The Blue Yonders plan for show in Winters

  • Published
  • By USAF Band of the Golden West
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Palms Playhouse in Winters will celebrate St. Patrick's Day a little early with a special homecoming concert featuring The Blue Yonders from the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West 7:30 p.m. March 13.

The Blue Yonders charm audiences with a clever mix of Irish, bluegrass, pop and country tunes that will keep listeners guessing and grinning throughout the night.

The six-member ensemble features a variety of instruments such as Irish flute, penny whistle, accordion, bodhran, djembe, mandolin, guitar, bass guitar, and, of course, plenty of vocals.

The Blue Yonders recently returned from a deployment to Southwest Asia where it brought a piece of home to deployed service members and NATO troops. Performing more than 65 shows in nine countries, the group boosted troop morale on military bases and helped to strengthen international relationships in surrounding communities.

While deployed, the group provided a variety of musical support from formal U.S. Embassy performances to concerts for orphans and students to impromptu mini-shows in military work centers. While at forward-operating bases in Afghanistan, the band played on makeshift stages constructed from pallets so that service members could catch the show as they headed to and from missions outside the wire.

"Providing folks a break from the day-to-day stresses of combat was one of the most rewarding and valuable aspects of the deployment," said Master Sgt. Sherry Garza, the group's NCO in charge.

One member told Staff Sgt. Lou Kohley, audio engineer, that the group, "turned a bad day into a good night."

The Blue Yonders often performed in work centers which gave the military members an opportunity to share their stories and demonstrate their jobs to the band members.

"They would take us out to show us what they do over there," said bass player Staff Sgt. Jonathan Biccum, who said he developed a better appreciation for the hard work of those serving in harm's way.

The Blue Yonders are one of the component groups of the larger Air Force Band of the Golden West from Travis Air Force Base, which is a part of Air Mobility Command. When performing community concerts, the band represents the excellence of Mobility Airmen who deliver hope, fuel the fight and save lives on a daily basis. These Airmen can get personnel and equipment, including humanitarian relief supplies, to any location in the world within 24 hours.

The group is thrilled to be back and sharing music at The Palms which is where it played its first concert ever in 2013, according to Staff Sergeant Paul Wells, musical director.

"It means a lot for us to support the local arts community and to be back home playing in Winters where it all started," Wells said.

Free tickets to the concert at 7:30 p.m., March 13 are available at Pacific Ace Hardware in Winters, Calif. and at Armadillo Music in Davis, Calif. Additional tickets will be released 7:15 p.m. at The Palms on the day of the concert.

For more information on the USAF Band of the Golden West and its upcoming performances, go to www.bandofthegoldenwest.af.mil or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bandofthegoldenwest.