Band Bios for Waukesha Rotary BluesFest 2025
Friday, August 8, 2025
Mitch Ryder
As a "white soul shouter from Detroit" (Rolling Stone) Mitch Ryder found international success in the mid 60's. Supported by his band The Detroit Wheels, he sold six million records by 1968 and placed four times in the top 10 of the US charts in just 14 months. Most notably 1966's "Devil With A Blue Dress", his highest-charting single at number four, as well as "Jenny Take A Ride!" which reached number 10 in 1965, and "Sock It To Me, Baby!", a number six hit in 1967. Ryder was the last person to perform with soul legend Otis Redding; they performed the song "Knock On Wood", on December 9, 1967, in Cleveland, Ohio on a local TV show. Redding died in a plane crash the following day.
In the early 70's, he formed the band Detroit that included guitarist Steve Hunter. They had a hit with their version of the Lou Reed song "Rock & Roll", which Reed liked enough to ask Steve Hunter to join his backing band. Detroit was tagged by the critics as the "American Rolling Stones". In 1983, Ryder returned to a major label with the John Mellencamp produced album Never Kick A Sleeping Dog. The album featured the Prince-penned "When You Were Mine." Bruce Springsteen is known for channeling Mitch when he performs his "Detroit Medley" in concert which features Ryder's singles; "Devil With A Blue Dress", "Jenny Take A Ride", "Good Golly Miss Molly" and "C.C. Rider".
In 2005, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. In 2009, Mitch was also inducted as a solo artist. In 2017 Mitch was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. Mitch's new studio record “With Love”, which was produced by Don Was (Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Iggy Pop), was released in February 2025 on Ruf Records.
Rocky Athas
Rocky Athas, known by critics and fans as "The Texas Tornado", "The Malice from Dallas", "The Young Eric Clapton" and "The Last Great Bluesbreaker Guitarist", possesses an arsenal of punishing guitar riffs and catchy hooks that have opened every door. Born in 1954, Texan Rocky Athas started playing guitar at school and performing at neighborhood gigs with good friend Stevie Ray Vaughan who were schoolmates and friends growing up in the Dallas, Texas suburbs. By age 23, Rocky was honored as one of the ten best guitarists in the state and in the late 70's and early 80's he was the creative vortex behind the band 'Lightning', one of the biggest draws in Texas nightclub history. His transition from Lightning to playing lead guitar for national acts was a significant leap, showcasing his versatility and appeal beyond the local scene. Collaborating with Jim Dandy and Black Oak Arkansas, Rocky not only contributed his guitar prowess but also his songwriting skills, penning hits that resonated with fans and further solidified his musical legacy. His contributions to “Ready as Hell” and “Wild Bunch” are enduring reminders of his creative spirit and technical expertise.
From recording his first solo album at Willie Nelson's studio with multi-Grammy winning producer, Jim Gaines to working with Buddy Miles and SRV's Double Trouble to Glenn Hughes to Joe Walsh and John Mayall, Rocky has a blues rock pedigree that reads like a Who's Who of musicians. His band of Texas musicians wowed audiences and ultimately led to John Mayall's invitation to join him as his guitarist. 2015 saw the release of the ultimate Rocky Athas collection highlighting his most crowd pleasing songs plus never before released tracks which pay tribute to his influences like Eric Clapton and Leslie West. The release of The Essential Rocky Athas - Volume I & II is hailed globally by critics as "a delectable album tailor-made for the blues enthusiast" filled with "delicious howling guitar riffs".
After carrying the mantle of the coveted role of lead guitarist with John Mayall's legendary Bluesbreakers for eight years, Rocky Athas returned to his successfully established solo career and in 2017, the much anticipated reunion between Rocky's good friend and multi-Grammy winning producer, Jim Gaines, delivered Shakin' the Dust to rave reviews! With his wonderfully crafted 2024 album, Livin’ My Best Life, Rocky gives his fans “ten bodacious tracks of high octane music” to encourage everyone to live their best lives. The album includes smokin' hot tributes to Jeff Beck and Peter Green and an instant classic performance by John Mayall on harmonica. Rocky delivers this musical message with his trademark soaring guitar pyro-technics, monstrous tone and iconic Texas style. Don't miss this authentic Texas guitar legend and former Bluesbreaker!
