Push2Play is a Boise based band with a focus on upbeat, danceable music. They played some pop, rock and disco tunes a week ago on Saturday evening at The Riverside Hotel’s Sandbar patio bar and grill. We heard music from Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, The B-52’s, Journey, Walk The Moon, KC & The Sunshine Band, Earth Wind & Fire, and this one from Redbone.
EpicUnion is a seven-piece band focused on high-energy covers to get everyone up and moving on the dance floor. Their setlists are packed with memorable classics and popular new hits that keep crowds engaged. I caught up with each member at band practice and got to witness the epic union of personalities and talents that mesh so naturally.
Their manager, Dave Ficks, started EpicUnion with the intention of exciting crowds and making it a fun, performative show. They’ve played at places like Cactus Pete’s, The Heritage Social, and Westy’s, but have bigger sights in the coming years. They have a playful energy and take their camaraderie seriously. They keep each other supported through banter, encouragement, and lighthearted conversation. It is apparent how much each band member truly enjoys being a part of EpicUnion and the friendships that have formed from it. Their energy translates to the stage effortlessly, creating a fantastic dynamic of undeniable good vibes.
Dave is the manager and founder of EpicUnion. He’s been in management throughout most of his career, so when he was inspired to start a band, leading it came quite naturally. He started playing drums at the age of 45 when his mother became ill, practicing while spending time with her. To recruit musicians, he put ads out on Craigslist. What resulted was the formation of his first band called Chronology. It was successful, with multiple members coming and going. Dave began EpicUnion as his vision evolved for what he wanted out of performances. After a period of gigging with both bands, and the eventual departure of some longtime Chronology members, he decided to shift gears and focus solely on EpicUnion. When I asked what advice he would give to anyone hoping to start a band, he said, “Define what success means for you.” Dave loves when the crowd is engaged and responding well to the music. He expresses so much love to his band members: “This group pulls out that energy and feedback.” He feels so grateful to have this group of people all collaborating and making play a priority.
Lori Power started singing when she was 8 years old. She intuitively knew at her young age that it’s what she wanted to do for life. She got into dance and acting lessons during her adolescence and attended a musical arts college on a scholarship. When she graduated, she joined a cover band called Nightshift that toured Europe and Japan for a few years. Lori spent the next three years in Hawaii as the lead singer for The Blue Note Jazz Orchestra and a year singing and dancing for a dinner theater show in Tennessee. Shortly after, she became the lead production singer with Princess cruise lines and toured the world with them. After marrying and having children, her family settled in the Treasure Valley, where she opened Power Music & Dance Studio in Kuna. The studio has been wildly successful with over 500 students. She returned to the stage after joining EpicUnion two years ago, fulfilling her love of performing. She loves listening to everything and absorbing inspiration from all genres. Her presence is alluring and so fun to watch; she truly was made for performance.
Roger has spent his whole life loving music and singing in particular. At age 13, he went to a Christian home and learned how to play “Jessie’s Girl” on the guitar through a few friends. He notes this because it ended up being his future wife’s favorite song-truly meant to be. After high school, Roger served 2 combat tours in the United States Marine Corps, earning several medals and ribbons during his service. When he returned home, he purchased an acoustic guitar and started playing and singing again. During this time of rediscovering his love for music, he heard his neighbor playing drums one day and decided to act. He wandered over and explained he wanted to start singing in a band setting. They ended up forming a band called Bucket List and played all over the valley. He’s also been a part of bands called DFZ and Classic Vinyl. He’s been with EpicUnion for about 8 months and feels at home with them. Roger is a huge family man; time spent with his family is his greatest joy next to performing music.
Sean grew up in Nampa, Idaho. His dad was a guitar player and taught him basic chords on piano. He took piano lessons for 8 years and became classically trained in his adolescence. In early adulthood, Sean became a DJ at a local skating rink and eventually formed his own wedding and event DJ business. He found EpicUnion on Craigslist and joined about 4 or 5 years ago after feeling it was the right move for him musically. Sean finds inspiration through all kinds of music, but Billy Joel and Bon Jovi are two of his favorites. He stays versatile with his taste in music, which helps immensely in the approach of the band’s range of genres. His greatest piece of advice for anyone pursuing music is finding the joy in it all. “When it stops being fun is when it becomes work.” He loves being able to crack jokes with the band and keep it lighthearted.
