The Band
Renee Segovia
Commercial Programming Director
102.3 KKYC/98.3 KICA
Clovis, NM
Curt has been performing and writing original Texas Country music for the last 10 years. He and the band are currently based out of Lubbock, TX where they perform all over Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. They have seared together a combination of Country and Western with Classic Rock to bring a sound that packs dance floors and bars wherever they play.
Growing up some of Curt's influences were George Jones, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. After he moved to Texas in 1997, he attended South Plains College in Levelland, TX, where he was introduced to what is now known as Red Dirt Country. Curt quickly reformed his musical style to reflect some of his more modern influences such as Pat Green, Cory Morrow, Charlie Robinson and Robert Earl Keen.
Although it is evident you can hear this influential background in each song Curt originated, the passion and soul that pours into his music and out of his guitar make these songs clearly his own. Songs like "MR. Misery" and "When I'm Coming Home" take you back to the Willie and Waylon ear. "Mrs. Ferguson" and "I'd Do Anything" are examples of the new Red Dirt sound pouring out of Texas. Curt's music is an explicit blend of old and new that will capture your hear, put a smile no your face and a tap in your toe.
The Fender Benders consist of Curt Bilberry on rhythm guitar, lead and harmony vocals, Trini Martinez on bass guitar, lead and harmony vocals, Brent Riedel on drums and Adam Green wood on lead guitar, harmonica, lead and harmony vocals.
Before Curt came along, Trini insisted it was too late in the game to be part of a band anymore. However, you can take the man out of music but you can't take music out of the man. Trini could not help but raise his kids to appreciate music. His "family comes first" philosophy still holds true today.
It started with classic rock and country jam sessions and evolved into "countrifying" modern pop and rock hits. Curts's comedy, charisma, and charm drew crowds to the sessions at Trini's once-peaceful home. Before long, the call of the wild drew them back to the stage with the philosophy: "It's not abou the money, it's about the applause." It meant more to feel the love from the crowd than to receive impersonal, cold dollars. This philosophy drives Curt and Trini to entertain rather than perform. And with the support of his musically inclined children, Trini is back on stage.
Brent Riedel started playing the drums when he was barely 5 years old. He would come home from school and spend hours in his parent's garage practicing to the radio and cassettes of George Strait and Kansas. He went on the road with his first band when he was 19. He has now been with Curt Bilberry and the Fender Benders for 5 months and is looking forward to playing with them for years to come. Brent hails from a little town called Smyer, TX right outside of Lubbock and is currently going to College at South Plains College in Levelland, TX where he is graduating soon with an Associates degree in Business Administration.
Adam Greenwood is the lead guitarist in the band, and comes from Abilene, TX. He has been playing lead guitar in Country and Rock bands since he was 16 years old. He accredits his major influences to artists like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Dwight Yoakum and Jimmy Hendrix. Adam brings a driving raw edge with his original style of lead guitar to the music that Curt and the Fender Benders play.
Once you've heard them, you will never forget them…