Rob Shapiro, right and members of Hey Romeo hanging out with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band back stage.
Hey Romeo is coming off an incredible season for the band, sharing the marquee with some of the biggest names in country music.
This fall Hey Romeo hit the road supporting Terri Clark and Alan Jackson. After that, they did some dates with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
“It’s great meeting life long professional musicians that are still loving what they do. Of course we loved playing arenas as you get a little spoiled with huge stages, massive production, several technicians working on your show, throngs of people, oh and catering, can’t forget catering,” chuckles Drumheller’s Rob Shapiro.
He was able to spend personal time with these artists, making some incredible memories.
“It was a real high point for Hey Romeo as this was our first large venue arena tour, Alan Jackson has so many hits and dominated country radio for 15 years. His band and crew were all really welcoming to us and the crowds were great to us. We did meet Alan and he’s a soft spoken laid back dude,” said Shapiro.
“The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band tour was different in that we saw a lot more of them daily and they invited us up on stage for their encore to sing a song that won them a Grammy “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and an Americana classic “The Weight” by the Band.
“One night after a show in Medicine Hat we cornered Jeff Hannah the guitar player/singer and I found this piano at the theatre and asked him if he wanted to hear what a $250,000 piano sounds like? And he said ‘hell yeah Rob!” So we proceeded to this beautiful concert piano backstage in this small room and I played “ Face On The Cutting Room Floor” and “I’ve Been Lookin”, two of my dirt band hits and he was nice enough to sing them with us, total class guy and a true musician. Everyone in the band and crew were super to us as well.”
Not only were they incredible personal experience, but also a great opportunity for the band.
“In that more country music fans saw us, heard us and may want to hear us again, yes, very important and playing live to an audience is irreplaceable experience for any band. I think the biggest thing people are reminded of is there is nothing like hearing a great live band, playing their own instruments and singing their songs without tracks. It’s real and it’s how people fall in love with music,” said Shapiro.
In September, the band released a six song EP called “I Got this.” Shapiro says it is being received well. The second of two EPs from the band is due out in the new year, so they will be back at the grind stone.
“We have 2 songs done and will be working hard at it the last 2 weeks of January to finish writing the new record, I better come up with some song ideas over the holidays!