Miguel began his musical journey in 7th grade playing trumpet. He played bass in his high school band and eventually worked with a Grammy-winning producer in 2010, recording at El Paso’s Sonic Ranch, Steakhouse Records, and Studio B in Nashville. He came to Idaho to sell real estate but ended up doing 80 shows with local bands during his first year in Boise. Miguel is a busy bee, subbing in at Humpin Hannah’s, playing bass in various bands in Boise, serving part-time, and selling real estate. He is a bass player by trade but plays lead guitar for EpicUnion, allowing him to expand his talents and tackle different complexities. Practice is a huge part of his process, and he takes it very seriously. Miguel appreciates the amount of grace that EpicUnion provides everyone. Playing guitar is not his first musical language, so it’s been a good setting to explore this avenue of play. His advice to anyone looking to get into music is just “go to shows and say ‘hi’ to people.” And of course, “practice your ass off.” He enjoys connecting with other musicians, it has led him to many different opportunities in the valley.
Kevin’s mother, Rosalie Sorrels, was an international folk legend from Idaho. She gave him his first guitar when he was 7 years old. He approached her guitar player, Mitch Greenhill, to teach him. He taught him just one chord, E, and finger placement. Young Kevin started expanding off of that and practicing his newfound love, returning later to Mitch to play him the ‘E’ song. His first band was the Black Jackitz in high school, and he played in various bands in New York through the early 80s. He’s played in disco bands, metal bands, dance bands, and blues bands (notably jamming with BB King) and has met or worked with several prominent musicians. Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page are huge influences on his play. Kevin moved to Idaho in 1985 and got into a serious motorcycle accident in 1987 that required a reconstruction of his left hand. He couldn’t play guitar for about 7 years. During this period of time, he transitioned into the painting industry, doing commercial projects and taking a break from music. Kevin’s mother passed away in 2017, but before she passed, he made a pact with her that he would start playing guitar again. He joined Sista Sarah & Pocket of Bones, got involved with the blues society, and put together a music festival in honor of his mother in 2019—The Rosalie Sorrels Music Festival. Kevin first auditioned for the EpicUnion band in 2023 but didn’t officially join until 2025. His advice to band members: “Do your homework, no drama, and keep personal stuff out of it; work within the community and get involved, and always be on time for rehearsals.”
Matthew always wanted to learn how to play guitar in childhood. He was inspired by all genres of music. He was about 20 years old when he picked up the guitar for the first time. After spending his life in the Bay Area, he felt the need to pursue another place to settle and ended up in Idaho to be near family in 2016. He joined Dave’s band, Chronology, soon after as a guitar player. When their bassist left, he volunteered to switch instruments to keep the band momentum going. He took to playing bass naturally and feels like he’s found his niche with it.
Since coming to Idaho, he has also played with various bands like “Alternate Wednesdays,” “Cabeza,” “X Degenerates,” “Lauren and The Nostalgics,” “Highway45,” “The Mike Johnston Band,” and “WickID Garden.” Alongside his presence in Epic Union, he currently plays with “Limited Edition” and the country band “ShotGlass.”
He loves EpicUnion for the camaraderie; he would go get a beer just to hang out with any one of them. “It feels like a sense of family.” He feels valued within the band and praises Dave for his management of the group. His advice for musicians: “Know that you’re going to make mistakes. Just go with the flow of making errors and recovering from them.”
Be sure to follow EpicUnion on their website, Instagram, and Facebook to stay up-to-date on their performance schedules!
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Jay William Miller is a native of Boise who has been writing and playing music since he was 16 years old. Heavily influenced by scenes of mountains, rivers, and rowdy small town Idaho, Jay writes songs about hard times and hard-core parties. At the second annual Nampa Music Festival Friday night, Jay did this song about hating Los Angeles.
Ryan Curtis Band was the second of three bands to play the second annual Nampa Music Festival Friday at Lloyd Square. Ryan is originally from Chicago, calling Boise home for 15 years now. Here’s a song about bad habits.
Bill Coffey & His Cash Money Cousins was the opening band for Tuesdays on the Creek at Indian Creek Plaza in Caldwell. Bill is a songwriter, singer, guitar player and bandleader who seamlessly melds the heartfelt storytelling of country with the raw emotion and energy of classic soul. The show was all original and the variety of music styles was impressive.
Spencer Batt played a high-energy, fancy-pickin’ show at The Getaway Sunday afternoon. With his acoustic guitar, you hear this Jimmi Hendrix riff and wonder, “How is THAT going to work?”. And then he shows you! Here’s an original called “Road Less Traveled”.
Andy Crosby, a local singer/songwriter, played a evening of music Saturday at the Star Saloon. He grew up in Donnelly and loves the small-town life. In October, he will head for Austin for more recording. Here’s one written for his brother Jeff, In My Arms.
