It won’t take drag racer Sammy Eubanks long to travel from Post Falls to the Bing for his New Year’s gig
It’s not surprising that Sammy Eubanks is tempted to speed while driving Interstate 90.
It’s all about adrenaline for the Post Falls vocalist-guitarist. Eubanks’ life is split between performing on stage and drag racing.
“The feeling I get from racing and playing music live is exactly the same,” Eubanks said. “I get the same feeling driving at a high speed as I do while onstage when people are cheering and calling for songs.”
The common denominator between racing and live performance is that both activities are filed under entertainment. Each activity calls for Eubanks to travel around the country.
“That’s just the way it goes,” Eubanks said. “The upside is that I get to see and experience different parts of the country. The downside is that I’m not here as much as I would like to be.”
The California native, who grew up at Priest Lake, Idaho, will be in town to ring in New Year’s. The first stop Saturday is an acoustic solo set at the Bing Crosby Theater at 6:30 p.m. After his hourlong gig, Eubanks will play the Ruby River Hotel.
“I’ll be playing some classic rock and some blues tunes,” Eubanks said. “I’ll play what people want to hear. There are certain songs I have to play. People are always screaming for me to play The Kentucky Headhunters’ ‘Shuffling Back to Memphis.’ ”
Fans also scream for Eubanks’ amusing “Dancing Like a White Guy.”
“That’s a song a lot of people can relate to,” Eubanks said. “I have a great time with that one.”
If push came to shove for Eubanks, he would choose drag racing over music.
“Drag racing is my passion,” Eubanks said. “I absolutely love it. Much like music, I’ve been around drag racing all my life. My dad worked in the automotive world. I caught the car and racing bug with him in California when it was taking off during the late ’60s.”
Eubanks moved to Priest Lake in 1976 and marvels how little has changed.
“It’s not that different from when I was a child,” Eubanks said. “I was just at Priest Lake for lunch during Christmas visiting my mother and stepfather. It really looks the same and that’s kind of magical. How many places can you say that about? But then Spokane is a different animal. I can’t believe how different it is from say, 1983. But it’s a great city that has ebbed and flowed over the years. I could live anywhere in the country, but I love living in Post Falls. When we need something in town, we’re just a short drive to Spokane.”
It’s a short drive the way Eubanks handles a car.
“When I’m on the road, well, let’s just say that I don’t dilly dally,” Eubanks said. “Let’s just say that I let it fly.”
Eubanks has seen cars reach speeds of 336 mph and has been clocked at 145 mph during a drag race.
“I’ve gone faster than that while driving on open roads in Montana,” Eubanks said. “But I love it. I’m crazy about music, but there’s nothing like that speed when you’re behind the wheel. There’s nothing like those nitro funny cars and those Top Fuel cars. They just fly. The great thing about my life is that I can have fun with both music and drag racing. I can be off at a drag race in Texas one week and be back here to ring in the New Year in Spokane.”