Grand Rapids – Steve Damstra, Robin Spring, Ronn Burke
Meet a local band: Natchez Trace
Published: Thursday, May 21, 2009, 2:33 AM Updated: Thursday, May 21, 2009, 2:43 AM
• Band: Natchez Trace (shown left to right): “Stevie Dee” (Steve Damstra), 53, lead guitar and vocals, Grand Rapids; Robin Spring, 48, rhythm guitar and vocals, Grand Haven; Ronnie Burke, 57, bass, guitar and vocals, Grand Rapids.
• Music style: “We call it acoustic classic Rock with cool harmonies.”
• Background: The group originated in Alabama in the mid-1970s and included Burke as one of its founding members. In 1983, Burke and Damstra reformed the group after Damstra’s band, “Horsefeather” disbanded.
The third spot in the trio had been a revolving door until the arrival of Spring three years ago.
“Her rhythm guitar playing is really solid,” said Damstra. “And, the older we get, hitting the high notes gets really hard. Having her there really helps.”
• Influences: The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
• “Hey, aren’t you …?”: Yes, Burke on occasion has been mistaken for singer David Crosby.
• The group’s name, Natchez Trace: It’s named after an cted southern portions of the Mississippi River through Alabama to salt licks in today’s central Tennessee. The trail was used by the Natchez Indians.
• Explaining the group’s longevity: “When I hear other local bands, I hear a lot of good instrument playing,” said Damstra. “But they lack a good vocalist.We have three pretty good ones — that’s my humble opinion,” Damstra added with a laugh.
• Best experience: “Years and years ago — back in the ’80s — we played Celebration on the Grand (in Grand Rapids) and there were 80,000 people there,” said Damstra.
“In Muskegon, we played in front of 200,000 people at a pyrotechnics convention at Heritage Landing once. We opened for the Box Tops.”
• “What are we doing here” moment: “I remember we played a wedding one time, and we’re not a dance band. People kept asking for it (dance music) all night long,” recalls Damstra. “We kept thinking, ‘We don’t belong here.'”
“That’s not to say people don’t dance at our shows. But, that’s not our forte. We’re a listening band.”