Travis Cheney looked out over the capacity crowd at 28 Springs with a sense of satisfaction.
Not because it was the final performance for his wildly popular local band, The Sons of Otis Malone, but more because of the faces looking back at him.
"That last show was everything we had hoped for," said Cheney, the band's guitarist and vocalist. "There are so many experiences in life that are built up and then there's a let down, so I was kind of expecting that, but it wasn't that way at all. All of the people who have gotten us to where we are were there. Friends that guided us. The person who put me and my wife together, so it was a special moment, even seeing a few teary eyes in the crowd."
Cheney and his band-mates ended their run of 13 years with "The Sons Last Waltz" at 28 Springs on Nov. 11. Because the evening set sold out of 300-plus spots, the band also played a matinee that same Saturday in an effort to give more fans a chance to see one final performance.
The band had become accustomed to packing venues in Siloam Springs, Bentonville and Fayetteville for years and it even played a few events in Tulsa. Cheney said the popularity of the band, which has more than 1,200 likes on its Facebook page, took off when it began playing on Tuesdays at 28 Springs some five years ago. That came after a run where Cheney said the band essentially served as "background music" at events like pie auctions and fundraisers.
Like lyrics in several of their songs, The Sons of Otis Malone used humor when informing fans the band would be breaking up.
"I feel like our personality and the band is pretty self-deprecating," Cheney said. "We probably give ourselves a hard time more than we should, so we said, 'we didn't know there were that many people with a bad taste in music.'
"But it is very humbling and very gratifying that this meant so much to people in this town, so it is a big loss because this band is a product of this community."
The reason for the band playing its final set is because mandolinist Ben Bergstrom is taking his talents to Florida. Cheney and Bergstrom had been playing together since they were in their teens, so Cheney didn't think The Sons of Otis Malone could continue without the sounds of its original members.
"You could definitely have a bluegrass band without a mandolinist," Cheney said. "But for me, the sons wouldn't have been the same without him. It would be hard to call it 'The Sons' without Ben because he's been such a big part of the spirit of the band."
Now, that doesn't mean the members of the band won't be playing together at a local venue in the near future. If they do, it'll likely be under a different name. Cheney said he and the rest of his band-mates "are laying low" through the end of the year to "think about what we want to do."
In the meantime, fans should be on the lookout for the release of a new album titled, "Rhinestone Bible Belt" that was recorded a few weeks ago. The band provided download codes to fans at the final concert and plan to release it on iTunes, Spotify and "all those places" before the end of the year.
"We don't have any dates planned," Cheney said. "We're still around and we can't imagine not playing any music.
"We haven't died, so stay tuned."
SIDEBAR
Ode to the Sons of Otis Malone
Submitted by R. Willis
Alice had her Wonderland
Aladdin had his magic carpet.
We in Siloam Springs have the music of
The Sons of Otis Malone.
With every performance
The Sons of Otis Malone
So skillfully transport us
On a carefully crafted journey of musical magic
As upbeat and thrilling as a roller coaster ride
With many twists and turns,
Sometimes as soft and sweet as a kitten,
And many emotions in between.
Deep country twang,
Lyrics so bittersweet they make you cry.
Clear blended harmony.
Sounds of acoustic guitar, harmonica and steel.
Daring country bluegrass picking' of mandolin and banjo
And walking the upright bass.
Their music is so original, so real.
The Sons of Otis Malone
Hold the hearts of the audience in their hands.
It is great to know that musicians
Who are willing to be real still exist.
They are the music that they play
And they give life to their music.
As our magic carpet ride with
The Sons of Otis Malone
Comes to an end, we hope this is not goodbye,
The musical memories of them
Will be placed in my heart,
Having learned long ago that in doing so,
These memories will last forever.
Don't let it be forgotten
That once in Siloam Springs
For a shining moment
We had the magical music of
The Sons of Otis Malone
This poem is copied and printed here with permission. To receive permission to reprint, contact the author at [email protected].
General News on 12/13/2017