Local band Moonshine Ridge offers personality for days and music to match. The band is made up of members who are currently from Laramie, Wyo., though many are not from the area originally.
Rhythm guitarist, Josh Pierce, a University of Wyoming student studying Ag-Business with a minor in Finance, described his band as a “mix between late 90s country with a little bit of a rock and blues flair to it.” The self-taught musician’s favorite song to play is his own rendition of “Copperhead Road.”
Though Moonshine Ridge does many covers at the moment, PJ Saputo, a second rhythm guitarist and lineman at Carbon Power and Light, writes a few of his own songs. The band is also working deals with other songwriters to get the rights to cover a bigger selection.
Moonshine Ridge came together as a group over the course of a year and a half. Bass player Kayla Jo and Pierce had inklings to start something up for a while. Once they got more serious about setting it up, friends began to coalesce to form what is now the fully realized Moonshine Ridge.
So far, the group has played at two venues. Their debut show was at the Buckhorn Bar and Parlor on April 13th. Their second show was at the Albany Country Fairgrounds on April 17th.
The band is hoping to play this summer at Laramie’s “Jubilee Days,” along with many other venues.
“I think outdoor shows would be a lot of fun,” Pierce said.
Other band members include Jarrett Gaddy on the drums, Cullin Timmis on lead guitar and Megan Saberon on the fiddle.
Pierce said he’s benefitted from his fellow band mates’ knowledge in the short time they’ve been playing together.
“Each person I play with, I learn something from,” Pierce said.
“We all have fun and goof off plenty,” Jo, also the Opinion Editor for The Branding Iron, said.
Thanks to their shared humor and joking demeanor, the band’s natural chemistry is already apparent. With a combination of smart mouths and an genuine love for the music they play, it’s no surprise the band is becoming a family of sorts.
Jo, a Journalism major at the University of Wyoming, said she loves playing in the band not only for the music, but for the friendships it has created.
“Playing music with good friends, the energy of the band and the energy of the crowd,” Jo said. “It’s worth it to see how into it everybody gets.”
Playing great music with good friends, not to mention the perks that come with being “in the band,” Moonshine Ridge is looking forward to the upcoming summer as one of Laramie’s newest acts to check out.
