The Ranchhands become the first country band to play in Albania, and Bosnia
The Ranchhands played 14 dates in Europe this summer, accounting for the bulk of their tour. Included among their normal list of countries that they played were Albania, and Bonsia-Herzegovina. The Ranchhands headlined three shows in Albania, in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy and one in Bosnia as a part of their summer festival. In Albania, They performed in three different major cities; Durres, Tiranna and Vlores. Their first show was in Durres, a decent sized city on the edge of the Adriatic sea. The venue was a seaside park, with amusement rides in the midst of winding concrete paths. The stage was set up with the Adriatic for the back drop. It made for some gorgeous scenery. The band then traveled onto Vlores, a little more of a resort or vaction town in Albania. They played in an open aired club, perched on the side of a small mountain overlooking the Adriatic. For their final venue, they played in Tiranna, the Capital of Albania. The venue was the amphitheater adjacent to Tiranna's music/arts school, and next door to the presidents grounds, so we're told. All three of these events were tightly sponsored and engineered with the help of the U.S. Embassy in Albania. It was a huge mile marker for the country itself, bringing in American country music.
The band did several interviews and meet and greets while in the country. One was with the mayor himself of Durres. Another was a live interview on Albania's equivalent to MTV, so tt was nationally aired several times. It was definitely interesting to see some of the band on TV, especially in a foreign country! The Ranchhands added one more country to the list as a first, for the band, and for the country entertaining a country band: Bosnia-Herzegovina. They performed in the big annual summer concert festival in Sarajevo. The night before The Ranchhands played, Joan Baez performed just off the main street. They got a chance to meet her the next morning at breakfast and compare notes about the bustling city. The U.S. Embassy in Bosnia-Herzegovina is also responsible for this performance being a reality.
