The Countryside Ride Band was described in 2016 by The Portland Mercury as “spot-on, honky-tonk preservationists capable of teaching a master class.” Founded in 2005 by childhood friends Bret Ervin (guitar and vocals), Joshua Kunze (lead guitar), and Jessica Renee (bass and vocals), Countryside Ride originally performed as a three-piece before inviting some of the best Country and Western players in the Pacific Northwest to join them. Countryside Ride is now performing primarily as a five-piece honkytonk band. For over 19 years, Countryside Ride has been writing and performing original music and traditional honkytonk standards in venues throughout the Pacific Northwest region. The current line-up includes the legendary J.D. Cunningham on pedal-steel guitar, and the Kansas City Cowboy, Dusty Rust, on drums and vocals. In the years since Countryside Ride’s inception, the band has been working to hone their craft the way their honkytonk heroes did: playing marathon sets for Country music enthusiasts wherever they can. Countryside Ride can be found playing festivals, dances, special events, venues large and small, and rodeos like the Pendleton Roundup: consistently entertaining multiple generations of music fans while breathing new energy in traditional Country music. Additionally, Countryside Ride has shared the stage with acts like Wayne “The Train” Hancock, Rosie Flores, Hellbound Glory, Summer Dean, and many others. Although they released two of their own records (with two more in the works), Countryside Ride’s repertoire is vast and incorporates multiple sub-genres of American music as well: making them the Pacific Northwest’s premier honkytonk dance band.