Piney Woods Jamboree’s Mark Eubanks is passionate about music and puts on great shows for his audience. “I’ve played for his 53 years, and he’s played professionally for 43 of those years,” Eubanks said. “My mother said I started hitting Folgers coffee cans with a pencil when she was two years old. She never gets tired of music.”
The Piney Woods Jamboree Band is packed with talented musicians. “The band are all studio and road quality musicians,” said Eubanks. “They play three to five instruments each.
The Piney Woods Jamboree Band consists of Brett Traylor at the piano in Houghton, Louisiana. Gene Simmons of Deeks, Arkansas, Steel. Bass: Tommy Amerson, Fordyce, Arkansas. Ronnie Hernsberger from Springhill, Louisiana on keyboards. Zane Glascock on lead guitar from Magnolia, Arkansas. Lead guitar is David Mann from Warren, Arkansas. Mike White on guitar and fiddle from Songaroo, Louisiana, and Mark Eubanks on drums from Springhill, Louisiana. Together with support staff, they paved the way for a Branson-style show in Spring Hill, Louisiana, on the second Saturday of each month (except May).
The band puts in an amazing amount of work to prepare a new show with different headline performers each month. Eubanks said of his part in the process:
“I put the music together, reach out to everyone who will be singing, and say, ‘Give me four songs, the artist and version you’re playing, and the key you’d like to play.'” I do that for each person and send it to every musician. ”
A musician takes about two to three weeks to watch and study it.
“Meanwhile, I’m putting the show together — how it’s going, who’s going in what order. There’s a comedian coming out of Hot Springs every month — Mickey ‘Shinbone’ Shinn of Malvern, Arkansas — before was in Branson, and once that was all together, I would send them a copy of the setlist so they could see how the show would go, and they would show up at noon on the day of the show to set it up, and from 1:00 to 5:00. They put together a show with 24 to 27 songs, and then they do the show at 7. That’s how good they are.
“Brady Rhodes from Kale, Arkansas is coming back from Radio City Music Hall with Barry Manilow for a show with us next weekend. Josie from Warren, Arkansas. Hargis will be on board with us.The song she wrote has over 2.3 million hits on Spotify.She’s doing very well,” said Eubanks.
To keep things fresh, Eubanks enjoys coming up with monthly themes.
“I tend to try to make the show themed. For the show in February, I’m thinking of doing a country love song theme. Like, what happens if you play the song backwards, your wife is back, your dog is back, your trailer is back. It’s funny. Or maybe something like Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind.” April’s show could be Easter-themed — we’ll look more at country gospel,” he said.
The Piney Woods Jamboree is held at the Frank Anthony Community Activity Center (FACA) in Spring Hill. Each show begins with a prayer and playing of the national anthem, which Eubanks feels strongly about.
Another thing Eubanks strives for is audience comfort. FACA has a capacity of about 900 people, but usually he only holds 600-700 people, so there is plenty of room to walk between the lines. Discounts are available and prices are affordable. There’s also a 31-unit RV park next to FACA for those who want to stay nearby. Admission is $10.Doors open at 6pm, show starts at 7pm
For upcoming events, please visit the Piney Woods Jamboree Springhill Facebook page.
