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The Commander
April 6, 2018 - April 7, 2018
The perfect spring break getaway
Jennifer, or “J-Mach,” is a suburban MN girl who is grateful to have the opportunity to perform with INCREDIBLE local talent. She grew up around mainly Gospel and Contemporary Christian music (first vinyl was Amy Grant – Heart in Motion), eventually sneaking listens to KDWB and singing along with every Pop, Alternative Rock, and R&B song that hit the airwaves.
Eager to be a performer since about age 3, she jumped at E-VER-Y opportunity to sing, including karaoke, church worship band, school performances, friends’ weddings (eventually even her own!!), and (her personal favorite) the main stage at the major CCM festival in MN after winning their singing competition. Unfortunately, music took a back seat for a bit when she chose to major in Psychology rather than Music Performance.
After a decade+ of singing on a very casual basis, however, she decided that she would put her God-given talent and passion to more regular use. She first landed a gig with a bluesy brass band called Steamhouse, where she begun to really expand her vocal range and learn to sing smarter. Looking for better opportunities to perform more regularly, she then joined The EXPRESS Band and enjoyed this talented group about 4 years, during which she was pushed to learn how to have a dynamic stage presence and balance a more demanding performance schedule.
At the end of 2022, she chose to scale back for the sake of having more time with her favorite people (aka the fam). Shirts & Skins, with whom she had already had the pleasure of performing on a few previous occasions, was the obvious choice that would allow her to keep her family first while also continuing to grow as a vocalist/performer and have a ridiculous amount of fun while doing so.
She is extremely honored to be a member of Shirts and Skins, often feeling like she is not worthy of the honor, but vows to give her everything at every show because anything less would be a waste of everyone’s time!
My name is Grace Rondeau and I have been singing/performing since I was old enough to stand on the booths at restaurants and sing my heart out to all the lovely people eating.
My parents and family knew from a young age that music was very special to me which then led them to put me in piano and guitar lessons, from then on I tried musicals and sang at every talent show/ competition possible. Choir was always my favorite class in school which led me to continue on my musical journey at Anoka Ramsey Community college where I received my AFA in Vocal Performance. During that two year degree I starting my first band, “The Indecisive’s” which lead to “plaid to the bone” performing all over Minnesota at special events, dive bars and local music in the parks. I started teaching piano and vocal lessons at Rogers school of music and then decided to continue my music education degree in Texas at Tarleton state university where I also found a love for animal science and decided to continue that path and keep music more of a hobby then a career, after taking a few years off and focusing on my career, fellow classmates and friends had joined this groovy band Shirts & Skins and it sparked my interest again in performing.
It has been a little over a year now performing with Shirts & Skins and what an amazing experience it has been, exploring different states while doing something I love has been a blessing and I can’t wait to see what the future brings with this amazing band.
Doulton is a young and energetic drummer with influences like Toto, Van Halen, and Dream Theater. Emulating drummers like Simon Philips, Jeff Porcaro, and Mike Portnoy, Doulton forged his skills in recording studios throughout the region and playing with a wide variety of musical acts in North Dakota from the time he was 14.
Doulton’s wide range of abilities are showcased in the band “Shirts and Skins.”
Kaity threw her life away for rock & roll and hasn’t looked back. She has been lucky enough to have been a correspondent for Darkness Radio, launched her own podcast ‘One Bizarre Podcast,’ owned and operated a business for 12 years and coached some of the best singers and bands in the midwest including four Miss Minnesotas.
She also plays with Anthony Shore’s Elvis Tribute Band, plays keyboards with Mike Schmidt and friends, and joins other Shirts and Skins players in an original 1970’s rock band Sunflower Fox and the Chicken Leg mixed by legendary producer Ron Nevison.
Kaity’s loves vintage fashion, weird roadside attractions The Simpsons and her cat Littler.
Catch up with Kaity over here:
kaityheart.com
Bang Do has played guitar for 20 years. In 2013, his heavy metal band Mephonic opened for the legendary Paul Di’Anno – former vocalist of Iron Maiden – at Hard Rock Cafe in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Bang graduated in 2021 with a major in Guitar Performance from MSUM. That same year in May, he released his first guitar instrumental EP “Rising From The Abyss” on YouTube and BandCamp.
From 2020 to 2023, he joined and performed as lead guitar with bands like Mix Theory, Antimure and Christmas On Neptune. Currently he plays as a hired gun in Shirts & Skins band in Minneapolis, MN.
PS: (From Web Updater Kaity)
AND! He also has two adorable kitties Oliver and Sassy
James has been a successful self-employed studio owner, producer, engineer, and guitar player for the last 2 decades. Trained in the art of guitar through McNally Smith School of Music, James has attained an A.A.S. Degree in Performing Arts and an additional degree in Audio Production and Engineering from Hennepin Technical College.
