A pedal steel guitar player, Kinny Alvers, has moved to Marysville and he and a former Marysville resident, Lloyd Crafton, who has switched from rock-n-roll to play country, have joined Cookie Spirk’s band Silvana.

They play a mix of classic and current country dance music at Blazing Saddles Restaurant and Lounge in Stanwood.

Crafton moved recently to Stanwood for cheaper rent, he said.

“I’ve been playing rock-n-roll since my junior high school days,” he told The Arlington Times recently.

“My mom and dad taught music in Indiana, and I got my first drums in first grade,” he said.

Crafton played with a garage band during high school and he followed those friends when they moved to the Pacific Northwest to attend school.

“I got married and stayed here.”

Now Crafton lives with his daughter and two grandchildren.

He said he’s played with a number of different bands. He, Fireheart and Alvers play together as another band called Adobe Rose, with a mandolin and fiddle. They play Thursday nights at Stuarts in Snohomish and were playing at 7th Street Club in Everett, until football season shut that down.

“I believe I was put on this earth by the big guy to help people shake butt,” said the drummer.

He was just getting a bit tired of classic rock when he learned about the drumming opportunity with Silvana from Alvers, an old friend.

“I played with Kinny and his cousin in Alaska a few years ago. He told me about this country gig.”

Crafton, who is striving to earn a living with music, said he can always use another gig.

“I filled in last winter once. Cookie liked my playing and asked me to join them,” he said.

“It’s fun learning new things.”

Crafton described his friend, Kinny as a traditionalist who plays standard country songs.

The bass player, he said, knows a lot of standards and has a medium swing.

“We’ve got our signals. Kinny just flags me for a Waylon beat and we’re on.”

Silvana will take the stage directly after the western dance lessons around 9:15 p.m. There is no cover charge, but music fans should arrive early for dinner or appetizers to secure a good seat for the show. Blazing Saddles is located at 27021 102nd Ave NW. For more information, see blazingsaddlesclub.com or call 360-629-6569.