It will be quite a “ride” when Trick Pony comes to town.

Trick Pony, comprised of Ira Dean, Keith Burns and Heidi
Newfield, will be in concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Bradford
Area High School Auditorium. The concert is brought to Bradford
through the Bradford Creative and Performing Arts Center.

The country group will sing such hits as “On a Night Like This”
and “Every Other Memory.” The concert will be one of the last ones
of the group as they are now – Newfield announced this week she was
leaving the group to pursue a solo career.

One of the songs the group is sure to sing from their new CD,
RIDE – Rebellious Individuals Delivering Entertainment – will have
a personal touch.

“Maryann’s Song” was written by Newfield when her mother was
dying.

“The song was just something I needed to say at the time,”
Newfield said. “Music is for all of us sort of therapy … music is
my therapy.”

The country music the group is known for is a compilation of the
trio coming together. While the group came from diverse
backgrounds, they’ve come together to meld into one.

Newfield grew up with traditional country music while Burns had
a more rock-and-roll upbringing with Elvis Presley and Neil
Diamond.

Dean, on the other hand, was more into jazz.

“We all brought a different flavor to the band … paint with a
big, wide brush.”

That brush has made beautiful music with great success.

“It was just a dream come true for all of us,” said Newfield of
the success. She added the group’s first single – “On a Night Like
This” from their self-titled album – proved the group was
unique.

“It really set us apart from others out there,” she said of
their first album’s release in 2001. “Our sound was very
distinctive on the radio.”

That album’s release was followed by accolades from their
peers.

In 2002, the group was set to present an award at the American
Music Awards; they were also nominated for Best New Country Artist,
which they ended up winning.

“It was so amazing and just such a huge honor to be invited,”
Newfield said. The group, however, didn’t think they would win.

“We were not walking home with hardware,” she said. “But when
they called our names, you couldn’t see happier people.”

That moment was the icing on the cake for the group.

“It’s a very cool feeling to come out of the box and be
recognized.”

While the news of Newfield leaving the group broke this week,
the singer preferred to keep the story focused on the group.

“It was not any one thing that happened. Simply, it was time to
start a new chapter.”

She added the split is “very amicable” and she’d like to work
with them again “somewhere down the road.”

For now, the group is working on finishing its work and
obligations for the remainder of the year.

The group has worked with well-know musicians such as Johnny
Cash, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson and even Darius Rucker of
Hootie and the Blowfish.

“You kind of pinch yourself and say ‘that’s Johnny Cash standing
there,'” she said of who they’ve worked with. “It makes you want to
be better. It’s surreal.

“You go in there and let the album come from an honest
place.”

Newfield said they want that honesty to come across to their
fans.

“The people in the audience are a gift,” she said, adding the
members of the group are music fans, too, so when they go into the
studio or on stage, they want to make it a good experience for
all.

“Someone is taking their hard-earned money and buying an album
or stopping at a show … you want to make it an experience.”

And honesty is the best policy, the group discovered.

“The audience can see through something if you’re not honest,”
Newfield said. “Those with longevity in any genre have been honest,
have the guts to be what they want, say what they want” to say.

Newfield also said that she prefers smaller venues like
Bradford.

“It’s wonderful to come to Small Town USA,” she said. “People
seem to be more appreciative and excited … I really enjoy it.

“There’s nothing more special. It was how we were raised. It’s
kind of like coming home.”

Coming home and being themselves are their ultimate goal.

“As far as the sound goes, that’s all you can do. Go out there
and sound like yourself,” Newfield said.

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