• I thought you were dead, a story from Vietnam
Written and Published January 13, 2020
To count the number of personal stories from any war would be impossible at best. But of all the wars our country has fought, none have left such a devastating effect on its Veterans as the war in Vietnam.
See, when our men and women came home from their tours of duty, they were met not by compassion, rather by insults and apathy. Wounds of the body may heal, but those of the spirit last forever.
Dan Kouba and the Journeymen, a band from Hillsboro, Wisconsin, recently recorded a new single called “Name Tag”, that would at least pay homage to the special bond that all Veterans have for their comrades, especially those they served with in combat or likewise.
• Dan Kouba and the Journeymen pay tribute to Hillsboro fallen soldier and comrades
Written and Published August 25, 2019
Last Friday night Beezers Bar and Grill located in Hillsboro, Wisconsin, hosted Dan Kouba and the Journeymen who played a gig honoring veterans both past and present, and some members of the United States Army’s 724th Transportation Company.
Those present from the Company were there in supporting the family of Army Pfc. Gregory R. Goodrich of Bartonville, Illinois, who was KIA on April 9, 2004 while serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom when his convoy came under attack. Goodrich was 37 at the time. Goodrich was the nephew of band member and lead guitarist Joe Havlik.
• Music that heals: After heart surgery, Dan Kouba finds therapy in songwriting
Written and Published May 5, 2019
When he writes a song or plays the guitar, Dan Kouba does it from the bottom of his stitched-together heart. He’s written songs about his mother, about small-town life, about an accident that took the fingers on his right hand.
He considers himself neither an exceptional guitarist nor an exceptional singer, but when he plays with his band, Dan Kouba and the Journeymen, he is in his element.
“I don’t get nervous before playing — just excited,” said Kouba, 67, of Hillsboro. “People say that it shows.” The band plays a mix of original songs and covers, mostly classic rock. They’ve gained steam and notoriety, Kouba said, by playing live shows and getting a few songs on WRCO Radio in Richland Center.
• A life-changing musical experience Dan Kouba and The Journeymen to host CD Release Party
Written and Published April 11, 2018
They don’t take things too seriously, perform once a week at the Hillsboro Brewing Company and simply like to play music together – for the fun of it.
Hillsboro native Dan Kouba and the Journeymen will release their first CD, Open Heart, on Saturday April 28, at a special 6:30p.m. event at the Hillsboro Fireman’s Community Center.
The whole thing came about when Kouba had an eye opening “change in life” on April 28, 2015, undergoing triple-by-pass open-heart surgery at the St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, his second heart procedure in seven years. Managing 82 employees and a fast-growing Hillsboro well drilling business, Kouba figured out the stress of business ownership was driving him to an early grave.