by Dusty Teng
Staff Writer

As a band known for sporting deer antlers and Johnny Cash masks during live performances, 4 on the Floor will turn heads with its old-fashioned, knee-slapping, honky tonk country music Saturday at 10 p.m. at Canyons Restaurant.

“If you’re going to have a generic name like 4 on the Floor, you gotta do something stupid,” lead vocalist Nathan Palmer said. “[The name] came off a bathroom wall at an Exxon off of I-77.”

The Rock Hill, S.C. band will bring a new sound to the mountains with its restoration of the traditional country music that belonged to Merle Haggard, David Allan Coe and Junior Brown. I would say our sound is amped-up, old-time country music,” Palmer said. “We don’t do it distorted. We do it real clean.”

4 on the Floor brings together Palmer and lead guitarist Lee Goodwin’s older country background, guitarist Glenn Jones’ bluegrass flavor, bassist Jeff Faulkner’s slow country style and drummer Mike Elder’s punk rock influences to create its old-school sound.

People who [usually] like country music aren’t that crazy about us because we play conservative country,” Palmer said. “But it’s not ‘tear in your beer’ kind of country.”

With three years and over 70 songs under its extra-large belt buckle, the band plans to release its second album this summer. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but people say they didn’t like country before they heard us,” Palmer said. Palmer said the new record would include 12 originals mainly written about “truckin’ and women.” The upcoming CD will be a studio album, but the group will record it live. We’ll do everything on one take,” Palmer said. “We like the raw sound that it provides.”

4 on the Floor’s repertoire also includes a variety of covers. The band is known for doing different takes on older country songs. Even though we do a lot of covers, we try to do it our way,” Palmer said.

The country quintet has big plans for the future. 4 on the Floor is an opening act for country rebel David Allan Coe. The group’s tour also includes an appearance at a festival in France in September.

We’re not trying to get rich. We just want to play music,” Palmer said. When the band is not on the road, all five of the members maintain day jobs in Rock Hill. Palmer is a furniture refinisher, but claims to have had aspirations to be an underwater welder. Elder sells pool supplies while the remaining members of the band work at various music stores.

The group looks forward to its first time performing in the high country. Listeners should expect a comical show from 4 on the Floor. No laugh is too small,” Palmer said. “We try to entertain. You should demand entertainment.”

For more information about the band, visit www.4onthefloorband.com.