of Italy and The Moose in Ellwood City, bars such as Shelby, Mike’s Mainstreet and Kohler’s in Ellwood City, and once a month in Beaver at Mario’s, Jergels, Hard Rock Café and Ogelbay.
“All roads led to Ellwood City because of Tony Burge,” Lang said. “We’re the hardest working band with 160 shows booked this year. We’re really good at what we do. There’s no backtracking.”
The band is looking forward to performing for the community at the festival.
“You get to meet a lot of new people who wouldn’t go to a bar, your kids come, and before you know it, you have a new following,” Lang says. “It’s a chance to gain some new fans. It’s a great way to make new friends, and once people see us, they like us.”
There’s also plenty of audience interaction to look forward to: Lang said the drummer sometimes comes out to the audience to get them involved, and the crowd always sings along.
“Audiences love seeing how much fun we have on stage,” says Lang, “and that fun is contagious.”
And Honky Tonk Heroes loves its fans and followers.
“We’re so grateful for all our loyal friends and fans who support us. Many of them come from far and wide. We have dedicated fans in their own areas, but also some who follow us everywhere. We couldn’t ask for more.”
The relationship the band has with their fans is evident in their “Honky Tonk Heroes” Facebook group, where the band regularly celebrates the birthdays of their followers.
Lang said he looks forward to seeing everyone at the festival.
“We’re very blessed to be able to do what we do. We have two of the best singers in the area: Rockin’ Ron and Tony Burge. They’re two of the best country singers in the country.”