Dustin Arbuckle & The Damnations
Dustin Arbuckle and The Damnations are not a band you can easily associate with one specific genre, and that's how they planned it. Arbuckle, a veteran of the progressive roots music scene whose singing and harmonica playing first came into prominence in Moreland & Arbuckle, has been kicking up fresh dust with The Damnations since 2017. A musician of vast appetites, he’s long held an appreciation for traditional American music in the vein of Charley Patton as well as the cross-pollinated sounds of The Band or Stax-style soul. The diverse musical sensibilities of The Damnations (Brandon Hudspeth on guitar, Caleb Drummond or Mark Foley on bass, and Colby Aiken on Drums) allow for all of that along with occasional forays into deep country and even jazz. “When we started playing together we all wanted the band to be a space where we could play anything we wanted to," Arbuckle notes, "and that's created this cross-genre electric Americana vibe."
"This band was Dustin's idea," comments Foley, "and we had to put it together fast because there were already shows lined up. He just shotgunned and called some of the best musicians he knew, and it turned into this army of generals! We all kind of knew this band was something special between us pretty much from the first time we played together. We had only three rehearsals before our first show, and they felt really good, and now, every time we play there's always something new. Because Brandon and Dustin are so deeply schooled in roots music, and have a wide range of tastes, we've got this musical vocabulary we can draw on. It’s kind of how jazz musicians talk, like “let’s do a Miles Davis vibe on this”.
Multiple rounds of touring across North America and Europe, along with two self-released EPs, have made the band tighter and tighter and helped to lay the groundwork for their first full-length album, My Getaway (released September 2020). The record spans a range of styles and moods from a Hill Country stomp through cranked up Fender Twins to Nick Cave riffing on Led Zeppelin III or the Laurel Canyon sound filtered through a southern swamp.
"This is definitely a collaborative band," Hudspeth offers. "A lot of the songs are built on us all throwing ideas around and adding our own layers in. There are also parts where we stretch, where we explore this weird free-form thing; we're just kinda playing off each other and it builds up to a point and then goes back into the song so it helps propel everything".
"One of the biggest compliments we tend to get from people," Arbuckle adds, "be it other musicians or promoters or fans is that our style is truly Americana, because we bring together so many different aspects of American music to make something unique. With this band, and this record in particular, we're really trying to paint a big canvas. We've each brought our own distinct and different influences to the table, and because of the way we've used that to cultivate our sound, this record really reinforces what the driving idea behind the band has been since we started. It all comes together in a really cohesive way and feels like us".
Blues Addiction
A Blues Addiction show will leave you speechless. Whether you’re a blues enthusiast, or just someone who knows good music when you hear it, Blues Addiction's powerful vocals, captivating guitar licks and tight rhythm section will keep you entertained for hours. Get ready to shake your tail feather because as long as you have a pulse, your foot will be tapping and your soul will be moving to this highly rhythmic craving!
Blues Addiction is made up of trained, skilled musicians playing the blues classics we all know and love while providing a twist of improv and a dash of personal flavor. Their set list is sure to offer a little something for everyone!
Troublemakers
Troublemakers are a four piece Waukesha area based band bringing a new dimension to traditional blues and blues/rock covers. A regular on the Southeast Wisconsin live music scene, the band makes their first appearance at Waukesha Rotary BluesFest this summer.
ROCKONSIN 2025 Finalist
Waukesha Rotary BluesFest is proud to present a finalist band from the 2025 ROCKONSIN youth garage band competition at the festival once again this summer in support of youth musicians.
