The Hard Coal Boys
Robb Bomboy, Randy Brendle, RJ Renteria, Matt Harrison, and Van Wagner

"Steeped in old timey music!"

“ Deez here boys is steeped, and I mean steeped with
old timey sauces and seasonings."

spoken by Old Man Larkin from Shmuts-dike Valley

Music from the Pennsylvania hard coal region. The Hard Coal Boys blend foot-stompin' bluegrass with gentle mountain ballads to create a live show you'll never forget. All of the members of the band have either worked underground, or have family who worked in the mines. They are a one of a kind group of talented and authentic musicians.

(August 11th, 2001...independent coal miners picinic...Hegins PA)

Band biograpghy:

MATT HARRISON
Matt is hairy.  Matt's family worked in the iron industry of Danville PA for many years.  Iron ore, limestone, and HARD COAL!   Matt plays just about anything with strings (including shoes).  Matt is the creative genius in the group.
 

RJ RENTERIA
RJ (AKA Rahalio, Roger, Hodge, Midget) comes from good stock.  His family worked underground in the ore mines of Danville PA.  HE was born with only one foot but he can still dance like a champ.  RJ brings some latin
American flavor to the band.
 

VAN WAGNER
Van Wagner is a working coal miner from Schuylkill county Pennsylvania. He works part-time for R&R Coal company as a laborer. He has been performing music since he was a young boy in Danville Pennsylvania. He has performed all over the world; Scotland, Arizona, England, North Carolina and many more. His music has been featured on several movie soundtracks, and has appeared on the History channel. Van has released several CD’s of songs written about his life in Pennsylvania. It is also rumored that Van once killed a grizzly with his mandolin.
 

ROBB BOMBOY
Robb is the Hard Coal Boys living link to the past. His mothers lineage go directly to a convicted Molly Maguire from the Anthracite region. “Swingin’ Pete”, as he was referred to after his fate with the gallows, was an Irish miner who got caught up in the violence that plagued Pennsylvania’s early mining era. Robb has performed all over the United States. A native of Danville PA, Robb now lives in Winchester Virginia. Folks around Winchester claim Robb has caught a 25 inch Rainbow Trout with a guitar string.
 

RANDY BRENDLE
Randy is the fiddlinest, dancinest, and singinist man in the world. He is the son of life-long iron ore miner, Winfield Brendle. Winfield worked over 20 years in the Grace Iron Mines for Bethlehem Steel. Randy has the ruff, course hands of an iron miner, yet he glides on his fiddle like liquid velvet. Randy has performed all over the country, From the Arizona grand canyon, to Jerseytown PA, and north to Alaska. Randy is a native of Mohnton Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania dutch call Randy “Hinder-shitz”…which means ‘man who can make the turtles dance.’  Randy no longer stays in touch with the group and seems to not like the band any more.
 

Concert dates:

this band imploaded and has no current plans to reunite.