An Inside Look at The Whiskey and the Devil Chaplainby Rosalinda Verde
Members: Nick Hernandez (vocals, guitar), Keith Crain (banjo, vocals), Daniel Rice (lap steel, tambourine, piano, vocals), Matt Sampietro (drum kit, all around hilarity), Rob Dudley (lead guitar), Steven Potorke (bass, beard, vocals)
Type/Feel of music
We play a bit of folk and a bit of something somebody described to us as Americana/Roots. There are hints of country and bluegrass sort of seasoned in there as well. This has been difficult for us to describe when talking to people about the band, but after they've heard us I think they get it. We absolutely love playing live and I think it's pretty evident in our shows. We get really excited to play and we like to entertain. Visalia has been such a great town in which to come up as a band because of the amount of great music that passes through here as well as the fantastic local bands. This has created an awesome population of music-lovers and great feedback for us.
Frequency of gigs
Never as much as we would like but that is due in part to the fact that we all have day jobs which limit our ability to travel a whole lot for shows. But on average we play about four times a month, which for right now is great. We have played in San Francisco, Sacramento, Merced, Modesto down south in San Diego and LA. As well as here in Visalia, of course, which has been really amazing. Because of Aaron Gomes and the Sound n Vision Foundation crew we've been fortunate enough to be support for some really great nationally recognized bands. We have in the works right now plans to head out on a short tour of the Pacific Northwest, hit Oregon and Washington, possibly in the spring.
Inspiration to continue playing music
Nick Hernandez: "For me, inspiration to continue playing music comes from a need to sort of deal with personal experiences, whether good or bad, these experiences inspire me to write and play. Also, we all get a long so well that it's really just a lot of fun, hanging out with five of your best friends playing music is a pretty great deal."
Rob Dudley: "it's the relationship between the guys and the camaraderie that that entails as well as the support that he receives from his family that allows him to continue playing music."
Keith Crain: "it's about creating something that has never been thought of or created before and that drives him to want to make music over and over again."
Steven Potorke: "music is something that he never gets tired of or get sick of doing. It is one of his most important passions that he can do forever and always love it."
Daniel Rice:"it is a compulsion, something that he NEEDS to do, something that he is supposed to do."
To find out more about this band, visit their website at www.whiskeydevilchaplain.com. 
