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Stampede of progress

 From left: Zach Thein, Travis McBride, Michelle McBride, Cory McBride and Jeremiah Murphy. Crew – not pictured: Mike McBride and Mike Ellis. Contributed photo
From left: Zach Thein, Travis McBride, Michelle McBride, Cory McBride and Jeremiah Murphy.
Crew – not pictured: Mike McBride and Mike Ellis.
Contributed photo

Stampede –– Party in the Park

Central Park, 5-9 p.m.


 

By Kate Hayden | khayden@charlescitypress.com

Any good band knows it takes an evolution to stay fresh. For Stampede, based in and around Independence, Iowa, that means being able to roll with the punches.

That makes the evolution even more energetic.

“Travis (McBride) has been our wild card through the band,” drummer Cory McBride said. “I started playing guitar and he was the drummer. He started wanting to play the guitar, so we switched…’okay, I’m going to learn the fiddle’. So we started playing fiddle songs within the last five years or so when he decided to play the steel guitar.”

Playing to members’ strengths is key for the group –– Cory McBride, a music teacher, bassist Jeremiah Murphy and guitarist Zach Thein often revisit their jazz and blues backgrounds; lead singer Michelle McBride has classical and musical theater training.

“That’s been a big asset, having somebody who knows the do’s or don’t and can apply it to stuff on the radio,” Cory McBride said. “We’re able to do a good variety…hopefully there’s one or two songs that you can really connect to.”

The group specializes in providing a wide variety throughout their shows, he added, mostly dabbling in country and classic rock genres while mixing in some later pop.

“Through the night we’ll do Luke Bryan, which teens and young adults are into, and the next song might be Hank Williams, or something from 40 years ago. We try to appeal to various age groups at different times,” McBride said. “We really make a bid deal about putting on a really professional, high quality show.”

Founded in high school by McBride and his brother, the group has slowly progressed with different members and sounds throughout the years.

“Back then we weren’t very good,” McBride said. “We were playing through college and picked up new experiences. Post-college, having played a while for now we’ve got better connections and met more, and different, people.”

Tonight will be the group’s first show in Charles City. Stampede tends to play around the Cedar Rapids area, and they’ve always tried to play some unusual things, McBride said. Requests vary as songs are put on and off the top 40 radio, but there’s occasionally a surprise the band isn’t prepared for.

“One time we were requested for Justin Bieber. We were taken off guard, we’re not much of a J. Bieb band,” McBride joked.

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