Local band Carson Drive adds two members, goes electric

ZANESVILLE – With the addition of a bass player and a drummer, Carson Drive is trading its acoustic sound for electric guitars and becoming a full band again.

"For the first time in six years, you get to hear Carson Drive plugged in," said Jay Dotson, guitar player from Coshocton and member of Carson Drive since the band started.

A full band means more opportunity to play bigger shows and open for more artists. Acoustic will always be a part of the band, but members believe they have taken the acoustic trio that Carson Drive has become known by as far as it can go for the moment.

"We've opened up for a lot of people," said Chad Huffman, lead singer from Zanesville. "You always feel kind of inept when the person (performing) after you has the whole deal going on."

Carson Drive has opened for acts such as Brett Eldredge and Travis Tritt at Secrest Auditorium in Zanesville as well as performed at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

The two new members are Pat Winegar, drummer, and Shane Wesney, bass player. Winegar worked with guitar player Jimmy Swendryck, of Zanesville, and heard Carson Drive was looking to expand.

"We would talk about getting together and jamming," Winegar said.

He knew Wesney, and both were excited to join.

Being a full band was the original goal when Carson Drive first formed, but members were new to balancing family and jobs outside the band and some quit because of time constraints.

Swendryck had a job at Kellogg's that was eating into his time, and Huffman was giving more of his free hours to performing than he wanted to spend. He was losing time with his wife.

For almost a year, the band performed somewhere every weekend and once or twice during the week. Huffman quit for about a year after that. He eventually started performing again with Dotson once or twice a month, an act that slowly turned into the Carson Drive everybody knows.

One downside of having a full band once more, however, is there are some venues that might be closed to them now simply because of space. With more equipment and two more people comes a greater need for a larger stage, Huffman said.

But some of those issues could be easily accommodated.

"We can always fall back on (acoustic)," Huffman said. "I don't think we're going to close the door on the acoustic."

Dotson said the plan is for the band to keep moving forward, booking shows and possibly get down to Nashville in the fall to record. Most of the band members have full-time jobs outside of Carson Drive, so the trick is to balance the band and life outside the band.

At this point, they know people like their music; it's just a matter of continuing to work and seeing where the band can take them.

"You can't walk from the stage to the bathroom without someone coming up to you appreciating what you do," Dotson said.

ksnyder2@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

740-450-6752

Twitter: @KL_Snyder

Want to listen?

Upcoming schedule of shows:

•Aug. 15: Doors open at 7 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall in the Sunrise Center in Zanesville

•Aug. 22: Kuntry Jam at LA-Z-Acres Campground, 6819 Newark Road, Nashport

Carson Drive has CDs for sale through J. Tigner Entertainment at 740-624-7593 or www.jtignerentertainment.com.