The Great Outdoors is a Country, Country/Rock band based out of Fargo, ND. The band features Ramon Gonzalez on vocals, fiddle, and keyboards, and Peter Wilber on vocals and lead guitar. Keeping the bottom for The Great Outdoors is Jenny Zastoupil on bass and vocals, along with Greg (Stubby) Westbrook banging on the drums.

The Great Outdoors focus is on danceable Country music, and get your body moving 80's Rock N Roll. We love it when the crowd gets going on the dance floor and strive to keep them there. The band can shift easily from Classic Country hits by Merle Haggard , Alabama, and Johnny Cash to today's New country like Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean and Martina McBride. Fiddle music the likes of The Charlie Daniels Band will keep folks on the edge of their seats. As the night progresses, you can hear tunes from Tom Petty, Wilson Pickett, 4 Non Blondes, John (Cougar) Mellencamp, and even Puddle Of Mudd.

Overall, a night with The Great Outdoors is sure to be an entertaining evening.

The Great Outdoors have been in the Fargo, ND/Moorhead, MN area for close to 10 years. They have performed all around the tri-state region, and even ventured into Wisconsin and Michigan. The band has an outstanding reputation for entertaining all kinds of audiences.

A Brief History

The Great Outdoors was started by Rock Menge (bass)and Casey Conners (guitar) in 1998. The band enlisted Eric (Rico) Lorenz to front the band. On drums was one of Fargo's finest Steve Grendahl. The group played all over the Fargo/ Moorhead area gaining a following that would last for years. When Casey left the band, the guitar spot was filled by Kyle Christensen. Kyle also worked with local band Carmen The Cactus.

In January of 2006, the band had a major overhaul. Rico, Steve, and Kyle all wanted to pursue other ventures. Rico went to Fargo band SOL, and Kyle went full time with Carmen The Cactus. Steve continued playing with a couple of local bands and working at Fargo's biggest music store, Marguerites.

Ramon Gonzalez (vocals, keyboards, fiddle), and Greg Westbrook (drums) from North Carolina based Stampede, joined the band along with Robert Merlin (guitar), former Dirty Word vet. The Great Outdoors returned to more of a country repertoire and extended the travel region to include WI.

Robert left his position with The Great Outdoors early summer of 2006. Paul Bucks from Kentucky came in to play lead, and brought with him a wide variety of songs from classic country to 80's rock n roll.

Replacing Paul in June of 2007, is Peter Wilber from Grand Forks, ND. Peter had been playing with Grand Forks local band Mischief, among other notable acts.

Jenny Zastoupil, from East Grand Forks, MN, is the latest member to join replacing Rock Menge on bass.

The rest is yet to be written.