Sprague alumni band is old-school cool

SPRAGUE - The Rusty Vikings will be bringing old school rock 'n' roll music to Medical Lake to play at Founders Day for the first time Friday, June 16. Formed in Sprague, they have deep ties to the area.

The Rusty Vikings band comprises four Sprague High School alums who attended between 1967-1970, including keyboardist Roger Shawgo, bass guitarist Dick Sharp, drummer Jim Cree and guitarist Kevin Gaffney.

"Being small-town folks, we appreciate the rich history of eastern Washington communities," Gaffney said. "We are honored to be a part of Medical Lake's 2023 Founders Day celebration for the first time."

Three of the four played together in a high school rock band starting in 1968 and were originally called the Sprague Vikings. After growing up in the wheat-farming communities of Sprague and Lamont, the friends went their separate ways for years.

In preparation for the 40th Reunion celebration of the Sprague High School Class of 1970 in 2010, several band members decided to try to reunite the original band.

The resulting Rusty Vikings band first performed in October 2010, thinking it would likely be a one-time thing. Years later, they are still rocking hits from '50s and '60s rock 'n' roll.

"We're basically a group of old guys who love playing vintage rock music," Gaffney said. "We like to take people back a few decades through our music."