Saturday, August 9, 2025
Marcia Ball with The Jimmys
“Fifty years have passed in a flash,” says pianist, songwriter, and vocalist Marcia Ball of her long and storied career. Ball, the 2018 Texas State Musician Of The Year, has won worldwide fame and countless fans for her ability to ignite a full-scale roadhouse party every time she takes the stage. Born in Orange, Texas and raised in Vinton, Louisiana, her deep Acadian heritage and a lifetime of absorbing Gulf Coast rhythm and blues is evident in her original songs and the classics she chooses to cover. This has made her a one-of-a-kind favorite with music lovers all over the world. With each new release, her reputation as a profoundly soulful singer, a boundlessly talented pianist and a courageous, inventive songwriter continues to grow. Her love of the road has led to years of soul-satisfying performances at festivals, concert halls and clubs.
In Marcia’s most recent album, Shine Bright, she has put together the most musically substantial, hopeful and uplifting set of songs of her five-decade career. Produced by Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) and recorded in Texas and Louisiana, Shine Bright contains twelve songs (including eight originals), ranging from the title track’s rousing appeal for public and private acts of courage to the upbeat call to action of Pots And Pans, a song inspired by renowned Texas political writer and humorist Molly Ivins. From the humorous advice of Life Of The Party to the poignantly optimistic World Full Of Love, the intensity of Ball’s conviction never wavers while, simultaneously, the fun never stops. “It is a ridiculously hopeful, cheerful record,” she says, in light of some of the album’s more serious subject matter. The secret, according to Ball “is to set the political songs to a good dance beat.”
Marcia grew up in a family whose female members all played piano and she began taking lessons at age five, playing old Tin Pan Alley and popular music tunes from her grandmother’s collection. But it wasn’t until she was 13 that Marcia discovered the power of soul music. One day in 1962, she sat amazed as Irma Thomas performed on a show at the Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans and delivered the most spirited and moving performance the young teenager had ever seen. A few years later she attended Louisiana State University and after dropping out to explore the brave new hippie world of the late 1960s, she was invited to try out for a blues-based rock band called Gum. She made the cut and her future was set.
In 1970, Ball left Baton Rouge for San Francisco. Her car broke down in Austin, and while waiting for repairs she fell in love with the city and decided to stay. It wasn’t long before she was performing in local clubs with a band called Freda and The Firedogs, a group that pioneered the Progressive Country movement, which attracted many musicians and significant media attention to Austin. It was around this time that she discovered Professor Longhair, the seminal New Orleans piano player. “Once I found out about Professor Longhair,” recalls Ball, “I knew I had found my direction.”
When Freda and The Firedogs broke up in 1974, Ball launched her solo career and began touring outside of Texas and Louisiana. She signed with Capitol Records in 1977, debuting with the country-rock album Circuit Queen. As she created and honed her own sound, she released six critically acclaimed titles on the Rounder Records label during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1990, Ball—collaborating with Angela Strehli and Lou Ann Barton—recorded the hugely successful Dreams Come True on the Antone’s label. At the end of 1997, Marcia finished work on a similar “three divas of the blues” project for Rounder, this time in the distinguished company of Tracy Nelson and her longtime inspiration, Irma Thomas. The CD, Sing It!, was released in 1998 and was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Marcia Ball has appeared many times on national television over the years, including the PBS special In Performance At The White House along with B.B. King and Della Reese, Austin City Limits and HBO’s Treme. She performed in Piano Blues, the film directed by Clint Eastwood included in Martin Scorsese’s The Blues series which aired on PBS television nationwide in 2003. Marcia also appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman with The New Orleans Social Club, where she not only reached millions of people, but also helped to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. In 2012, she had a role in the independent film Angels Sing starring Harry Connick, Jr., Lyle Lovett and Willie Nelson. In 2017 she performed on NPR’s A Jazz Piano Christmas, live from The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
Ball joined Alligator Records in 2001 with the release of the critically acclaimed Presumed Innocent. The CD won the 2002 Blues Music Award for Blues Album Of The Year. Her follow-up, So Many Rivers, was nominated for a Grammy Award, and won the 2004 Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year as well as the coveted Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year award. Her next release, Live! Down The Road, released in 2005, also garnered a Grammy nomination, as did 2008’s Peace, Love & BBQ (the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart). She holds eleven Blues Music Awards, ten Living Blues Awards, and five Grammy Award nominations. 2010’s Grammy-nominated Roadside Attractions and 2014’s The Tattooed Lady And The Alligator Man successfully grew her fan base even further.
