Dos Gringos is a
rock band
A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...
formed by two
US Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
pilots, Chris "Snooze" Kurek and Rob "Trip" Raymond in 2001. The group has put out four albums about their experiences as fighter pilots and military life. The band is popular in the Air Force, fighter pilot community, and among fans of military aviation worldwide.
Many of their songs are highly vulgar and satirical.
History
The band was formed when Chris Kurek and Rob Raymond were stationed at
Cannon Air Force Base in
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. They wrote several of their first songs together while deployed to
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
during
Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom. They performed some songs at music functions for their squadron, and were encouraged by their squadron commander to record and publish their work. Shortly after they returned from deployment, they recorded and released their first album, ''Live at the Sand Trap''.
The band achieved more viral popularity in the Air Force with their satirical song "I'm a Pilot," which depicts an arrogant, disrespectful pilot talking to his maintenance crew.
Musical style
Dos Gringos have incorporated a variety of different styles into their music, from more folk-style ballads like "2's Blind" to songs with more aggressive, metal-style instrumentation like ''SOS''.
Generally, the songs are sung from the perspective of the band members themselves, lamenting the rising demand for
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...
pilots and complaining about the ease of use of
JDAM bombs. One of their most popular songs is about
Jeremiah Weed
Jeremiah Weed is a brand of bourbon whiskey-based products. The Jeremiah Weed brand is owned and marketed by Diageo.
Range
Their offerings include a 90 proof blended whiskey distilled in Kentucky, and a bourbon-based 100-proof liqueur manufactur ...
, a bourbon liqueur that is a part of Air Force fighter pilot culture.
Inactivity and further projects
Following the release of ''El Cuatro'' in 2012, the band has not released any significant material. Their last known performance was in 2013 at
Pensacola for a meeting of th
Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association
Chris Kurek and Rob Raymond later joined with Erik Brine, an Air Force reservist and C-17 pilot, to form a new project calle
Operation Encore which seeks to help veterans and active-duty military develop their musical talents and work within the music industry.
Chris Kurek indicated in a 2017 interview that he would be interested in producing another Dos Gringos album.
On January 25, 2024, Dos Gringos performed for the 50th anniversary celebration of the
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful ...
's first flight at
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in California. Most of the base sits in Kern County, but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County. The hub of the base is E ...
, California.
Discography
Albums
* ''Live at the Sand Trap'' (2003)
* ''2'' (2006)
* ''Live At Tommy Rockers (No Really, It Was Live)'' (2007)
* ''El Cuatro'' (2012)
Reference List
External links
Dos Gringos' Facebook PageOperation Encore
{{Authority control
American rock music groups