Bridging the Distance, One Song at a Time

Most bands will get together a few times a week, or at least several times a month, to practice their music, go over set lists and debate transitions between songs. The guys in Smokehouse -- Mark Vinkenes, Rob Price and Tom Reilly -- don't have that luxury.

Vinkenes lives in Northern Virginia, but Price lives in North Carolina and Reilly lives in Delaware. The only time they get together is for their semi-regular gigs at Cowboy Cafe in Arlington and JV's Restaurant in Falls Church.

"We've been playing together since the mid-90s," Vinkenes said. The lineup has remained mostly the same since then, with the occasional drummer joining the trio. When a drummer's involved, the gigs tend to be more raucous, he laughed.

But even without a drummer, these guys know how to have a good time. A recent night at Cowboy kicked off with Albert Collins' boozy "I Ain't Drunk, I'm Just Drinking," followed by a Van Morrison double-header of the staple "Brown-Eyed Girl" and the bouncy "Gloria."

Price, the band's singer and source of the evening's running commentary, has a voice that rumbles like Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, but is blues-tinged and more coherent. He puts his heart and soul into the songs he sings, from Jack Scott's "What in the World's Come Over You" to John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery" and a version of "All Along the Watchtower" that blends the best of Dylan with Jimi Hendrix's interpretation.

"Rob's a real host," Vinkenes said. "He can be enthusiastic in his commentary and his musicianship, almost equally."

There are times when Vinkenes isn't sure where Price is going to take an idea or discussion, making each outing an adventure, he said.

One thing is certain, and that is the guys' love of music and performing.

"Music is so inherently gratifying, in terms of playing and listening," Vinkenes said. "It's a real hoot to play live. If it seems people enjoy it, that's great too."

The difference between playing at a restaurant like JV's, where there's a designated area for the stage that provides a bit of a buffer between the band and the audience, and Cowboy, where the closest bar stool is mere inches away, is the amount of feedback they receive from the people listening, Vinkenes said.

"At this point, we're used to it," he said. "We've been playing at Cowboy since before (the current owners) bought it. We used to play at the first Cowboy Cafe on Columbia Pike. It's a comfortable spot."

They're comfortable when it comes to knowing the kind of music they like to play as well.

It's mostly classic rock 'n' roll, but if the mood strikes, expect to hear more psychedelic selections from bands like Country Joe and the Fish, Cream, Hendrix and the Doors. If the atmosphere is more laid back, odds are a number of tunes will be favorites by Johnny Cash, Buck Owens or the beloved John Prine -- music Vinkenes defines as "roots rock."

If the evening starts out slow but perks up as people file in, "we're happy to perk up too," he said.

Smokehouse is slated to play at 9 p.m. Saturday at Cowboy -- Hurricane Irene permitting.