Based out of Fort Collins, CO,
Drag the River was a musical outlet for some of punk's seasoned veterans.
All frontman
Chad Price hooked up with
Armchair Martian's
Jon Snodgrass and
Paul Rucker and
the Nobodys'
J.J. Nobody and formed
Drag the River for a country-rock fix in 1996.
Hobo's Demo's was released in mid-2000 (reissued by Suburban Home in late 2006) and captured
Drag the River's rough-cut rock & roll woven around lyrical introspections. Pedal steel guitarist
Zach Boddicker was added to the fray by 2001 and
Drag the River prepped for a sophomore effort while playing gigs out west.
Closed, which shaped into a booze-soaked storybook of heartbreak and loneliness, was issued on Upland in spring 2002. Recorded that July,
Live at the Starlight was also released by the year's end through Mars Motors Records.
Chicken Demos appeared in May 2004, comprised mostly of songs that didn't make the cut for
Hobo's Demo's, before the
Hey Buddies... EP followed late that fall.
Boddicker then exited to return to school, and
Chad Rex filled in from time to time before
Hot Rod Circuit's
Casey Prestwood took over steel duties.
Rucker exited in late 2005 and was replaced on drums by
Dave Barker (ex-
Pinhead Circus).
Drag the River then released
It's Crazy in June 2006, also contributing the track "Portland" to October's
Replacements tribute album,
We'll Inherit the Earth. They closed out the year on tour dates with
Lucero and spent the first part of 2007 on the road opening for
Rocky Votolato. The latter tour saw
Snodgrass dropping out of the band's ranks midway through (he simply left the tour, not the band), which left fans asking questions. Things didn't really get better for
Drag the River, and in May members announced they were amicably going their separate ways. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide