DOS GRINGOS
First off, If you are at work...what the hell are you looking at blogs for? If you have small kids around...again, what the hell are you looking at blogs for.. anyway, for both of those cases, these videos are not safe... but are funny as hell.
A bit of a background:
Dos Gringos is a band started by Chris "Snooze" Kurek and Rob "Trip" Raymond, two U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots. They released their first album, Live at the Sand Trap, upon their return from Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. They mix folk and Rock n Roll along with funny lyrics dealing with military aviation and military life in general. Their songs have become famous throughout the United States Military aviation community.
When Chris Kurek first started F-16 training at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, he was introduced to the world of fighter pilot songs. The instructor pilots made the students sing a song every Friday at the bar where they began to realize that most of the songs were from the Vietnam War generation of fighter pilots. Though they appreciated the songs, many of the new guys could not relate to them very well. It was then he decided to write songs the new generation of fighter pilots could relate to.
The first fighter pilot song he wrote was Jeremiah Weed, about the awful whiskey that was always served at the bar. This was followed by The Wingmen, to poke fun at the younger guys going through flight school who thought that they were great for being fighter pilots, but in reality were naive and really did not know much.
Kurek's first assignment after F-16 training was with the 524th Fighter Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, where he ended up playing for squadron functions but did not write much new material. About eight months later a new guy named "Trip" checked into the squadron. He was an accomplished guitar player and the two quickly formed a close friendship. Trip's strengths were Chris' weaknesses and he also had the ability to learn songs quickly, create guitar solos, and harmonize on the spot.
The pair began to play for the squadron whenever they could, such as naming ceremonies and going away parties. One night when someone asked them what the name of their band was, Trip blurted out, "Dos Gringos." The name was not originally received well for fear that they would be mistaken for a mariachi band. However, after a while, the name stuck and is now well received.
It wasn't until their first deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Southern Watch that the pair really got the opportunity to write a whole new crop of songs. Because they had ample time they ended up writing close to a song a week while deployed. There was never any over-arching message to the songs that were written. Some, like World War III and I Dropped the Bomb were just farcical while others, like The Bitch Spent All My Money were inspired by true events that occurred to people they knew. I'm a Pilot was written for the aircraft crew chiefs to poke fun at pilots and let them know that they were appreciated. JDAM Blues and The Predator Eulogy evolved out of frustration at how technology was slowly replacing the skills of the fighter pilot.
Overall, the tones of the songs are simple. Both Kurek and Raymond felt that being a fighter pilot was a privilege and an honor, fun and stressful, and wanted to highlight the camaraderie within the fighter pilot community. Their first CD's were their attempt to build camaraderie through singin' songs, drinkin' booze, and telling stories at the bar on Fridays. They consider their CD's an attempt to help keep that tradition alive.
oh, you should buy the albums as well...God knows, they need the money.
http://www.dosgringosrocks.com/
The will be splitting up soon because Trip is being transfered to Germany... Lets hope the music doesn't die!
Now for the Videos:
"I'm A Pilot"
"Jeremiah Weed"
"I Wish I Had a Gun Like the A-10"
"Has Anyone Seen My Wingman?"
"The Hounds of War"
"World War III"
"Going in for Guns"
