Brent Amaker & The Rodeo

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo is an American Country and Western band from Seattle, Washington consisting of Brent Amaker, Tiny Dancer, Sugar McGuinn, Ben Strehle, and Bryan Crawford. Brent Amaker and the Rodeo formed in Seattle, Washington , in 2005. The bands image recalls influential country musician Johnny Cash , The Man in Black, as they dress head-to-toe in black with matching Stetson hats and cowboy boots . They are billed as influenced by art rock performers Devo and glam rock s David Bowie . Much emphasis is put into the bands image as evidenced by a large collection of photos and music videos done by the band, fans, and photographers and videographers. The Rodeo have a cinematic quality and are often put in context of spaghetti western films made by Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone . Their concerts often feature a dancing girl from local burlesque troupes and a phenomenon only known as the “Whiskey Baptism” where Amaker welcomes new fans into the “Church of the Rodeo” by pouring shots of liquor into their mouths. Recently, they have been gaining notoriety from their cover of “Pocket Calculator” by German electro-pioneers Kraftwerk . They also performed in the indie slasher film "Punch" directed by Jay Cynik. Cynik also wrote a comic book based on the exploits of the band on tour called “Mescal de la Muerte.” Illustrated by Portland, Oregon artist, Simon Young, the graphic adult novel was included in their 2010 release “Please Stand By.”