Music Review: The Bennett Valley Gray Band

Starting off with a cover of “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts, it’s like you are taking Highway 37 down to a little town of Gilmanton where The Bennett Valley Gray Band is from. They may be from the small town of Gilmanton, but you can sure hear their big cities voices come out in the songs they sing. Having been part of the band ever since their teen years, you can hear Candyce Gray on vocals, guitar, and tambourine, Kristi Gray Hurlburt on vocals and keyboard, and their brother Darrin Gray on vocals and lead guitar. Not leaving the other band members out, they have Kevin Frederickson on Drums, Mike Elbertson on lead guitar and harmonica, and also their sound man Matt.

This band is not your average band, they started off playing with just their neighbors and friends and working hard to become well known, then eventually getting booked for weddings, then came fairs and summer festivals, then even being able to perform at Country Jam right here in Eau Claire, Wisconsin with the other big shots of the country scene. “I’m having a party/ A party for two/ Inviting nobody/ nobody but you.” Even with the cover of “Party for Two” originally done by Shania Twain, this was definitely not a party for two; it was a party for a crowd. The Bennett Valley Gray Band really likes to get into the music and make sure that everyone is having a good time. If not they will make sure to have songs for everyone, they play everything from country’s top 40, older country, to even classic and newer rock. One of the lead vocalists Candyce Gray made the comment “ We try to get a big mix in our songs, we don’t want to just play for the country fans, but have a broader range and play for everyone in the audience.” With their gifted voices and engaging instrumentation I would have to agree with her. They really appealed to everyone in the audience. They played songs from Taylor Swift, Chris Daughtry, too even the great Johnny Cash. This gave each audience member a taste of some of their favorite songs. Just with a little bit of the Gray Family Twist on it.

With every band there is a story of how they came to get together, I had the chance to talk with Candyce Gray one of the vocalists and who also fills in playing different instruments like tambourine and guitar. She told me the story of how the band came to be. The Gray family has always had music involved in their lives. Candyce, Darrin, and Kristi’s parents both came from musical families. Candyce said “When we were really young, I remember my dad always singing no matter where he was, he sang in the barn, in the house, and always while he was working.” Since music was such a big part of their family both parents said that they should begin music lessons because they never got the chance to learn to play different instruments and they wanted that chance for their children. They happened on some money from the passing of a grandparent, which is when they bought their first drum set, and they started practicing in basement of their home. While neighbors were visiting they often heard the kids practicing and soon started having weekend get-togethers of singing and playing music. Soon, the word spread and bars owners became interested and started asking them to play for them. They took that chance and began playing at local bars. Candyce, while laughing stated “We were horrible, we got out there and did our best, but we were nervous and things just didn’t go right that night.” Though many others disagree, because on a night where they were playing they got asked by a man name Chris Hill who was getting married and didn’t have the money to get some entertainment for the night. He asked them if they would play at his wedding and they agreed. They played for them and that is when Candyce said “This is when we truly became a band because we had to think of a name for ourselves, my father came up with The Bennett Valley Grey Band.” The name the father gave them was because they lived in the Bennett Valley and their last name was Gray so the name was a good choice and the locals would recognize them. After that, people kept asking them to perform at their wedding and local events and it took off from there.

After a little intermission, they soon took off into a full swing. Singing some “Picture to Burn” by Taylor Swift and “Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown Band. With Kristi’s amazing vocals for “Picture to Burn” you knew you had to stay for the whole concert. She has a voice which is a cross between Carrie Underwood and Martina McBride. You can tell each and everyone one of them gave their all throughout each song and performance. There was even a special treat while I was there that they said might happen every once and awhile. Their father who has always been part of the band and has sang and played throughout the years recently retired last year at the age of 71. Candyce said “He enjoys it, but it was just getting too hard on him because we would be out so late and he would want to drive home by himself.” She said “We just can’t risk him driving home alone by himself.” But on this special night we all got to see him come out and sing some Jonny Cash with some of the songs including “Burning Ring of Fire” and also “Walk the Line” both by the great Johnny Cash. The crowd roared as he came up on the stage. An audience member said “He sings Johnny Cash so well, why he even looks a little like him.” I would have to agree with her he did a fantastic job and was on point with the music. While he was singing he was bouncing away and you could see in his kids’ eyes that they were glad he was up there singing “his” songs.

After the show, I got the chance to ask Candyce about different aspects of music and her ideas of what she thinks of it.
Jake: What are your opinions about music today?
Candyce: “Well, music is up to the individual. Music does different things for people including different types of music. For example sometimes I like to listen to classical because I have a headache or just need to relax and that helps me. So it should ultimately be the individuals’ choice, but people should check out things that they don’t typically listen to so they can broaden their horizons.”
Jake: Do you have any encouraging words for upcoming musicians?
Candyce: “Yes, Do what you like. Don’t always look for what the crowd wants. You have to be comfortable but also have a balance. You don’t want to do what others want to hear, but they should hear what comes from the inside of you.”
Jake: Ok, one last question for you, what or who inspired you to become a musician?
Candyce: “My family, especially my parents and grandparents. They were always singing and getting us kids to sing along so I just started loving it.”

