Bios

Dan Peters

guitar, lead vocals, songwriter - Dan has put his guitar and vocal skills to work for several high profile regional acts including: The Big Swing, The Vanguard Aces, Susie Dobbs and Way Out West, Sway Chicago, Sam Burckhardt, Professor John, The Tom Carey Band and Tommy Vitale amongst others. Career highlights include: being a top finalist in the 2007 North American Rock Guitar Competition, performing with Jules Holland of Squeeze for a BBC television special on Chicago blues, playing with The Vanguard Aces on Cupid (a former prime-time TV show for ABC starring Jeremy Piven) and winning Chicago's Hottest Guitarist Contest in 1994 (sponsored by Budweiser and Washburn Guitars)

Equipment:
Guitars - 2 Gretsch Nashville 6120 1960 reissues,
Gibson Tal Farlow, Fender American Telecaster Deluxe, Takamine Sante Fe acoustic, '76 Gibson Les Paul Custom, Tomahawk Custom Strat w/EMG active pickups

Amps - Budda Superdrive 45 w/2 12 closed back cabinet. Fender prosonic w/2 ten inch speakers.
Mesa Boogie Mark 4 combo.

Effects & things - Hughes & Kettner Replex Tube Delay unit, Dunlop Crybaby Wah,
Boss Blues Driver, Boss Compressor, Boss TU tuner, Boss Octave

Picks & Strings - Dunlop Tortex picks
Pure Tone, D'Addario & DR Handmade strings - gauge .011 to .049

Musical Influences:
There are almost too many to list. Here are the ones most obvious to this project.
Brian Setzer, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, Wes Montgomery, Joe Satriani, Dick Dale, Johnny Cash, Steve Vai, Jimmy Bryant and, of course, William Shatner.

Favorite movie: Pulp Fiction

Favorite actor: Ernest Borgnine

Favorite food: barbequed ribs

Favorite movie quote: Put the f----in' lotion the basket!!

Hobbies: Levitating, movies in Esperanto, jello wrestling

People often think I'm: The banjo player from "Deliverance"

Influential Albums: Led Zeppelin II, Van Halen I, Black Sabbath - Paranoid, Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood, Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of, Brian Setzer Orchestra - The Dirty Boogie

Favorite Singers: Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, Ronnie James Dio, Frank Sinatra, Otis Redding

Derek Brand

Bass - Derek is best known as the long time bassist of respected Chicago based artist Nicholas Tremulis, who's he's recorded and toured the world with. Nicholas had two critically acclaimed albums on Island Records in the early 90's. Through his tenure with Nick, Derek has had the distinct pleasure of performing on stage with such legendary musicians as Billy Corgan, Rick Nielson & Bun E. Carlos, Hubert Sumlin, Steve Earle, Ronnie Spector, Mavis Staples, Ian Hunter, Maceo Parker and Rick Danko to name a few. Currently, Derek also performs regularly with singer/violinist Heather Horton.

Equipment:
Bass - Lakland Hollowbody Bass

Amps - Ashdown ABM 500, Polytone Mini Brute III

Cabinets - SWR Goliath Cabinets (various)

Other - Retrospec DI

Influences:
Duck Dunn, Aston Barrot, Larry Graham, James Jamerson, Jimmy Garrison

Best bass: Lakland

Best bass: Large mouth

Most commonly mistaken for: A German tourist

Favorite Movie: The General with Buster Keaton

Favorite meal: veggies and fiber

Favorite actor: Victor Buono

Influential Albums: Otis Redding - Monterey Pop, Bob Marley & The Wailers - Natty Dread, Graham Central Station - any record, 88 Great Original Motown Hits, Hank Garland - Jazz Winds From A New Direction

Kyle Olson

Drums/Backing Vocals - Kyle began his professional drumming career being the only underage member of a
Minneapolis blues band while he was in high school. At Elmhurst College, Kyle played in the Elmhurst College Jazz Band for five years while pursing a double degree in Music Business/Music Education. That ensemble toured Europe each year including performances at the North Sea, Montreaux and Umbria Jazz Festivals.

The group also performed with many guest artists including Randy Brecker, Clark Terry and Terry Gibbs. Since college, Kyle has been playing with several groups around Chicago including the now-defunct acid-jazz group Peking Turtle featuring Typhanie Monique on vocals.

Kyle also stays busy teaching percussion lessons at
his home and through Elmhurst College and is a
stay-at-home dad to his 4 children.

Equipment:
Drums - 60's (Early 70's?) Pearl Black/Gold Tiger Stripe
12" Rack Tom w/ suspension mount - Evans coated G2
14" Floor Tom w/ suspension mount - Evans coated G2
20" Kick w/ interior-mount Blue Kickball mic -Aquarian Superkick
14" Remo Mondo Snare (w/ Synthetic conga top head)

Cymbals (Most of the time depending on the room)-
Bosphorus 20" Versa Ride Zildjian 14" A (60's?) Hi Hats Zildjian 17" A (60's?) Crash Sabian 16" Crash/Ride

Musical Influences:
The Monkees, Van Morrison, Counting Crows, Pearl Jam, Rush, The Roots, Metallica, Radiohead, The Police, Led Zeppelin, Ben Folds, Clem Snide

Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption

Favorite meal: Pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting

Favorite actor: Sean Penn

Favorite Actress: Naomi Watts

Hobbies: having children, sleeping, Olympic Curling, paying bills, mowing the lawn, playing Barbies

Influential Albums: John Denver & the Muppets - A Christmas Together, The Bad Plus - These are the Vistas, D'Angelo - Voodoo, Trailer Trash - Live at Lee's

People often think I'm: a jerk!!

Sometimes people think I'm: Drew Carey