Drag the River

Based out of Fort Collins, CO, Drag the River was a musical outlet for some of punk's seasoned veterans. All frontman Chad Price hooked up with Armchair Martian's Jon Snodgrass and Paul Rucker and the Nobodys' J.J. Nobody and formed Drag the River for a country-rock fix in 1996. Hobo's Demo's was released in mid-2000 (reissued by Suburban Home in late 2006) and captured Drag the River's rough-cut rock & roll woven around lyrical introspections. Pedal steel guitarist Zach Boddicker was added to the fray by 2001 and Drag the River prepped for a sophomore effort while playing gigs out west. Closed, which shaped into a booze-soaked storybook of heartbreak and loneliness, was issued on Upland in spring 2002. Recorded that July, Live at the Starlight was also released by the year's end through Mars Motors Records. Chicken Demos appeared in May 2004, comprised mostly of songs that didn't make the cut for Hobo's Demo's, before the Hey Buddies... EP followed late that fall. Boddicker then exited to return to school, and Chad Rex filled in from time to time before Hot Rod Circuit's Casey Prestwood took over steel duties. Rucker exited in late 2005 and was replaced on drums by Dave Barker (ex-Pinhead Circus). Drag the River then released It's Crazy in June 2006, also contributing the track "Portland" to October's Replacements tribute album, We'll Inherit the Earth. They closed out the year on tour dates with Lucero and spent the first part of 2007 on the road opening for Rocky Votolato. The latter tour saw Snodgrass dropping out of the band's ranks midway through (he simply left the tour, not the band), which left fans asking questions. Things didn't really get better for Drag the River, and in May members announced they were amicably going their separate ways. ~ MacKenzie Wilson,...