So now that you got a feel for the music they play and know a little more about them. You have to get out there and go to one of there shows. You are sure to hear something that you like with the variety they play and the energy and enthusiasm that they put in each performance, it will be a show that you won’t forget. There last number was a cover of “Little Willie” by Sweet. It went “Cause little Willy, Willy won’t/ go home/ but you can’t push Willy ‘round, / Willy won’t go.” One thing for sure that night was that I was like “Little Willy”; I didn’t want to go home because The Bennett Valley Gray Band put on an amazing show, and I wanted to be there all night. So if you haven’t heard this band yet, you need to get out there and experience some good music from some good people!

University Culture

The sub-cultures of Eau Claire, what are they? Who do they involve? How do they affect community as a whole? These may be things you have never thought about before, but can be important to understand and get a better understanding of your community and what all is involved with it.

I had the chance to go do some “field research” with some fellow classmates and find a little more information about the different sub-cultures that may affect, and be involved with Eau Claire. At random we interviewed five different people about where they’d prefer to study and what their study habits are? There were a variety of different answers. I few of them said “I would prefer to study in the library”, but if those were unavailable they said they would next prefer either their dorm rooms or the study lounges. Another person mentioned “I study anywhere I am able to, because I have kids it is hard for me to find a special place so I study where and when I can!” When asked about what their study habits are a few replied they enjoyed having some type of background noise, like music or T.V. Others said they like it quiet, else they can’t concentrate. Most people I found, like to study days in advance of their tests and make note cards which help them study. So as you can tell there is such a diverse way of how people study for things and how they like the environment around them to be, when they are studying.

We also had the chance to interview a couple of international exchange students about their country’s educational system compared to the new (UWEC) educational system? One student who was from Taiwan said that probably the biggest different with the educational systems is the way that the professors teach. “The professors here use additional sources to help the students out, in my home country we don’t get power points or notes, we get the material from the books and take our own notes.” He also mentioned that in his country’s educational system they don’t get quizzes, it is mostly based on tests. It is also a lot cheaper compared to his home country and he feels like he gets a better education from America System. Another student who was from Brazil had much of the same answers as the other student. She said “In Brazil we rarely get assignments and our grades are based on tests, also we only take classes involved with our major. We take a couple humanities classes, but that is it.” She also stated that she really likes it here in Eau Claire.

Another activity we had to look into was what does an “XF” stand for or mean? To find this out, we looked under the UWEC website and typed in XF. What came up was an XF is an unofficial F. This usually stands for someone that has skipped class or is missing stuff. It looks bad on your transcript and usually brings your GPA down. So I wouldn’t ever recommend getting one of these because it would be hard to make up for it in the future.

What do you think some differences are in student behaviors back in 1970’s or 80’s or even the 90’s compared with today’s students? We had the chance to find some of that information out. We interviewed a couple older professors who have been teaching for awhile and got their points of view on the matter. Most of what the professors said was the same and gave a great realization in the difference of the student’s behaviors back then and till now. Both professor agreed that back when they started which was early 1980’s even late 1970’s said that back then students believed in working harder and partying less than they do now. They believe this because back then a majority of the people couldn’t afford to attend college or they could get good jobs without having to go to college so they took that route. The people that did attend college worked hard to get their degree because they knew they were paying for it and needed to get it done. They also wanted to state that they don’t think that student’s now don’t work hard, they do, but there is more partying today and also they don’t believe they work as hard because most of the kids get college paid for by parents or some other and don’t care like the students did back then. They also think that education isn’t as looked on as seriously as it once was.

Have you ever noticed the sculptures around campus, there a variety of them and they all have their own meaning in their own way and it is the person who is looking at it job to interpret its meaning in their own way of how they feel it is. There is always one sculpture that always stood out to me, which is the one on lower campus that when you are walking towards Hibbard, I notice all the time. It is a sculpture of 3 people all touching hands or feet and connected kind of in a ball like structure. I think the meaning of this structure is the sense of unity and also determination. I get unity from the structure because all three people are working together to hold each other up in that formation. They are relying on one another to be able to keep it up. I also get determination from this piece because they are doing a complex thing, and you have to have determination to be able to finish something like that. So I think the message that it is trying to get out is that you need to work hard, and work together so that you can achieve the impossible.

