Last modified: Monday, April 14, 2008 1:02 AM EDT Massachusetts country The members of Attleboro band Country Mile, with Glenn Petrucci, far right, on bass guitar and vocals at a recent gig. (Submitted) Going the extra Country Mile By James A. Merolla / Sun Chronicle Staff "When we figure out the rest of the dance We'll be sure to let you know Here in Massachusetts we just heard about country So forgive us if we're slow. Massachusetts Country - I ain't ever heard those words Massachusetts Country - Silliest words I've heard. - From Country Mile's song "Massachusetts Country" ATTLEBORO - They are, and have gone, that Country Mile. These good old boys have been around the block many times. Winners of the Massachusetts Country Music Awards Association's Horizon Award, the Wormtown Magazine Country Act of the Year and many others, the Attleboro-based band has played at state fairs, with symphony orchestras, in every state and setting in New England. On April 26, they return to Harvard University for a Chili Cook Off with the Harvard Business School's Texas Club, the fourth time they've been asked back. Comprised presently (personnel has changed over their tenure) of Ed Freeman, 53, on lead guitar, vocals, piano and harp; Paul Ciccio, 54, on drums, percussion; Glenn Petrucci, 55, on bass and vocals; and, new to the band, Geoff Sullivan, a whopping 31, on lead vocals, rhythm guitar and banjo. The core of the band has been together for nine years. Petrucci and Ciccio are from Attleboro, Freeman hails from Halifax and Sullivan is originally from Norwood. While they play many gigs year round, Freeman is in marketing during the weekdays, Ciccio is a field tech in electronics and Petrucci, who spoke for the group, is in customer service for a mill house. Only Sullivan is a full time singer/musician. SUN CHRONICLE: I read the lyrics for "Massachusetts Country." That song is a hoot, as they say down South. How country is Massachusetts? GLENN PETRUCCI: Massachusetts is more country than what people think. We get all ages at our shows. Where country has crossed over to pop stations, country has really caught the interest of a lot of the younger age. Country music is more mainstream music now. Nashville acts are having great tours in the New England area. SC: Your band members have more than 75 years of experience collectively. Is that good or too old to keep kickin' that kind of music? PETRUCCI: Seventy-five years of experience in music helped us bring together a very good blend of styles to create the sound we like to hear in the country music that we play, which is a good thing. We like to keep our music fresh sounding. We'll never be too old to keep kickin' this kind of music. SC: You've been called the best New England country music show band by many people. Why do you think that is? PETRUCCI: We are a high energy band that plays quality music and plays new country and old country to please everyone. We have fun on stage and it projects onto the audience which, in turn, produces a very good time. SC: You've got a couple of Italians and a Portuguese guy in your band. Shouldn't you be doing opera? PETRUCCI: You would think we should do opera, but I have never seen an opera singer with cowboy boots on before, but there's always a first time for anything! SC: What would you like to say to people who don't "get" or appreciate your kind of music around here? PETRUCCI: There is always someone who comes up to the band and says they hate country, but love listening to us. All I can say is give it a try once, and if you like it, try it twice. SC: Everyone in show business has great backstage or onstage stories. What's the funniest thing that ever happened to your band? PETRUCCI: Having your own sound system take a vacation just as you sing your first note is a good one, only to lose 20 pounds trying to find a way around that situation. SC: You've played every kind of gig imaginable, with symphony orchestras to state fairs. You head to Harvard on April 26. A return gig. Tell me all about that. PETRUCCI: We've played at Harvard for the past four years, I think, and it is for their Chili Club Cook Off that they have every year. They found us through the Internet and I remember - after that first stroke on the guitar - they knew that it was going to be a real good time and their eyes went wide. Our problem was that we couldn't stop eating the chili, and we paid for that. We had the campus guards all lined up listening to us on a very cold day. SC: What's the best place to play around here in the commonwealth or New England? Why? PETRUCCI: There are so many places, and to (name) one place overall to say (is) the best is a very tough call. Tequila's Bar and Grill (in Danvers) would be my choice, where the other guys in the band might say Indian Ranch or Amesbury Playhouse or Sons of Italy on the Cape has a great room to gig in, or the fairs. My reason for Tequila's Bar and Grill is that you're close to everyone. They all dance, which is a great sight to see, and the sound engineer is one of the best we ever worked with. The college gigs are fun, too. SC: How long do you think you'll do this? What sign would get you to slow down? PETRUCCI: These two questions are pretty close to home. I'm amazed at these questions you chose for me. As for the band members, we would do it until we can't get up out of our chairs. We all love this business too much to ever quit. We all say, "I'm getting too old for this," but we keep going as if we are in our 20s. Beginning of last year, I suffered six blocked arteries and had a triple bypass. I really thought that this would be the end of me playing. After the operation, I couldn't pick up my bass guitar. It was too heavy for me to lift. Six weeks after the operation, I was able to lift the bass, and was able to play for an hour, which brought me a great deal of comfort and a long nap after that. It took me 14 weeks to get back into playing again. I thought that was my sign to slow down, but my doctors up there in Boston insist I keep on going. At the end of last year, I was diagnosed with kidney cancer and, again, I thought I was done. We found out that it is 100 percent curable and I was back after five weeks playing. I'll always keep a positive attitude. My ideal sign would be like my friend, John, who played the violin for years. John was at a rehearsal at a nearby college, I believe with the orchestra, and when he got home, he turned on his favorite show on the TV, sat down while his wife made him some tea, and asked him how was his rehearsal today? And John replied, "It was one of the best I ever had." When his wife came into the room with his tea, John passed into peace. That to me would be my sign. JAMES A. MEROLLA can be reached at 508-236-0431 or at jmerolla@thesunchronicle.com.