James has toured the country with multiple bands including original punk band BFS, jamband Hallaballoo and dance band Shirts & Skins.
When James isn’t melting faces on stage, he enjoys sharing his passion for guitar with students and works as a freelance audio engineer and producer in the Twin Cities.
My name is Alyson but you can call me Al! my father introduced me to guitar when I was 9 and I have been playing and singing ever since. Shirts and Skins is the first official band I’ve been apart of and they are a blast! Outside of music I enjoy spending time in the outdoors, traveling, and spending time with my friends and family.
Fun fact about me: I’ve had 17 teeth pulled!
At 7 years old, Cole started his musical journey by taking piano lessons from a relative.
Since then, he has explored various other instruments including viola, drums, and guitar. Guitar
quickly became his favorite and primary instrument. He has been playing guitar in cover bands
since his teenage years in high school.
Cole followed his love for music by studying at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and
The University of St. Thomas. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Business from UST
while also minoring in the Recording Arts and Business Administration. In college, he became
trained in various styles of music including classical and jazz.
Cole is also known by many as the Chicken Man- as he is the master of rotisserie chickens at Costco.
Erin has been playing music for 18 years and drumming for over 15
years. His interest in music quickly grew into a passion early on through
starting a hobby band with friends in High School. After playing with
multiple projects in Appleton (WI), he decided to take his love of music
and turn it into a career. Erin then moved to the Twin Cities area of
Minnesota and studied music at Anoka-Ramsey College with an
emphasis on drum performance through jazz, latin, and classical styles.
He has since been living and performing professionally in the area for 9
years. In addition to performing, Erin has been teaching guitar, bass,
ukulele, and drums for 4 years and loves sharing the joy of music with
others. He is currently a drum instructor at Klash Drums in north-east
Minneapolis.
Erin enjoys, performs, as well as doing recording session work from
music across all styles. He has played in various cover bands including
‘Midwest Mayhem’ and most recently ‘Shirts & Skins’ among others. He
has also worked with funk group ‘Cat Tales’, rockabilly artist
‘Crankshaft’, americana singer/songwriter ‘Luke Leblanc’, cabaret act
‘Meghan Murphy’s Big Red Show’, and progressive metal band
‘Intrinsic’. Erin also plays for various churches, jazz combos, and musical
theater productions.
Erin is also a massive Star Wars fan and enjoys hiking, kayaking, and
perfecting new skills on the drums in his free time.
Randi Rae Friedl is a seasoned singer/performer from the Midwest and is known best for specializing in Rock, and Country music. Friedl got her start in music at a very young age by performing with her grandmother, Betty Rydell. She spent most of her childhood traveling with Betty singing at various county fairs, private events, nursing homes and Christmas shows.
In 2013, Randi took the leap of faith and started college at Anoka-Ramsey College, to study Vocal Performance. There, she met her boyfriend, Erin Bekkers and a large group of musicians who would become members of her band, Midwest Mayhem, as well as bring some of her lifelong friends.
With Midwest Mayhem taking off in 2013, many opportunities eventually came the bands way. They started playing dive bars, private parties, graduations, and would soon be playing side stages at festivals like Moondance Jam, Lakes Jam, & Iconic Fest before well noted bands such as; Kid Rock, Kansas, Steve Miller Band, RATT, Kip Winger, 3 Doors Down, and Bret Michaels. It’s was during this time when she knew music would always be a major part of her life.
These days, Randi happily spends most of her time touring the world with Shirts & Skins! Bringing energy to the stage is her forte, while making sure the crowd is doing the same. For her, music has always been a way to relieve stress and forget about problems for a few hours; she is always determined give the crowd the same experience.
John W. Baumgartner is a trombonist, composer, and music educator in the Twin Cities area.
When not playing with Shirts and Skins, John performs locally and nationally with Coyote Kid, and can be heard on their 2019 album The Skeleton Man, as well as on Thaumatrope (2015) and Bone Crown (2017) under the band’s previous name, Marah in the Mainsail. As a composer, he works with the Twin Cities Jazz Composers’ Workshop, writing music for 18-piece jazz ensemble, and composes and arranges for various other projects.
He also teaches all levels of brass students through high school, and regularly works with students at local schools, including Hopkins and Farmington High Schools, Mahtomedi Middle School, and Mount Olivet School of Music.
See his website http://www.
David started his music career at the age of 14, and hasn’t stopped performing since. He has toured all over the United States and Europe sharing the stage with acts such as Kings X, Fishbone, Reel Big Fish, 311, Papa Roach, and has performed with Weezer at the Excel Center in St. Paul, MN.
