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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us August 13, 2005 Pyramid Band, a local favorite for years, is Closing out the summer By Amanda Bolsinger Tidings Correspondent Steve and Ellie Reid of Ashland perform an acoustic tribute to Eric Clapton during a free concert Sunday at the Lithia Park Bandshell. Photos by Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings Nearly 30 years together and still running strong. The Pyramid Band has been a local favorite since it formed in 1977. Their calendar just keeps getting busier. The Pyramid Band is a husband-and-wife duo that began when the couple, Steve and Ellie Read, decided to share their passion for music with others. “When we got together, neither one of us had performed before,” Steve said. “We started playing together as beginners and I instantly saw what happened when she sang in front of friends, they were captivated by her singing.” They formed the Pyramid Band in 1977 and played together for several years, took a short break to perform separately with some other musical groups and came back together in 1990 and haven’t looked back since. “Somewhere around ’90 we went back to performing together and reformed the duo as it is today,” Steve said. “That’s been 14 years; it’s pretty rare for a band to keep the same lineup that long.” Perhaps some of that longevity is tied in with the symbolism of the name of the band. Steve and Ellie settled on the name Pyramid Band for many reasons. The Pyramid is the longest standing monument, is one of the greatest wonders of the world, is on the dollar bill and is a relatively timeless piece. “It seemed really thematic,” Steve said. The Reids were inspired to give an acoustic concert after a night of playing during a recent camping trip. The duo describes the Pyramid Band as the ultimate cover band playing a large repertoire of popular songs from the late 1960s through the 1970s. This summer they have chosen to play two tribute concerts, one a tribute to Eric Clapton and the other a tribute to the Beatles. The two groups are favorites of Steve and Ellie, as well as their listeners, and this summer seemed like a good opportunity to finally play the tributes they had been talking about for years. The tributes are a chronological pass through the careers of the two groups playing many of the most popular songs as well as some songs that most bands never play but that were moving to them. “Eighty-five percent of the songs have been in the Top 10 at some point, but the other criteria is, ‘Were they important to us?’” Steve said. Part of the Pyramid Band’s unique style is due to Steve and Ellie both being guitar players and picking songs that are very guitar heavy. The two use a computer as a backup band but make sure that the computer is playing a simple repeating melody or music that gets lost in the background. “We pick songs that are guitar dominant,” Steve said. “It’s a challenge and it’s what sets us apart. It’s really unique what we do.” Their final summer performances will be at Lake of the Woods in the Concert by the Lake series. The band will perform from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Lake of the Woods picnic and barbeque area with their back to the lake. They will be playing on Saturday and Aug. 27 and Sept. 3. “Its one of my favorite places to play,” Steve said. “We set up with our back to the lake and we love playing outdoors and being open to all ages. This is the most beautiful setting in the world.” DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Online Pharmacy Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations Hammocks Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams