John Green & The Sidedooros with Bob Woods New Riders of The Purple Sage Tribute

John Green & The Sidedooros

A fourth generation Sacramento boy, John has been writing and singing about the San Joaquin Valley since he picked up the guitar in 1971.  Startng out hooked on Bob Dylan he soon discoverd Doc Watson, Norman Blake and Clarence White.  Moving to Berkeley in the late 70's he soon discoverd California Valley Old School Country Music. Used country recocrds were very cheap in the 70's.  After hearing the sounds of Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Tommy Collins and Winn Stuart John began singing and writing about growing up as a San Joaquin kid.  Rancho Cordova was a mixing bag of farm workers, soldiers, blue collar trade persons and an emerging middle class. These influences shapped his songs into stories of lonseome late night road trips on Highway 99, factory jobs, farm work, city living, dying and chasing dreams. John has woven together through his songs a story of growing up in a small town, leaving to the city, finding work and returning home later in life.

Bob Woods:

Whether playing Country Boy on stage with Albert Lee, four-handed guitar with Bill Kirchen,  or driving the steam locomotive on the Skunk train it has been one wild ride. Nothing was planned.  Bob just wanted to learn a couple of chords, get a cheap guitar, write a song, join a band and get into the party for free.   Then he met some real good players.  Then he was playing all the time.  Then the good players got hired by bands with tour buses and Grammies so he had to learn more chords.   Then he was playing sometimes three hundred nights a year.  Along the way he got to play with some of his heroes, Bill Kirchen, Albert Lee, Tiny Moore, Blackie Farrell, Billy Joe Shaver.  Of course, that meant learning more chords.   Forty years later – he’s still trying to get into that party for free.