{"id":23257,"date":"2025-03-06T14:50:20","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T21:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/bar-d-wranglers-looking-for-new-member\/"},"modified":"2025-03-06T21:50:20","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T21:50:20","slug":"bar-d-wranglers-looking-for-new-member","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/bar-d-wranglers-looking-for-new-member\/","title":{"rendered":"Bar D Wranglers looking for new member"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The
The Bar D Wranglers perform in 2018 at the Bar D Chuckwagon, located on East Animas Road (County Road 250), after the audience finished their meal. The band is holding auditions for a new member. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not often news like this comes across the A&E desk: Musicians, this one\u2019s for you \u2013 legendary cowboy\/Western band the Bar D Wranglers are seeking a new bandmate, and you have a few weeks to prepare for the audition, which will be held 6 to 8 p.m. March 26.<\/p>\n

The Wranglers, which is also the house band for the Bar D Chuckwagon, is looking for a lead singer\/rhythm player who can help take the band into the future, said longtime Wrangler Joel Racheff, who\u2019s been the band\u2019s upright bass player for the last 21 years.<\/p>\n

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Audition for Bar D Wranglers<\/h4>\n

Cowboy\/Western band the Bar D Wranglers is holding auditions for a new entertainer to join the band. Auditions will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. March 26. Musicians are asked to prepare a song to sing that spotlights their talents as well as the lead singing part of \u201cCool Water.\u201d (Check out the Wranglers playing the song on YouTube: https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/38pf9n2j<\/a>.) Be prepared to play and sing \u201cCool Water\u201d with the current Bar D Wranglers. Bring your instrument and best vocals. Musicians are asked to fill out this form ahead of auditions for scheduling purposes: https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/yfydwht3<\/a>.Good luck!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t really matter what instrument, I mean, of course, anything that can play a rhythm \u2013 except the piano is a little difficult to schlep around,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re looking for somebody young \u2026 We need somebody that can kind of take (the band) into the next decade and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bar D Chuckwagon celebrated its 50th season in 2018. The 50-acre Chuckwagon was founded by Cy Scarborough, Jim Blanton and Roy \u201cBuck\u201d Teeter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree of us entertainers came from Colorado Springs from the Flying W Chuckwagon and bought a piece of land here in \u201966 and started clearing and roped off where we thought we\u2019d want the chuckwagon and the shops and so forth,\u201d said Scarborough in 2018. He played guitar with the Wranglers. He died in 2020 at age 93.<\/p>\n

The Chuckwagon gives visitors a taste of what a traditional cowboy chuckwagon is like, including dinner and entertainment \u2013 the Bar D Wranglers, who blend top-notch musicianship with comedy.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Bar D Wranglers, from left, Matt Palmer, Richard Espinoza, Gary Cook and Joel Racheff, perform in 2018 at the Bar D Chuckwagon. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald file)<\/span>du1-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Bar D Wranglers also includes Gary Cook, who has been playing with the band since 1989 and is a two-time national flat-pick champion who plays guitar and sings tenor; 25-year veteran Matt Palmer on fiddle and sings baritone; and David Bradley, yodeler and lead vocalist .<\/p>\n

For the audition, musicians are asked to first fill out an online form to get on the schedule. Then, when it\u2019s time to audition, musicians are asked to prepare a song that spotlights their talent as well as be ready to play and sing \u201cCool Water\u201d with the current Wranglers (check out the band playing the sing on YouTube to get an idea of what it\u2019s about). Musicians are asked to bring their instruments and best vocals.<\/p>\n

Racheff said that so far, the band has received about seven applications for auditions, and they hope to receive about 20.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a business that\u2019s been around since 1969, we want to see it continue. It\u2019s the third generation of Scarborough that have run the place,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just one of the last vestiges of the old cowboy songs and it\u2019s just a great piece of Americana. We all love the place, and just want to see it continue as long as humanly possible. It\u2019s just a great little gem.\u201d<\/p>\n

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