There’s a couple of signs that a country band is doing well in the area and one is the amount of time “regulars” spend on the dance floor and another is earning a place as the main feature on a Saturday night. “Something Country,” are seeing both of these signs as they go into their third year on the country circuit.

Dan Futrell leads the band. 

 

On an upcoming Saturday night, this Alexandria-based band is the main show at the Electric Palm in Occoquan and singer Dan Futrell sees that as a good sign.

“Saturday night is big stuff,” he said. 

Futrell is a Mount Vernon resident and welcomes the band into his basement in the Wessynton community every Monday night for practice and to touch base with the other guys in the band. Although the music is the basis of their practices and concerts, he also thinks the connection between band members is important. “I try to do things the right way and treating these guys well is part of it, we’re a band of brothers,” he said. In fact, the drummer Tad Ferris was the best man at Futrell’s wedding.

This is important on the dance floor too. Line dancing is the thing for country music and the longer they’re out on the floor is a good sign. If the dancers are regulars, that’s even better. They aren’t trying to reinvent the songs either. There’s a bunch of familiar country songs and dances that go with them, so Something Country gives the audience what they want. This includes familiar names like Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson and other big names.

In the beginning, back in 2021, they had one lead guitar but things have changed with country music and the band noticed they needed another guitarist so they brought on Brad Dietz to play bass and rhythm guitar. “We added a fifth band member because country music requires two guitars,” Futrell said.

So now their line up is Dan Futrell on lead vocals, Larry Orf on guitar and some lead and backing vocals, Tad Ferris on drums and percussion, Robert Bridgers on five-string bass, Dietz on electric and acoustic guitars and backing vocals, and Don Kahl runs their sound.

Upcoming Shows:

·         Saturday, April 6 at the Electric Palm in Woodbridge

·         Saturday, April 27, at the Vanish Farmwoods Brewery, Leesburg