Tom Lounges

Times Correspondent

Memories will be rekindled this weekend when one of Northwest Indiana's most successful and beloved musical groups ever returns to the stage on the closing night of the Porter County Fair to blow the dust off of songs that endeared them to region rockers more than a quarter century ago.

Deep River Band's story began in the early 1970s with the musical brothers Edmaiston, Raymond and Marty, broke off from their country-pickin' father's band to do what all teenagers want to do nn rock ‘n' roll.

Guitarist Marty and drummer Raymond eventually found their own niche and a tight line-up with the recruitment of bassist Mike "Big Moe" Burdett, keyboardist Doug Jonas and guitarist Bob Barthel.

In 1979 they were signed with Erect Records and began touring.

National road trips had them headlining large clubs and small concert halls, when not opening concerts for artists like Aerosmith, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Molly Hatchet, Grand Funk, Henry Paul Band and others.

Their debut album, "Rocks," became the best-selling album in the Erect Records catalog and many of the songs from that LP have continued to be requested by fans and performed by the various members of the group in their various other projects since Deep River Band disbanded in the 1980s.

Those projects -- Shuddup & Drive, The Bones and the Jimmy Van Zant Band -- kept the individual DRB members busy throughout the 1990s as each of those bands went on to record their own albums.

"We'll probably be slipping in a couple of original songs from those bands too at this show if time allows," Burdett said.

The entire DRB "Rocks" album and other songs from later recordings, including some that the band worked on with Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad fame for their never released second album, are also expected to be performed Sunday.

"We're all still the best of friends and we're all still living and healthy enough to do this, so we figured why not do it while we can," said

Barthel of why the band has gotten back together for this show and a second one in a few weeks at the Lake County Fair.

A public "dress rehearsal of sorts" took place a few weeks ago at Drena's Bar & Grill in Hobart when the band performed in front of folks for the first time together in ages. Things went quite well from all reports by the band, the fans and Drena's owner Gail Kukulies.

"They sounded great," Kukulies said . "It was like stepping back into to the past seeing them all up on stage and playing all those old songs again. We had a really good crowd and the were loving it."

"It felt good," concluded Burdett of that first live gig. "These songs have stood the test of time."

The opinions expressed solely are those of the writer. He can be reached at beatboss@aol.com