She has been inducted into both the Gulf Coast Music Hall Of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame. The Texas State legislature named her the official 2018 Texas State Musician. In 2018, Marcia was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.
Since March of 2020 and the onset of the COVID pandemic and subsequent lock-down, Marcia has filled her time with work on a nonprofit organization she co-founded called HOME – Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers, which pays rent and utilities for older musicians in the Austin area: www.HOMEaustin.org.
Don’t miss Marcia Ball as she brings her unique musical gumbo to Waukesha Rotary BluesFest with the backing of Wisconsin favorites, The Jimmys. The Jimmys are an award-winning festival favorite bringing people together from coast to coast, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean for over twelve years. The Jimmys feature band leader Jimmy Voegeli phenomenal Hammond B-3 keyboardist, singer and songwriter; an experienced killer rhythm section steeped in blues with Perry Weber on guitar, Chris Sandoval on drums and John Wartenwieler on bass and the icing on the cake is the best horn section in the Midwest, Pete Ross on saxophone, Mike Boman on trumpet and Joe Goltz on trombone. It doesn’t get any better than this, The Jimmys deliver!
Parker Barrow
Parker Barrow, the blues-infused Southern rock band led by husband and wife duo Megan Kane (vocals) and Dylan Turner (drums), supported by the formidable Alex Bender (guitar) is a powerhouse group, taking the stage by storm as anything from a 5-piece to a 10-piece band – boasting a distinctive musical style. Forged from an immediate connection, the band finds inspiration in the infamous duo of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Kane and Turner aim to infuse their music with the iconic energy of a dynamic duo, portraying a narrative where, instead of evading the law, they are a dynamic pair in pursuit of their rock ‘n’ roll dreams.
Unleashing their full creative force, the band poured everything into their inaugural 10-track album, Jukebox Gypsies, released on August 11, 2023. This collection of songs chronicles the couple’s four-year journey, from a serendipitous meeting to navigating life on the road in an RV, capturing both the highs and lows. Each song serves as a reflection of their emotions and experiences, discovering a harmonious balance amid the chaos. “One of the best parts of releasing this album was getting to hear that people are connecting with our music and hearing people talk about our music the way we talk about some of our favorite bands,” Kane and Turner gushed. “It’s been an awesome ride with this record and we’re still enjoying the wave till we reach the shore and can paddle back out for round two!”
Drawing significant inspiration from The Black Crowes, The Allman Brothers Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Whiskey Myers, Parker Barrow seamlessly incorporates blues into each arrangement. The band’s true brilliance emerges in their live performances, marked by lively flights and a showcase of their grounded charisma. Turner and Kane, bound by a shared vision, genuine passion, and a love for life on the road, hold their relationship in high esteem through music and faith. As kindred spirits, they eagerly anticipate continuing to create and perform together in this next chapter of life. Whether in intimate acoustic sets or impactful full-band shows, it’s clear that the couple is precisely where they should be.
Leroy Airmaster with Junior Brantley
In the 1980s, Leroy Airmaster was the dominant blues band in a vibrant live blues music scene in southeastern Wisconsin. They performed constantly, and released four well received recordings. They received numerous Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) awards for best blues group. The bands origins grew from Whitefish Bay High School class mates Bill Stone, Dave Kasik, Marc Wilson and Steve Cohen then known as the Stone-Cohen Blues Band. They were inspired by blues/rock bands like Cream and Jimi Hendrix, and later by seminal Chess artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf and Little Walter, as well as local bands Ox, The New Blues, and later Short Stuff.
