The Hartland Express
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The Hartland Express: Still on the Tracks
©2003 by Holton W. Greer
The Beginning
Roger Schiller and Chris Strong met in October of 1969,
when each had contracted to perform on different nights at
the same place.
Roger went to check out Chris’s act on Wednesday, and
they were trying things out together by the third song.
Thursday night, they worked as a duo.
With the 1970 opening of The Outpost in Hartland, Illinois,
they acquired a steady venue and a name for the act.
Throughout the 1970s, the two developed material from
various sources, emphasizing good-time, hard-driving,
and audience involvement songs. They performed at
restaurants and clubs throughout Northern Illinois.
Roger and Chris developed a steady following of varied
and interesting people. The networking that resulted
brought them commercial jingles to record, events and
special celebrations to write and perform, and private
parties of every kind.
A 1975 Elgin Courier-News article made much of the fact
that the two had performed together for five years, “longer
than most groups are able to stay together.” That reporter
would be flabbergasted today.
The Hartland Express has staying power. They played
Hartland’s Outpost for four years under three owners in
the ‘70s, Woodstock’s Courthouse Inn/Jailhouse for three
years under two owners in the ‘80s, and Woodstock’s Pub
on the Square once or twice a month for an astonishing
five years under three sets of owner/managers.
What They Bring to the Gig
The Hartland Express might rely on tried-and-true songs
and comedy bits, but they also love to extemporize. They
will cheerfully launch into a song they don’t really know—
at least not at peak performance level—and trust the
instincts that thirty-plus years have honed to keep them on
target. They will write verses, even whole songs, on the
spot or on a break. They will resurrect material that nearly
everyone has forgotten, on the strength of an audience
request.
Chris and Roger are both a little impatient with musical
acts that take themselves too seriously. Such performers
often build a wall between themselves and their
audience. The whole idea is for people—performers and
listeners—to have a good time.
The two have several popular audience-participation bits:
“The Occupation Song,” “Hey Li Lee Li Lee Lo,” “A.A.R.P.,”
and the infamous “All-Girl-Revue.” And the guys welcome
other musicians to the stage for impromptu sit-ins, some
of which have been legendary.
Community Links
The Hartland Express is well-respected by the other
members of the acoustic music community. They are
regular performers at Woodstock’s well-known
Masthouse, a folk community that meets monthly, and
they are sought after by other performers for their
accompaniment skills. They are also frequent musical
contributors to the Congregational Unitarian Church in
Woodstock, often helping in the development of musical
programs there.
The group does many programs for schools, and for
organizations such as The Diversity Day Committee and
the Friends of the Volo Bog.
Another Folk Boom?
Folk music makes periodic surges toward mainstream
popularity. Many people remember the exciting Chicago
folk scene of the 60s and 70s, when musicians were
more than suppliers of a dance rhythm or background
noise. Singers sang and audiences listened. When the
time was right, they sang along, or clapped along, or
tapped their forks on the table. People had fun, and
nights went by too fast.
There were places to play in every town around.
All of that may happen again. Even if it doesn’t, there’s
something for everyone in the music and showmanship of
The Hartland Express. They’re very user-friendly.
©2003 by Holton W. Greer
The Beginning
Roger Schiller and Chris Strong met in October of 1969,
when each had contracted to perform on different nights at
the same place.
Roger went to check out Chris’s act on Wednesday, and
they were trying things out together by the third song.
Thursday night, they worked as a duo.
With the 1970 opening of The Outpost in Hartland, Illinois,
they acquired a steady venue and a name for the act.
Throughout the 1970s, the two developed material from
various sources, emphasizing good-time, hard-driving,
and audience involvement songs. They performed at
restaurants and clubs throughout Northern Illinois.
Roger and Chris developed a steady following of varied
and interesting people. The networking that resulted
brought them commercial jingles to record, events and
special celebrations to write and perform, and private
parties of every kind.
A 1975 Elgin Courier-News article made much of the fact
that the two had performed together for five years, “longer
than most groups are able to stay together.” That reporter
would be flabbergasted today.
The Hartland Express has staying power. They played
Hartland’s Outpost for four years under three owners in
the ‘70s, Woodstock’s Courthouse Inn/Jailhouse for three
years under two owners in the ‘80s, and Woodstock’s Pub
on the Square once or twice a month for an astonishing
five years under three sets of owner/managers.
What They Bring to the Gig
The Hartland Express might rely on tried-and-true songs
and comedy bits, but they also love to extemporize. They
will cheerfully launch into a song they don’t really know—
at least not at peak performance level—and trust the
instincts that thirty-plus years have honed to keep them on
target. They will write verses, even whole songs, on the
spot or on a break. They will resurrect material that nearly
everyone has forgotten, on the strength of an audience
request.
Chris and Roger are both a little impatient with musical
acts that take themselves too seriously. Such performers
often build a wall between themselves and their
audience. The whole idea is for people—performers and
listeners—to have a good time.
The two have several popular audience-participation bits:
“The Occupation Song,” “Hey Li Lee Li Lee Lo,” “A.A.R.P.,”
and the infamous “All-Girl-Revue.” And the guys welcome
other musicians to the stage for impromptu sit-ins, some
of which have been legendary.
Community Links
The Hartland Express is well-respected by the other
members of the acoustic music community. They are
regular performers at Woodstock’s well-known
Masthouse, a folk community that meets monthly, and
they are sought after by other performers for their
accompaniment skills. They are also frequent musical
contributors to the Congregational Unitarian Church in
Woodstock, often helping in the development of musical
programs there.
The group does many programs for schools, and for
organizations such as The Diversity Day Committee and
the Friends of the Volo Bog.
Another Folk Boom?
Folk music makes periodic surges toward mainstream
popularity. Many people remember the exciting Chicago
folk scene of the 60s and 70s, when musicians were
more than suppliers of a dance rhythm or background
noise. Singers sang and audiences listened. When the
time was right, they sang along, or clapped along, or
tapped their forks on the table. People had fun, and
nights went by too fast.
There were places to play in every town around.
All of that may happen again. Even if it doesn’t, there’s
something for everyone in the music and showmanship of
The Hartland Express. They’re very user-friendly.
A photo montage: Forty Years of The Hartland Express
For booking and other information:
chris@shorelinemedia.biz
chris@shorelinemedia.biz
Mp3s
