Dos Gringos
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Dos Gringos is a band started by Chris "Snooze" Kurek and Rob "Trip" Raymond, two U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper 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.
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[edit] Background Info
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 CDs were their attempt to build camaraderie through singin' songs, drinkin' booze, and telling stories at the bar on Fridays. They consider their CDs an attempt to help keep that tradition alive.
[edit] Unverified Tour History
| Date | Location | Misc. |
| January 8, 2005 | Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, AL | |
| January 14-15 2005 | Mellow Mushroom Valdosta, GA (Moody AFB) | Benefit to aid Tsunami victims |
| April 1-3, 2005 | FAIPALOOZA 2005, Vance AFB, Enid, OK | Cancelled |
| April 1, 2005 | Tinker AFB, Oklahoma City, OK | - |
| September 16,2005 | Mellow Mushroom Valdosta, GA (Moody AFB) | Live Show/Record CD "2" |
| Feb 11th,2006 | The Las Vegas Club Las Vegas, NV (Nellis AFB) | Red Flag (USAF) |
| August 4,2006 | Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, TX | ENJJPT 06-07 Assignment Night |
| December 14,2006 | Nellis AFB O'Club, Las Vegas, NV | - |
| December 15,2006 | Tommy Rockers, Las Vegas, NV | Rumored to be "Last Call" |
| June 14, 2007 | Nellis AFB O'Club, Las Vegas, NV | Impromptu show/Patch Night |
| June 15,2007 | Tommy Rockers, Las Vegas, NV | Rumored to be "Last Call"--for real this time |
[edit] Discography
| Year | Title | Label | Chart Positions |
| 2003 | Live from the Sand Trap | - | - |
| 2005 | "2" | - | - |
| 2007 | Live At Tommy Rockers | - | - |