A chance jam in Cedarburg in 1978 with Kasik, Cohen and Wilson’s brother, Tom, set things in motion. The name Leroy Airmaster refers to a West Allis manufactured air compressor jackhammer. No one in the band was ever named Leroy. Within six months of playing local gigs at places like Dr.Feelgood’s Bluenote, Stone once again joined the band. In 1982, drummer Vodie Rhinehart replaced Wilson, and was with the band until his sudden death in June of 2014. The members of the most popular version of the group reformed in 2010, and continue to perform their unique blend of blues, jazz and rock music today. Not content to rehash classic blues licks, Steve Cohen (harmonica) and Bill Stone’s (guitar) solo styles rely heavily on a jazz approach, but never lose the gutsy blues framework that made the band so popular. With powerhouse drummer Marc Wilson and original bassist Dave Kasik, Leroy Airmaster continues to satisfy audiences with their musical prowess, tasteful song selections, and dynamic delivery.
Joining Leroy Airmaster for this special show is former Short Stuff keyboardist and vocalist Junior Brantley. Junior Brantley started his career in Milwaukee in the early 1960s, performing with Sonny Boy Williamson and others at local venues. In the mid-1960s, his group, Junior and The Classics, had a breakout hit on a national record label and they opened for the Rolling Stones during their first Milwaukee concert.
By 1970, Brantley was providing keys and vocals for Milwaukee preeminent blues group, Short Stuff. After Short Stuff’s breakup, Brantley spent three years performing with Milwaukee blues group, Leroy Airmaster. In the late 1980s, Brantley toured with Jimmy Vaughan, Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. He later toured with Roomful Of Blues. In 1992, Junior moved to Las Vegas, where he plays with his own groups including the Del Vikings and the Shuffle Aires. Junior Brantley regularly returns to play shows in his native Milwaukee.
Danny Garwood & Company
Danny Garwood has been passionately playing guitar for six years, drawing inspiration from artists like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Gales, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Based in Nashville, TN, his mission is to keep the blues alive and pass it on to the next generation of musicians. His journey began at the age of 10, when he attended his first jam session and was invited to play. This experience ignited a deep love for the guitar, leading to regular jam sessions and live performances starting at age 11.
In 2022, Danny competed in the Dallas International Guitar Festival's “10 under 20” competition. During the festival, Ally Venable invited him on stage, resulting in a viral YouTube video with over 5 million views. This exposure led to opportunities to open for Ally in Houston, TX, and Nashville, TN. In 2023, Danny returned to the “10 under 20” competition, earning 3rd place as the youngest competitor. Danny has had the honor of sharing the stage with Buddy Guy and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville during Buddy's Farewell Tour. He has hosted the youth blues jam at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, MS, in conjunction with the International Blues Challenge.
As a two-time Masterclass alum of the Pinetop Perkins Foundation workshops in Clarksdale, Danny has honed his craft under the guidance of blues legends, including Bob Margolin of the Muddy Waters Band. Danny plays regular live shows with his Nashville based trio, Danny Garwood & Company which includes Christopher Kirk on bass and Milwaukee native, Jenna Kopitske on drums.
Hi-Fi Comets
Firing up their own intense combination of old school rhythm and blues, rockabilly, soul and blues, the Hi-Fi Comets celebrate American music with big sounds - booming upright bass, incendiary reverb-driven guitar, propulsive swinging drums, and soaring vocals. The Hi-Fi Comets are Southern Wisconsin’s premier rockin’ and rollin’ rhythm and blues power trio.
Too Sick Charlie
Too Sick Charlie and his genuine one man band have gained a reputation of playing uncompromising, no-nonsense roots music that spans folk blues to American street harmonica. With his 3 string cigar box guitar he picks out foot tappin’ licks and lays down some solid beats with his drum kit. And throw in some soulful harp for good measure. “Some people play music like a lotta people don’t…”