Minnesota Music

Shane Allan Band - Interview with Steve

Question:
"Birth date?"

Answer:
"6.11.56"

Question:
"City you reside in?"

Answer:
"Princeton, MN"

Question:
"Marital status/family?"

Answer:
"Divorced / three children - Girl 16, Boy 14, Girl 12. They live nearby so it's easy to spend time together."

Question:
"Pets?"

Answer:
"Nope. No time for them."

Question:
"Favorite drink?"

Answer:
"Coffee or water. Pretty exotic, huh?"

Question:
"Favorite local band?"

Answer:
"Boy, that's a loaded question!  Very seldom get time off to go out and see other bands. I really like Rebekka Fisher."

Question:
"Favorite national band?"

Answer:
"That's easier. Country- George Jones. Rock- Jethro Tull. Boy, there's some musical distance between those two!"

Question:
"Favorite song?"

Answer:
"Right now it's "She'll Leave You With a Smile" by George Straight."

Question:
"Day job?"

Answer:
"Yeah. Been in the printing business off and on for 30+ years. Have had my current job at a pre-press facility for 17 years."

Question:
"Hobbies?"

Answer:
"Beside music? Ride the Harley whenever possible."

Question:
"What's your favorite thing about entertaining?"

Answer:
"The music. That's what it's all about. Meeting new people and making new friends is really cool too. Met a lot of great people since the Shane Allan Band has been out."

Question:
"What's your least favorite thing about entertaining?"

Answer:
"The traveling can be a bit of a grind sometimes."

Question:
"What's your most memorable moment on stage?"

Answer:
"That would probably be either the time someone discharged a pistol inside the old Matt's Lounge (this was many years ago while working with "OK Chorale") or more recently, the Shane Allan Band's debut at Mulley's in Mankato. We went out as a three piece. Shane, myself and the bands first drummer. By the end of the night the stage was full with audience members singing and dancing right along with us. Pretty cool opening night memory."

Question:
"What's your most memorable moment off stage, music related?"

Answer:
"Probably getting signed by Music Works."

Question:
"Who are your musical influences?"

Answer:
"I don't think I can narrow it down. I listen to numerous styles of music. I suppose I'm influenced by all of it. Lousy answer, eh?"

Question:
"How long have you been performing, alone or with a group?"

Answer:
"Off and on since 1976."

Question:
"How long have you been with this band?"

Answer:
"February of 2000."

Question:
"How old were you when you first became interested in music?"

Answer:
"Don't know. As long as I can remember. When I was a little kid I used to lie in the grass on warm summer days and watch the clouds. I'd have my little pocket transistor radio on (for some reason I would listen to classical music at these times) and a clover stem between my teeth. Lie there for hours. Later in school I played Trombone in Band. I took up the bass guitar at 19 when an older musician friend joked I should. He said he wanted to start a new band and wanted me to play bass. Damned if that wasn't what happened."

Question:
"Before being with this band, what kind of experience did you have in the entertainment business, musical or otherwise?"

Answer:
"It's always been music for me. Like I said earlier, I started playing bass when I was nineteen and unemployed. Sat around all day, day after day, practicing from library books and bass magazines. My friend Doug had set me up with a big ol' Gretsch hollow body electric bass and a practice amp. Sure wish I still had that bass. Anyway, later he started a band and asked me to play bass for him. I thought the whole idea was pretty funny, but he pushed me in to it. Thanks, Doug. That band came to be known as "Moonstruck". After that came "Straight Shot" with Mike Gilmore. Then the "Minnesota Mountain Boys" which evolved in to "OK Chorale" with my friend Dale Evans. That band stayed together for quite some time with a few player changes. A couple of those guys are still playing also. There were a few more shorter stays with bands who's names I don't recall."

Question:
"Where's your favorite place to perform?"

Answer:
"It's a place we're not currently playing, so.......The Blue Goose in Garrison is pretty fun. Decent stage, cool employee's and the crowd is usually having a good time. They're away from home and lettin' loose."

Question:
"Is there anything about you that your fans don't know about you that you think they should?"

Answer:
"Yeah. I'm real bad with names and I'm not very naturally outgoing. So I hope folks don't think me rude or unfriendly. I sure don't try to be. I'm working on that stuff."

Question:
"Is there anything you want to say to your fans?"

Answer:
"For sure. Thanks for spending some of your time coming out to our shows. You guys are the ones who make it fun. So come on out and say, hey!"