On top of being a solid bassist, David is also an accomplished guitarist, which was his first musical passion. He can also play the accordion, piano, and drums, which he has done with many groups in the Twin Cities area.
At the age of 9, Samuel began taking violin lessons with the wife of a ninth generation violinmaker. In early middle school, Samuel augmented his classical music upbringing and began performing with rock bands. He continued to perform in classical and contemporary environments throughout his adolescence and college career. While a student at Luther College, Samuel was a member of the Symphony and Chamber orchestras, as well as an indie-rock group called “Ben and the Robots.” A few highlights of his college experiences include performing in the first violin section at the Golden Hall in Vienna, Austria to a full house, and performing two solo violin recitals. After college, Samuel performed in several different contemporary music ensembles, including a folk band called “The Blue Roots,” a folk-rock quartet called “Tamaracks & Lumberjacks,” and a river blues quartet called “Scrapegoat Skin & Bones.” In 2011, Samuel began playing music with James Gross in “The Climbing Tree-O,” an acoustic rock band. The relationship blossomed, and in 2013, Samuel became a member of “Shirts and Skins.”
Lindsay has been singing from the center console of her parents’ station wagon and the pulpit of her family’s church since the age of three. Throughout her schooling she trained and competed in choirs and vocal ensembles and frequently performed the national anthem at local and state events. After high school, she entered the jazz vocal program at the University of Minnesota School of Music where she performed with Connie Evingson, Debbie Duncan, and Branford Marsalis, and worked with the Grammy in the Schools program.
After some career changes and travel, Lindsay returned to Minneapolis to find a musical outlet in local cover bands and never looked back. Over the last ten years she appeared in several bands and lead a small acoustic group of her own, Cover Me Up. Most recently she was a lead vocalist for the Top 40 cover band Skitzo Fonik, performing at clubs, private events, weddings, and even the US Bank Stadium! She now sings for Shirts & Skins while also making appearances with Music Junkies, Brat Pack Radio, Candy Shop, and others.
Lindsay has to occasionally do “real life” things, such as: parent her adorable daughter, work as a project manager, search for the best beer/burger combo, and hang with her amazing friends and family!
Kyle was born and raised small-town, central Minnesota. No seriously, a tiny town; not a single traffic light in town. Hailing from a musical family, he picked up his first set of drum sticks at age 9. By 15 he had formed his first band Bert’s Cuzzins (an 80’s hair metal tribute band) and started playing around backwoods bars in central Minnesota.
Kyle joined Shirts and Skins in 2012. He loves touring the Midwest and the country while bringing his eccentric and energetic playing style to the stage.
Kyle holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Music Production from the former McNally Smith College of Music. He runs a small project studio (INSIDE INSOMNIA PRODUCTIONS) out of his home in Waite Park and has released a few albums through digital retailers; “Suppressing Instincts” and “Inside My Insomnia.”
Former band credits include Big Sexy and Bert’s Cuzzins.
Kyle works full time for a business technology company as an Audio-Visual integrator. He spends his free time chilling with his chihuahua Tito and sleeping.
Zippy joined Shirts and Skins in November of 2018, and is loving every minute of it! She holds an AAS in Vocal Performance and Music Composition from McNally Smith College of Music. This song bird loves the craft of songwriting. Over the past decade she’s written music for local musicians, music licensing agencies, and podcasts.
She most recently worked with former cast member of MPR’s Prairie Home Companion Show, Sue Scott, writing and performing music for the podcast Island of Discarded Women. When Zippy is not zip-zip-zipping around, she’s zenning out teaching yoga and meditation. You can find her original music, upcoming shows, and events at www.zippylaske.com.
Max picked up the bass at 14. What started as hobby quickly turned into a passion, and he has
not put in down since. Max has had the pleasure of playing bass in a variety of settings; jazz
bands, cover bands, theatre pits and, most notably, his parents basement. Growing up, if Max
was not playing his bass, he was performing as a singer dancer in Showchoir. He often narrates
his life like it’s one big musical number with song and dance.
Outside of music, Max is an avid runner with multiple marathons under his feet. When he is not
playing bass, he is working his day job at a local Twin cities Running shop. Max enjoys long
runs along the river and out on state park trails.
Jaki’s love for music began as a child and has only grown stronger since. With a passion for performing, singing and writing lyrics she attended McNally Smith school of music and is now working on her own original album in addition to Shirts & Skins. Soul, Hip Hop, R&B, and pop are her genres of choice but Jaki is a fan of pretty much everything out there!
When she isn’t doing something music related she love dancing, exploring the world and getting involved in many other creative hobbies. Jaki is an enthusiastic member of the band who loves what she does and chances are you will find her smiling and dancing 95% of the time!
