HISTORY:
Texas Thunder was a well-known commodity on the Dallas/Ft. Worth club scene throughout the Nineties before taking a lengthy hiatus. In 2008, sensing the timing was right, original keyboardist Robert Hartman and bassist Tom Pottorff reformed the band with new lead vocalist Chad Hutchison, drummer Phil Bradley, and two new guitarists: 21-year-old Clay Shelburn, and Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame member Ronnie Ray, who toured with country legend Charlie Pride for 25 years. Renewed, the band has quickly made their presence felt in their local market and beyond. In addition, their wide variety of covers—from contemporary country to Guns N’ Roses to R&B/ funk—has landed them bookings by the score.

BRIGHT IDEAS:
It’s not a surprise that Texas Thunder relies on the Internet for a big share of their marketing. “MySpace has been a huge benefit,” says lead vocalist Hutchison. “We’ve got a friend who takes care of our MySpace page, and he’ll do a search for friends near the clubs we’re playing, and let them know when we’re coming there. We just set up a Facebook page in the past few months, too, and it’s already becoming even more effective. Using those tools and putting yourself out there with the people are the keys to success for us. Make your audience a part of your show, get to know them, create a relationship— and next thing you know, they’re on your MySpace page looking for your next gig.”

BOOKING ADVICE:
“It’s all about networking,” says Hutchison. “Being within a huge metroplex, the musician network is pretty tight-knit. Once you have a good project together, people will put in a word for you. And word of mouth is key. We have a “to do” list, on which we’ve got clubs’ contact info. We share the list, and if one of us takes the initiative and contacts the club owner, then we let each other know, and we stay with that band member for that club. We make a visit and drop off a CD and photo. Then there’s the follow-up, and that’s the hardest part. I’m going out tonight to make a few house calls and show them that I’m in their bar, and I’m interested in playing their bar. You might have to call a club owner once a week for months, because they book so far in advance. But persistence prevails.”

BEST GIGS:
“One of our best gigs was a cancer benefit we played for free. It was for a great cause, and it turned out to be great networking. There were a lot of well-known Texas country musicians there, and they really took notice of us. Our best feel-good show was that benefit, but we also played at Texas Motor Speedway during a NASCAR race this past Spring. We were outside the track and people were seeing us as they came in. That was a good event for us.

MAJOR EXPOSURE:
“We had an opportunity to play on a local public access TV show in the Irving, Texas, area that a lot of people saw. The TV station got a lot of good feedback on it, and they’ve talked about us going on there again. We’re definitely going to take advantage of those opportunities when we can.”

OTHER TIPS:
“We’re basically a cover band, so we can’t just sell a CD of the music we play because we’d have to pay royalties. But around here, some of the smaller radio stations will play local Texas country artists. So we’re working on some original music so that we can get on those stations, and sell CDs at our shows. Merchandising is a big thing: shirts, jerseys, CDs, and other things. So far we sell t-shirts and koozies. We haven’t done much else yet, but that helps get your name out there. Our keyboard player’s wife runs the booth, and we’ll have the waitresses in the clubs wearing the shirts to help promote us and our merchandise as well. It brings in a few extra dollars at each show.

SELECT SET LIST:
“Hard Workin’ Man” by Brooks & Dunn
“Nothin’ On But the Radio” by Bleeding Hearts
“Working for the Weekend” by Loverboy
“Good Hearted Woman” by Waylon Jennings
“Time Marches On” by Tracy Lawrence
“That’s How I Got to Memphis” by Bobby Bare
“You Look Good in My Shirt” by Keith Urban
“Just Got Started Loving You” by James Otto
“Texas Woman” by Tony Joe White
“In Color” by Jamey Johnson
“Big City” by Merle Haggard
“Oklahoma Breakdown” by Stoney LaRue
“Long Haired Country Boy” by Charlie Daniels Band
“Pride and Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughan
“Wave on Wave” by Pat Green
“Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi
“God Love Her” by Toby Keith
“Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane
“Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” by Rose Royce
“Hard to Handle” by Black Crowes
“Brick House” by The Commodores
“Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns & Roses