The UWEC College has gone without a school mascot for a long time. Finally a year or two ago a student eventually came up with one. It is called the Blugold of course and it is a depiction of a mystical bird. We were asked what we thought a blugold was? Some ideas that my group came up with is that a bluegold is a dragon because a dragon represents strength and power. Otherwise, we came up with an golden eagle because the eagle has pride and power and never gives up. In my eyes, I believe a blugold should have power, strength, pride, determination, and excellence. The animal I think that does this or represents this would have to be the eagle. An eagle flies around with such precision and strength. When you see it flying you can tell the power of it because it is so big and it has the power to fly. You can also see the pride in it because it just soars over everything like it has power over everything. It also shows excellence and determination because it never gives up on its prey and it fights for its young. I think all those make and stand for a good mascot and would be a good representation of what a blugold is and does.

From having to do this exercise I have found that UWEC campus culture helps people work hard and strive to do the best they can. For students I think that the students are very competitive and want to be the best at what they do. They want to be good at sports, be good in school, and be good at everything. Which give UWEC students a lot of determination and strive to be the best. Which I think is why the students of UWEC really strive for excellence in their education and in their life. I think the professors also do the same; they really want to help the students out with their education they will go out of their way to help you and make sure that you understand what is needed. For the most part me and my group agreed on what we thought made up the UWEC culture. If we did have differences we were able to see what those differences were and accept why they thought otherwise.

Food Review: El Patio

As you travel to down town Eau Claire you notice the smaller streets, the stores all crowded and packed together, and more of an abundance of college age kids all around. As you turn down the ever so infamous Water Street, a little ways down the block you come to this small little restaurant called “El Patio.” With its convenient location and Mexican theme you’re sure to experience a different culture fiesta right here in Eau Claire.

As the name suggests, you get the Mexican feel right from the start. With its open atmosphere, wrap around store front windows and the antique wooden furniture, make the indoors feel like the outdoors as well. Ever since this tiny place has opened on Water St., it has given college students and the after work crowds a chance to experience a new culture right in the heart of Eau Claire. As you walk in you notice the mosaic tiled floors, and the textured and exuberant peach colored walls, making you feel like you have just walked into a restaurant in Mexico. The wait staff is very enthusiastic, greeting you in Spanish and joking with you, giving you a welcoming feeling. As you are seated you hear the Mexican music playing in the background, making images of “fiestas y bailes” pop into your head. Before you even begin to look at menus you are offered the best tortilla chips with salsa that you will ever have! Just to get an idea of what I am talking about, a few of my table mates mentioned “These are so addicting!!!” Having to get 6 baskets of the chips I would have to agree with them. If you are not quite sure what you want or what something is, the waiters may offer some of their favorite dishes and give a good explanation of how the food comes prepared. So, no worries about language difficulties here, though with the Spanish accents you do seem to get lost in the culture shock of it all.

Having arrived at 5:30 p.m. we were able to beat the 6 o’ clock rush. The place soon became bustling with people of different ethnicities including some Spanish speakers which I thought was nice because it is a place where all people can go and feel welcomed and even give a sense of home for some people. As we took our order, I felt like trying something I have never had before, so I got the Enchiladas El Patio. This simple yet flavorful dish is a Mexican favorite. It is three enchiladas, one beef, one chicken and one with cheese, served with a side dish of rice and also comes with lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and sour cream.

Even with the 6 o’ clock rush the wait staff still remained fast and efficient, even though they only had two people waiting on tables. With about a twenty minute wait, we soon had our Mexican home-style dishes. The smell of spicy flavors soon hit our noses and we were ready to dig in. My enchiladas were drizzled with a mild spicy red sauce that gave them a little bit of a kick, and then on top, they were covered with melted cheeses. Just looking at this made my mouth water. The Mexican rice was placed neatly to the side of the enchiladas with the lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream all placed next to that in a pile. As I was digging in, I tried each of the three enchiladas each one with its own unique flavor. The beef and the cheese enchiladas were by far the best, especially when mixed with the lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. The chicken was a little sketchy; having a sense it was the leftover chicken parts didn’t really satisfy my tastes. The Mexican rice was probably some of the best rice I have had in a long time; it wasn’t hard like most places have. It was soft chewy and you could tell it was cooked at the right temp. Having had a few chips first, along with my filled plate full of food, I finished my meal with a satisfied stomach.

Overall, this small Mexican restaurant gives you a warm greeting with a full stomach in the end. The service was good, but it was a little bit chilly in the restaurant throughout the meal, which surprised me because you’re suppose to get the whole Mexican adventure, which I thought it was warm in Mexico, but since we were in the single digits that evening that probably didn’t help the fact. The pricing I thought was very reasonable for getting a good version of a Mexican home-style dish in the Mid-West area. So in all, I would rate the restaurant with three stars. Being able to get an authentic Mexican dish for a reasonable price with good service is hard to find in the Midwest. But the El Patio of Eau Claire does just that for those of you who like to try new things and also experience what a different culture is like. So I would highly recommend stopping in some time to experience a new culture and try out some great Mexican food.