Roy Resident writes music for their local band
“I love playing! It’s fun to see that there are more guys in the world who are willing to play songs that I come up with.” Adam Rosenberg is the lead singer and song writer for the band Holy Revolver that plays annually at the Weber County Fair.
They are an original rock ’n’ roll five-piece Americana-style band. Adam said the idea for the band name came from the image of a revolving record player. Their first name was Crooked Horse and they had to really enunciate it. If you say it out loud, it sounds like something not so family friendly. “It was sad when Latter Day Saint missionaries were like, ‘What’s you guys’ names?!’” Later, they wrote down several potential band names and chose Holy Revolver.
In the early 2000’s, Adam was playing in a different band in Oregon where he grew up. They were pretty good and a number of record companies were interested in signing a deal with them. After accepting an offer, they recorded their album and went on tour which brought them to Utah. Adam had an aunt who lived here, so during his time off, he decided to stay with her.. “We weren’t recording so I came here to write music and take a little break.” He took some classes at LDS Business College and then he met his future wife. When they were married they decided to stay in Utah. That band fizzled out but he has since connected with some honest and talented people here.
Years ago, Adam, Peter Brickey, and their former drummer, Tyson Barlow, were counselors who interacted with adolescents at the Island View treatment center in Syracuse, which has since changed their name to Elevations. Originally, Adam and Tyson started playing together. Their mutual affection towards music brought them together and the band grew from there. Adam said musicians are a funny breed and there are some who are dishonest. His band mates are “good guys and they do things for the right reasons… We have a good time together.”
Today, Joe Simpson plays lead guitar, Tim Whipple is on the drums, Peter Brickey plays bass, and the three of them sing backup vocals. Doug Peterson plays the keyboard and Adam sings lead vocals, plays rhythm guitar, and the harmonica.
Adam currently works as a counselor and he is starting the 2019 school year at a new school called Shoreline Jr High in Davis County. Sometimes he runs into students at concerts and some are surprised to find out he plays and sings. He enjoys each time a student tells him they didn’t expect him to be that good, which is a backhanded compliment he gets pretty regularly. “It’s always great! I appreciate the acknowledgment!”
Adam was a part of his first band in 8th grade and they played a lot of music that influenced his life growing up, like the Beatles and Nirvana. “We were real original,” he sarcastically admitted as he recalled his early years of playing in the band. For a time, they were playing every song off Nirvana’s album Nevermind.
He had a love for music at a really early age. His parents both sang and he remembers his mom teaching him how to sing harmony from a very young age. “It’s funny, she’ll still say either you can do it or you can’t.” She was pretty good at the guitar but she didn’t teach him much because tuning was difficult and playing hurts your fingers. I’ll admit, it takes time to build the calluses and exercise muscle memory to hold the different chords. This didn’t stop him from expanding his talents as a musician though. “Even before I knew how to play an instrument, I remember making up songs while riding around on my bike.” Later, he and his friend, Caleb would play three chords that sounded good together and Adam would sing over the top of them.”
As he grew into the musician he is today, he gravitated towards incorporating good melodies in his music. “I love melodies. I love lyrics, but I feel that melodies are where it’s at.” He said he can respect a song regardless of the genre if there is a good melody.
Since living in Utah, Adam attended the Weber County Fair three years without being a part of the entertainment. On the third year he was enticed by some of the bands he saw playing and he looked for the opportunity to participate the next year. He filled out an application, was selected to perform, and he is going on his 8th year of playing.
He started performing at the fair solo but then he thought, “Why shouldn’t I ask the band to play?” and here they are today. “We’ve been lucky enough to play many years at the Weber County Fair and we look forward to it every year. It’s so much fun!”
You can catch Holy Revolver playing Aug. 10 from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the McKay Dee Stage. You can also check out their music at https://youtu.be/yfd_rPkgndY
Fun things at the Fair
On top of the awesome music you can find, there are plenty of cool activities, shows, and events you can attend. Following their performance that night, you can enjoy the car crashing action of the demolition derby. The Rodeo is on Aug. 7th, the Bull Fights are on Aug. 8th, and the Indian Relay races and the comedic performance of Chad Prather are on Aug. 9th.
Throughout the fair, you can check out the living arts submissions by your community members and see the paintings, photography, crocheted blankets, and other items that people have taken pride in making. It can be inspiring to see the talent that is within your own community even if they’re not performers up on stage!
There is plenty of fun to be had at the fair too. Kids are bound to love the bounce houses, all the special contests, and especially the petting zoo. Not everyone has the passion to take care of animals year round, but what an awesome opportunity for people to share their animals with the community! It is quite something to pet the velvety nose of a horse while he sniffs you, or to try to feed a goat only to have it start munching on your shirt. Animals have a mind of their own and it can be really fun to see a child discover that! It can also be hilarious to watch your spouse or friend get sneezed on.
I have heard of cat yoga and even goat yoga, where pet owners practice yoga with their animals. But Yoguinea is a whole new level: Yoga with your guinea pig.
The teens and adults have their share of fun as well. See how long you can manage to hold on to the bucking mechanical bull. Have you ever wondered how it compares to riding the real thing? If any of you readers have ever rode a live bull, let us know what the difference is. It seems like it takes a whole lot of gumption to do something like that!
On top of that, they have the climbing wall, and knockerballs. I’m sure you’ve seen what happens when two people sprint head on towards each other while holding exercise balls. Usually one person ends up flying and someone gets hurt. With the knockerballs, you get the fun without the pain! You actually get strapped into the cylindrical extrusion from the center of the inflated ball. You can still see out the top and you can still run around. If you get booted, you just tuck your legs in and roll. I’ll be honest; it’s quite amusing to participate and watch.
We would also love to hear if any of you walk away as the crowned champion of the doughnut or pickle eating contests. Or who knows, perhaps one of you is the master hula hooper or bean bag tosser. The contests seem to be simple enough and fun, especially if you have an ultra competitive sibling who you just have to beat at something.
No matter what you gravitate towards, there are plenty of people to connect with in the community who might share the same interests as you. The Fair can be a great place to find them! If you see a piece of artwork you like, compliment them! Internal compliments never meant very much to anyone and it’s amazing what you can learn if you open your mouth and ask.
If you’re interested in volunteering at the Weber County Fair, reach out to Sharlene Call 801-399-8798 or Chrys Anglesey 801-399-8799 and they can connect you with the right opportunities that best fit your interests.
The fair kicks off on Wednesday Aug. 7 with admission costing only $1 when you bring a non- perishable food item to donate to Catholic Community Services.