Harrisonburg band hits the stage at the Pub

By Rhonda Simmons

Published: November 13, 2008

A Harrisonburg cover band will play popular rock tunes at the Hazel River Pub on Saturday.

Mirage, a southern and classic rock cover band, formed in 1997.

The five members include:  bass guitarist Bill Royer, drummer Billy Thomas, lead guitarist Bob Painter, lead vocalist Bobby Breeden and pianist Marty Shifflett.
The guys plan to take the stage around 9:30 p.m.

Royer said he heard about Culpeper through another Harrisonburg-based band.

“Anytime we find new venues we exchange with other people,” Royer said Wednesday morning via a telephone interview. “It’s always exciting to expand your fan base. Plus, we’ve been wanting to get on that side of the mountain.”

For Royer, being on stage still gives him a rush.

“I’ve been playing music for 30 years,” he said. “It’s a ball. If you have a crowd that’s really into what you’re doing, it’s fun to perform for them.”

Royer, who owns The Pub in Harrisonburg, said his band is also included in the rotation at his bar.

“I don’t treat them any better than I do the other bands,” he said, laughing. “I treat them all the same.”

Royer said Journey and the Eagles inspire his band’s music.

So how did the band get its name?

“The name comes from the thought of being stereotyped in a way,” Shifflett explained. “We cover such a broad slice of musical genres that there is no way for us to really look the part.

“The fact that we may look like normal, reserved human beings doesn’t mean that we can’t throw down and belt out some over-the-top music. After all, a mirage is something that is not always as it seems.”

Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or .

Want to go?
What: Mirage
Where: Hazel River Pub
When: Saturday at 9:30 p.m.