Dan "Danimal" DeRuiter, Rick "RB" Belkofer and Zachery "ZackAttack" Polk
Influences
Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Burl Ives, Chuck Berry, Jerry Reed, Tom T. Hall, Hank Williams Sr. and Jr., Leadbelly, Stevie Ray Vaughn, B.B. King, Sweet Willie Singleton, Danimal DeRuiter, Mrs. Devries and Mrs. Wiersman (my band instructors in school..."you blow that horn like a girl! I need to hear it!"), RB and Company, here's where you just fill in an extremely huge blank space because I can't remember everysingle person and it just might be everyone.
Sounds Like
I call it Bluesilingus but It's a bit difficult to express what or who it sounds like due to the diversity from track to track. Bluesilingus is an audio erotica made up of jazz,blues,classical,thechno and freestyle with a little soul slippin' in here and there. It's like the perfect lover, not the mundane predictable sex that goes along with a bad marriage. It's a couple guys and a notepad, along with a huge range of interests and observations trying to share something with people while they amuse themselves with a few instruments, some equipment, unique exposures and a stiff drink or two on occasion. If you have any ideas about what to specify as a genre labeling...I'm all ears. Hope you like it. http://www.thebizmo.com/bandanabro
The Bandana Brothers are from West Michigan, Grand Rapids to be more accurate, with respect to Rick "RB" Belkofer, who hails from Grand Haven Michigan and currently plays with his own band RB & Company.
Zach "ZackAttack" Polk, Dan "Danimal" DeRuiter and RB made up The Bandana Brothers whom performed their last show as a group, back in 2005 Memorial Day, at the 3023 Post VFW Hall on Monroe st., downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The show was a benefit, raising monies to go toward the purchase of a k-9 for the Grand Rapids Police. I say, their Last show because Danimal passed away the following year on June 6th. That show was the last time all three performed as a band, though Danimal and Zack did perform together after that show, maintaining the name, The Bandana Brothers.
One show in particular was an open mic performance during an Art Festival downtown Grand Rapids in 2005 where they performed Runaway Bride, their debut song at that time. They were almost not allowed to perform due to being quite well sauced up. Those whom were managing the show proceeded to announce Ralston, performing after the open mic but , little did they know, Ralston was familiar with Zach and Dan and encouraged management to allow them to play. Zach told them "just get Danimal a chair and we'll be fine", Dan being the guitar player and Zach singing and playing the harmonica.
Zach and Danimal met in late winter, early spring in 1999. They hit it off from the very first moment, proceeding to go to Danimals "Prospect Studio", where Dan put a tape in the four track recorder that he made in the recent past, stating "here, put lyrics to this". ZackAttack just started belting out lyrics from nowhere and Danimal jumped on Leads with his stratocaster immediately. Eight minutes later they had a recording that went largely unchanged, known as
"What You Want". This track can be heard on last.fm, under the name The Bandana Brothers.
Dan and RB met way back, in the hills and trails of Grand Haven where they also hit it off right from the first moment they met. RB, being a lead Blues Guitarist and composer, and Danimal being a rhythm and lead guitarist and composer, also growing up in Grand Haven- they had a huge common interest.
RB has been nominated for the "Jammies" award many times and has a huge collection of compositions. He can be heard on WYCE 88.1 and WGVU 88.5 any late night on the weekends during the Blues shows such as Greg Bluebins Late Night Blue Shows. I catch myself calling up and requesting his tracks from time to time. Look for him under the name "RB and company".
As for Zach, he grew up in the country, running the woods and crick beds of Marne, Michigan since 1979. He attended Coopersville Junior and Senior High where he played Trombone all through school, starting in the fifth grade. He was awarded a 75% scholarship from Interlochen for his Trombone skills, playing in the Concert band, Marching band, AND was recruited from the junior high to play in the high school Jazz band without the mandatory audition and without jumping through the hoops required of Senior High students to become accepted as members. Sadly, Zachery was not able to attend this opportunity due to poverty, leaving unused- the one sholarship given out per year of that size. He soon became uninterested in the trombone and music he loved so much after transferring to Kenowa Hills High School, where he was not allowed to attend band due to credit requirements. Zach soon dropped out of school and disappeared into the streets of Grand Rapids where he sought and found employment in the construction trades. Finish Carpentry eventually became his main trade of expertise and became a father at the tender age of 18. By 20 years of age he became a father a second time, eventually marrying the mother of that child (Cody Sayer Polk). During September of 1997 he was injured in a triple collision causing him to lose his business and eventually his wife met someone online and divorced him. That left him abandoned and unable to care for himself at that time. Soon after the divorce he became involved with the wrong crowd, secretly wishing for his own death but two years later his stars aligned and he was united with Danimal where he revived his dreams of musicianship, saving him from a dead end life of drugs and excessive alcohol.
Zachery now is making good on his promise to Danimal to "GET THE MUSIC OUT" which brings us to this site today. The rest is history.
(You can also find us at http://www.reverbnation.com/thebandanabrothers/ http://www.soundclick.com/thebandanabrothers or click on the "what I am listening to" link at www.myspace.com/orlfxashnz.)
Yur music was featured on my show Friday May 22nd. on WSGR 91.3 FM Port Huron, Mich. Check my blog for a review and other information. Play it like it feels brother!
Prospect Studios is proud to announce "We Have Limited Editon T-shirts" available. See it in the photos at www. reverbnation. com/thebandanabrothers. And don't forget to listen to some of the tracks in that library, they are sure to please!!!
Zachery Polk
Prospect Studios
you have got to check out reverb nation on my facebook page. The Bandana brothers and Prospect Studio is in full swing. I have 32 tracks posted to hear. I dare you to not find one interesting. It's a mix of blues, jazz and folk/rock...we call it BLUESILINGUS!!
Hi, no we never have...although i am open to doing it....we tend to stay right around GR....maybe 20 miles out. We're at The Swamp Fox in Middleville this coming saturday for instance.Friday I am playing alone at The Silver Derby on Burton st in GR. Thanx for the add BTW. Nice to meet ya,Charlie here.
