ION INDIE MAGAZINE December 2014, Volume 7 | Page 8

It is said The Superstition
Mountains never give up their
secrets. Many a man has died
trying to coax the elusive golden
bounty hidden by Jacob Waltz,
known as “The Lost Dutchman's
Mine”, from this 25 million year
old chain of volcanic mountains.
I however, found the gold easily
at the base of the Superstition in
Apache Junction, Arizona. Well,
maybe not THAT gold, but a
golden voice belonging to 16
year old Country music artist
Ashley Wineland.
ION Indie Magazine is in a partnership with ReverbNation, and that has afforded the
opportunity to four and a half million artists at present to submit their work to be
featured in the magazine. After hearing Ashley on ReverbNation, I contacted Ashley
and requested permission to attend a performance the following weekend. I was quite
surprised when her management replied and said the performance I had requested was
an acoustic set, but if I didn't mind, they would set up a special session with the whole
band on a Sunday even closer to me. Now that is going the extra mile!
The date and time was set, the place confirmed...The Hitching Post in Apache Junction,
Az. Kiki and I both were excited to be covering a Country artist, as most of the venues
we have attended in the past few months have featured Metal/Death metal acts. Our
conversations on the drive home usually go something like "They were pretty
loud."..."What?" "Want to stop and grab a bite to eat?"..."What?" "Did you say
something?"..."What?”
Jarred, our son, is only 17, and can't get into most of the venues we normally work, so
this was a great chance to make it a family outing so he could actually see what we do-instead of just a finished magazine on the coffee table--and we were glad he was able to
hang out with us.
We arrived at The Hitching Post (complete with an actual hitching post). There are some
for-real cowboys here, complete with rifles in scabbards and duster rolled up behind the
saddle. They look you in the eye, and shake your hand and take measure of you by your
conversations and actions. If they like you, you become a member of the community. If
you give them a reason not to like you, you remain an outsider.