Michele Eastland is a Boise singer who specializes in jazz, blues, and timeless classics. Michele sang an evening of engaging music Friday evening at the Level Up Lounge in Meridian. I just love this Madonna tune and had to capture it.
Cliff Miller & Makaela Ruggs, played some country/folk music Wednesday evening at Lovely Hallow Farms near Caldwell. Cliff‘s music is defined by catchy melodies and poignant lyrics, inspired by his growing up in a small town and the family life he enjoys. Makaela is a staple of the Idaho fiddle community who adds lovely color to Cliff’s music. This original is called “True North“.
On September 12th and 13th, the Old Idaho Penitentiary will host their annual event showcasing 13 Stories, a film competition based on the lives of various prisoners over the course of the prison’s history. The event is open to the public with paid admission and will take place on both nights from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Guests can explore the grounds of the Old Idaho Penitentiary before screenings begin and purchase concessions.
We, at Treasure Valley Notes, are a wee bit biased on our favorite film in the mix. Our photographer, Rick Walters, has been hard at work writing and directing the film and pulling connections together to make it possible. His vision for the story of “Scoop,” Darrel Thurston, has taken on a creative life of its own after recruiting several Treasure Valley musicians to take part in the making of the film. Over the summer, the rambunctious bunch has managed to create melodies, lyrics, and scenes to portray the life of Darrel Thurston (with a few fictional embellishments). Members of Scotty Mac & the Nugs, 2 Shades of Gray, and Dozey Dubs are just a few local faces you may recognize throughout the film. Every song you hear and every face you see is directly correlated to the Treasure Valley music scene. There have also been countless volunteers from the community who have been involved in donating their time, space, vehicles, skills, and equipment. Rick attributes his success in gathering so many talented, accommodating individuals to making connections at open mics in the valley throughout the past year of living in Boise.
“The Boise open mic phenomenon (I call it that because that’s what it is, a phenomenon) is full of incredibly talented people, and all of them put in the effort and the time, practicing their work, meeting people, and putting themselves out there. It’s all very much a scene. I’ve only been in Boise for a year, but I knew early on that every one of us wanted to do something cool. So it was not a far stretch for all of my friends to say yes and jump on to do something really cool. After having lived on both coasts and in all of the major metropolises, I have to say that Boise’s open mic scene is the fastest moving, most creatively collaborative place I’ve ever been.
I think the outcome [of the movie] is really badass. It’s a 7-minute original musical from start to finish, all composed of local musicians. It’s the community that has evolved from it and the actionable relationships that have already become strong bonds that make it special.”
The storyline weaves through flashes of past and present as Darrell Thurston (played by Scotty Mac of Scotty Mac & the Nugs) settles into his sentencing at the Idaho Penitentiary. There are beautiful displays of lost love, hoots and hollers after bank robberies, harsh realizations of solitary confinement, and finding purpose in sport.
Local musician Dylan Olson (of Dozey Dubs or his solo project, Lover) has worked closely with Rick to score the film.
“I have always wanted to score a film, but this experience has reframed that experience in a new light for me. Instead of me interpreting a film and transcribing it musically, it has instead been a collaborative adventure with my peers whom I respect and trust. There has been no power struggle, and egos have been left at the door. Rather than a selfish proclamation, this film has felt like a group of archaeologists unearthing some ancient relic that they all suspected existed but didn’t fully believe could be real.”
Local violinist legend and singer/songwriter Alyssa Joy Claffey has been a huge asset to the project as well. “When I create violin parts for other people’s visions in the recording studio, I imagine myself as a paintbrush, waiting to be plucked up by the hands of a master and utilized to the utmost of my ability. Rick’s professionalism, preparedness, and ability to clearly articulate his vision, while instilling confidence and trust through his innate understanding of the dichotomy of steadfast support and space artists need to reach new heights, created the perfect conditions for artistic collaboration. Working with a composer of Dylan’s caliber opened doors in my brain that don’t normally get tapped into, and the synergy between our musical minds made movie music magic. It gave me chills, and it will give the audience chills too.”
Guests can expect a fun night in celebrating hard work and creative collaboration. Our Treasure Valley Notes crew will be present along with the cast and crew of “Scoop” to make this a truly special honoring of our local talent. This historical night will be one you don’t want to miss! Buy your tickets soon, as seating is limited. We will see you there!
Purchase tickets for Friday, September 12th.
Purchase tickets for Saturday, September 13th.