Trumpeter Gerard Ahlgren is based in the Minneapolis, Minnesota. He currently holds a Master’s Degree in Music Performance from McNally Smith College of Music with emphasis on Jazz Studies. Gerard plays locally with Shirts and Skins, Jaedyn James and the Hunger, Blue Water Kings, Soultight Committee, Northstar, and Moonlight Serenaders.
Gerard also has extensive experience playing professionally with the History Theatre and for Old Log Theater as well as Breck Middle School.
Because of his diverse training from various trumpet players such as, Dave Jensen, Charles Lazarus, Marshall Scott, Michael Davison, and Adam Meckler, Gerard is fluent in several styles of music including jazz, blues, latin, fusion, and classical. Gerard teaches trumpet at Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts, Walker|West Music Academy, and Chanhassen High School.
Brian Handeland is a freelance woodwind doubler and educator in the Twin Cities. When he is not rocking out with Shirts & Skins, he regularly performs with a wide variety of jazz/rock/folk bands including the JazzMN Orchestra, the Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra, The Soul Shack, Fuzzy Math, The Brass Barn Polka Band, and Machinery Hill. He also teaches saxophone lessons at K&S Conservatory in Woodbury, and teaches in-home woodwind lessons all around the TC metro.
A native of Minneapolis, MN, Brian studied jazz and classical music at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of North Texas, where he played and recorded with a number of ensembles including the UW-Eau Claire Jazz Ensemble I, the UW-Eau Claire Symphony Orchestra, the UNT Latin Jazz Ensemble, and the prestigious UNT 1:00 Lab Band. After college, Brian worked for 2 years as a touring pit orchestra musician with NETworks Presentations, where he played flute/clarinet/saxophones on the 2016 International tour of Shrek the Musical, as well as on North American tours of the musicals Elf and Flashdance. He also played with pianist Lorie Line and her Pop Chamber Orchestra on her 2016 Holiday Tour.
Danny Lentz aka @StringSerum is a studio and live session musician based in Minneapolis, MN.
When he was a kid his mom asked him what sport he wanted to play and he told he wanted to play the violin like her. Twenty-three years later, he still works every day to improve his craft so that he can be a worthy channel for the music flowing through him.
Jack Mansk is a guitar player based out of the Twin Cites and has played with the following bands: Brat Pack Radio, Anthony Shore Elvis Tribute, Morticia, Georgia Clay, Big Toe and the Jam, Good for Gary, 2 Plus Who. He also leads the lessons program at Capitol Guitars in Saint Paul. He is a McNally graduate and plays a variety of styles and enjoys the energy and freedom a live performance can bring.
Craig Holets starting playing upright and electric bass at the age of 9 in his school orchestra program and joined his first rock band at age 12. In high school, Craig studied bass with Brian Benson (Mel Torme, Nat Adderly), and with James Clute (Principle bassist, Minnesota Symphony). At Moorhead State University, Craig performed in the school’s top rock ensembles and orchestra while studying acoustics and recording. He graduated with a BA in Music Industry.
After college, Craig supported October Records artist, Willie Wisely, on his award-winning and CMJ-charting albums touring across the USA and Canada. After leaving the band, Craig decided to pursue his passion as a mastering engineer at the highly-respected Original Sound Records. There he worked under Hollywood legend, Art Laboe, creator of the compilation album and the “Oldies but Goodies”. Craig’s return to Minneapolis brought him to the attention of the management team for Jesse Langseth, 13th place 2009 American Idol finisher and younger sister of Grammy winning blues guitarist, Jonny Lang. They quickly enlisted him as the core of her touring and recording band.
Currently, Craig splits his time running BassFuzz Mastering studio and playing and recording with a variety of local artists and bands on electric and upright bass, including Ryan Myrold of The Blenders fame in the group Brack Pack Radio. He also has a reoccurring summer residency in Martha’s Vinyard, MA with the premier group, Dukes of Circuit Avenue.
Bio Coming Soon!
Alex grew up in the Near North neighborhood of Minneapolis, where his first memories of music involved a room full of Legos, alternative rock radio, and hip hop and neo-soul grooves floating from open windows.
His musical passions led him to McNally Smith College of Music for a bachelor’s degree, Musikhochschule Luebeck in Germany as an exchange student, and currently Boston’s Berklee College of Music. These opportunities have allowed him to study contemporary, jazz, and classical music with an all-star list of musicians from all over the world.
Alex has contributed his skills to original and cover bands, charities, live broadcasts, megachurches, recording sessions, national orchestras, weddings, and corporate events and currently teaches private lessons at the business he founded, Rockwell Guitar School.
When he isn’t playing or teaching, he loves to grill, read, travel, and spend time with his family.