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Local band debuts album while working by day San Angelo Standard Times - April 7, 2006 by Bryan Russell A singer who sells agricultural chemicals during the day and performs for anyone who'll listen at night must find contentment in a purgatory state between earning a living and living a dream. Corby White is a happy denizen of the hazy realm that exists between chasing stardom and making sure the electric bill is paid on time. He wouldn't, however, mind shaking that balance. ''I have a nice job that I really enjoy, and at the same time, I get the chance to play as much as I can,'' said White, leader of the Corby White Band. ''They haven't conflicted yet, but it'd be fun to figure out what would happen if they did. It'd be a nice problem to have.'' The Corby White Band is one of 11 bands that will perform Saturday at the 8th Annual San Angelo Picnic, the yearly music fest staged by Blaine Martin, owner of Blaine's Pub. Just a couple of years ago, White spent his days coaching golf at Lake View High School and his nights dreaming of playing country music in Blaine's Pub. The downtown bar, for White, was a musical haven where he could escape the hackneyed crooning of urban cowboys on popular radio. Blaine's ''was a place I could go to get a steady diet of the music I liked,'' White said from San Antonio, where he now lives and works. Since forming in a Fredericksburg biergarten on New Year's Eve 2002, the Corby White Band has released its debut album, ''Rent My Soul,'' and achieved its dream of playing the small stage at Blaine's. Playing the picnic is one more step toward Shangri-La. ''We're stoked,'' White said of playing the picnic. ''We used to sit and talk about playing Blaine's picnic. This is a pretty big deal for us.'' What are some of your thoughts on playing with some of the big names at Blaine's picnic? White: It's going to be a highlight. We've played at Blaine's (Pub), opened for Kevin Fowler and gotten to do some neat gigs, but this is hands down, to date, the biggest one we've played. ... When you're a new band, you've a got a list of things you want to accomplish. Playing Blaine's picnic tops that list. We're stoked to get the invitation to play. Are there any other acts you're looking forward to seeing? All of them. There's not a bad name on the lineup. Kevin Fowler is great at what he does, and Cross Canadian (Ragweed) always puts on a rock show. Then you have the local bands like Texas Rain, and Clearwater is as good a band as ever to model yourself after. Those guys are consummate professionals. And Copperhead, those guys have always got some steam. They're all going to be fun. What does playing a show like Blaine's picnic do for an up-and-coming band like yours? Man, it's exposure, first and foremost. We've honestly never had the chance to play for a crowd the size of Blaine's (picnic). We're on early, but it'll be great for people to listen to what we do and dig it. And we get to be backstage with some of our heroes and maybe pick their brains if we get an opportunity. What's next for the Corby White Band? We put out our first CD last summer, and it was a learning experience. There are things we know now that we didn't know then. We found a studio in Fredericksburg, and we're going to try to go in and begin our second project sooner than later, probably toward the end of April. Then, we'll just keep playing our spots and keep it going. |