Beau Van Winkle

Based upon appearances alone, most people wouldn't be surprised to learn that Beau Van Winkle and Tony Sandoval play football for a living. They both look the part. However, once the helmets come off, the guitar straps go on and the duo tackles North Central Washington audiences with scores of lighthearted folk-rock.

They're both offensive linemen for the semi-professional Wenatchee Valley Rams. When asked if they take their football careers seriously, during an interview at Caffé Mela in Wenatchee on July 5, Van Winkle laughs, clarifying that it's something they do "just for fun."
In fact, performing music is their primary goal.

"We left one football game because we had a show to do," Sandoval reveals.

Explaining why music is their priority over athletics, he says, "(Van Winkle's) almost 30 and my body's almost 50."

The 2007 football season ended in June, giving the guys more time to devote to their main passion. The duo goes on stage for a free acoustic show at Chelan's Vogue Liquid Lounge at 8 p.m. Saturday. Their goal for the rest of the year is to simply play as many shows as they can.

While Van Winkle currently only has one album published -- his 2006 solo project, "Traveling Man" -- he says, "I've got 62 (songs) recorded already and a bunch more ... in the works." He recently became the father to a baby girl who's inspired him to begin writing more than a dozen songs over the last few months, none of which are yet completed.

Van Winkle has been performing in North Central Washington for about two years. His collaboration with Sandoval began a little over a year ago. Both men play guitar and Van Winkle is the sole vocalist. "I'm trying to get (Sandoval) to sing. He won't do it," he quips.
"I plan on throwing in a 'baby' every once in a while," Sandoval responds. "That's my master plan."

They mainly perform original tunes, but have been known to play some covers. Their sound is frequently described as folk and compared to the music of popular artist Jack Johnson. Both agree that assessment isn't entirely accurate. "We haven't been doing too much Jack Johnson," Sandoval claims. "Just some Ben Harper, some Lynyrd Skynyrd ... some rock stuff." "It's kind of a mix of songs, really," Van Winkle adds.

When it comes to personal taste, Van Winkle's favorite style of music to listen to is heavy metal, while Sandoval "listens to everything."
"We've been talking about doing a lot more different styles, but we just haven't gotten around to doing it yet," Van Winkle says.

Though the two most often perform acoustic concerts, they both have a strong interest in producing more work with electric guitars and adding new elements, such as percussion, for a better sound.
The pair has a multitude of supporters, mainly family and friends who show up at every concert. Van Winkle is optimistic about the direction his musical endeavors are headed. He says he looks forward to releasing more albums and accumulating a larger following.

However, the duo hasn't yet had to deal with any screaming fans demanding full-body autographs. Regarding the matter, Van Winkle reports, "We're working on it."
- The Wenatchee World