Satan's Favorite Country Band

Forty to fifty bottles of tequila dominate occupy Whole Hog's practice room.

"We were a Pabst Blue Ribbon and Jack Daniel's band before Khrys joined," says guitarist Rich Travers.

"It started with one bottle of Patrón," says Khrys Maxwell, another guitarist. "Being the compulsive-obsessive person that I am, I had to taste and collect all the different types. They can go from real sweet to real peppery. Others have elements of vanilla, grass, or fruit."

Whole Hog shares their expensive liquor with other bands that practice in their rehearsal complex. What about the problem of driving home after practice?

"Not once in ten years have we had a DUI," says Travers. "We're all pretty responsible."

"Because it costs so much, we sip it; we don't slam it," says drummer Scott Taylor. "I rarely have more than four shots of tequila throughout the whole practice. That's over three to four hours. I'm practically sober at the end."

All four Whole Hogs drink tequila except bassist Scott Reedy. "They try to bring me in, but to me it tastes like ass."

"Unlike some alcohol that makes you sluggish or tired, tequila makes you want to get in a fight," says Taylor. "For our kind of music, that's great...."

"We like to call our music 'Whole Hog rock' or 'full-boar country,' " says Travers. "We'd like to be Satan's favorite country band."

Whole Hog appears July 13 at the Ken Club and July 21 at O'Connell's.