The Pub brings up-and-coming hip-hop group to the Valley
The Villebillies to perform Thursday at The Pub
By Eric James, contributing writer
Posted on January 22, 2007

Chuck Troutman doesn’t book hip-hop groups. But when The Pub’s general manager heard the Villebillies’ unreleased song “The Greatest Story Ever Told” played during the West Virginia and Louisville football game on ESPN, he instantly called their agent and made them an offer to play at The Pub.

“At that point you knew there was a buzz in momentum,” Troutman says, referring to the nationally televised clip.

Troutman was right. The West Virginia and Louisville game ended up being the highest-rated Thursday game in ESPN’s history and gave the band invaluable national publicity. The Villebillies are on the verge of stardom, with national gigs and airplay in the works. They are starting to build a wide fan base and have formed their own label, an offshoot of Universal Records, called Rhythm & Booze. “Rolling Stone,” the first single off their self-titled debut album, hits the radio stations next month, and MTV has been playing the Villebillies’ songs on shows such as “Next” and “Exposed.”  Fans of the band can even purchase ringtones of the Villebillies songs for their cell phones.

Harrisonburg residents will be treated to the unique, innovative sounds of the Villebillies, a band originating from Louisville, Ky. The 10 person group breaks musical barriers, mixing country, hip-hop and Southern rock to produce songs that sound like the brainchild of Kid Rock and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band’s upbeat songs range from subjects about partying to relationships and are infectiously catchy, giving the band a positive and relatable sound. The Villebillies’ insistence on not being pegged as a single-genre act opens them to audiences of all tastes, and creates rich sound that people have probably never heard before. With influences ranging from Tupac to Michael Jackson to Garth Brooks, it is easy to see why their music defies labeling.  

Success has been a long time coming for the Villebillies. Originally two separate bands from Kentucky they came together and are now not only bandmates, but good friends. The group has built a strong friendship, enduring both life’s ups and downs, including lead singer Demi Demaree’s diagnosis of lymphatic cancer in 2001. He has since survived, which has only added to the Villebillies’ bond. “As a team, we can conquer a lot,” Demaree said.

Catch the Villebillies playing at The Pub on Thursday, Jan. 25.  The show starts at 10 p.m.  Tickets are $5 for men, but the band is letting the women watch the show for free, something that Troutman had never seen a band willing to do before.