Chitwood tour kicks off here

What does Saratoga have in common with Las Vegas, San Diego and Los Angeles? Bobby Chitwood.

Chitwood and his band started their 10-day tour promoting their new album, “Gravity”, Thursday. The band started it at Duke’s Bar and Grill in Saratoga. Friday morning they headed for Las Vegas.

When the band is not on tour with Chitwood, they are working for other artists or bands. Jeremy Holt, who plays lead guitar, also plays for Lone Star. Dave Fowler, the bassist, at one time was the road manager for Collin Raye.

Keith Pudek, the drummer has played for Joe Diffie, Tracy Lawrence and Tanya Tucker. He has also played for Lee Greenwood and Big and Rich.

“Anytime we get to play music it’s a good thing,” Fowler said.

Sound engineer Adam Anderson rounds out the band. Chitwood said Anderson is the sound engineer for nearly every major act that comes to Grizzly Rose in Denver.

The band members live in Nashville, Chitwood lives in Saratoga.

Chitwood said it can be tough managing a music career from a small town in Wyoming.

He travels to Nashville when filming a video or if he needs to be present for press or radio events. “It’s a lot of traveling.”

Chitwood’s music roots go back to his grandfather, who was a Christian singer/songwriter.

Chitwood said he started picking the guitar when he was about 10 years old. When Chitwood was 18 years old he started playing more gigs and had his first gig in a bar.

“I went to school to be a pilot,” Chitwood said. After 9/11, Chitwood found he could make more money playing music.

He signed with two independent labels, but nothing really happened, Chitwood said.

Then, he signed with Mesa Blue Moon. “I signed with MBM Universal in 2008, right before the economy tanked,” Chitwood said. His album was shelved for two years. He has four albums, an EP and two videos now.

His wife, Danyel, was working at the Best Western as the project manager in Cody, when Chitwood decided it was time to move to Nashville. “We ended up in Rawlins,” Chitwood said. His wife was transferred to the Best Western there.

Chitwood and his wife decided to look for property in Saratoga, when they discovered Lollypop’s and bought it.

“Our daughters have adjusted well here and it would be hard to uproot them,” Chitwood said.

So they stayed in Saratoga.

It was the band’s first time in Saratoga and they found it friendly and welcoming.

“The ice cream is especially good,” Pudek said.