—by Matthew Lindley
My two biggest passions on earth have always been music and football, and nothing pleases me more than when the two meet in the middle ground of supporter culture. This marriage is never more apparent than in the Timbers Army. It’s in the electro call to action of Popinski Popcast and the punk pep rally of Green Flag; it's Ridgy and the departed Urruti dancing to Justin Bieber and Sean McAuley dropping classic rock earworms at the Championship Rally. And yes, ladies and gentlemen, this melding of support and song can even find its way into the realm of… country music.
The origins of Greenhorn come from the very same source as many fine country ballads—heartbreak. Early on, in what was to become the dismal 2012 season, Scott Jeffries took to Twitter with a simple plea:
Accepting applicants for the @timbersarmy country band, Greenhorn. #rctid
Meanwhile, later that season, John Nyen and Mike Perron began trolling each other on Twitter with rewritten country classics with Timbers-themed lyrics. These lyrical distractions became the staples of the Greenhorn catalogue. Towards the end of that season, Mike and John decided they wanted to film themselves in front of the stadium performing one of their new arrangements. For the taping, they needed a guitar player; Mike knew Scott Jeffries, and Greenhorn was born.
In 2013, Greenhorn was invited to open that season's opener show. John and Scott grabbed Green Flag’s Paul Regan and Lexi Stern to round out the group. Unfortunately, Mike Perron was unable to attend—a Robert Hunter to his “Timber Tonk” Grateful Dead, singing the lyrics of their absent muse.
Greenhorn emerged again in 2015 opening for Green Flag and The McGillicuddys at The Railway Club in Vancouver, BC. This time, new compositions were joined by the original Perron numbers to bring the house down. In December, post-Cup glory was met with Greenhorn headlining the season ender show, this time doing it right with the originator himself, Mike Perron, joining the band he helped inspire.
That brings us to this weekend: a now complete Greenhorn has the honor of joining The Royal Enfield and Green Flag once again at the season opener show at Ash Street Saloon.
You may not immediately think that country music and soccer go together, but if Green Flag are the angry, punk rock fist-in-the-air voice of the TA, Greenhorn are its traveling troubadours, putting the stories that make up our history to song and documenting where we’ve been, for wherever we are now. All parts comical, sentimental, mawkish and silly, with one helluva train beat when it fits.
Greenhorn play with Green Flag and OG TA powerhouse Eric Tonsfeldt's band The Royal Enfield at the Season Opener Show and Raffle at Ash Street Saloon on Saturday, March 5, 2016. Doors at 8, music at 9. $5 admission; proceeds benefit the TA tifo fund.
