89th Street Bluegrass Band

2016

We've been together since late 2010. We perform regularly at the Classic Bean in Topeka, and have played at the Celtic Fox, Topeka Brown Bag Series, church functions and private gatherings. A love of the music keeps us going. The style heavily leans on Bluegrass, but we'll throw in Folk, Country and Rock, too. Just depends. We have four singers and our tastes vary, but are always compatible. They are:

• Mike Stadler - plays banjo, guitar, sings lead and harmony as with the rest of the band. His background is Country and Bluegrass, with the last 10 years being devoted primarily to Traditional Bluegrass. This band was started as his vision.
• Nancy Stadler - is the band's upright bass player who keeps it all together with a solid bass beat. She and her husband, Mike, have been in several area bands over the years and have a lot of experience in this craft.
• John Payne - is a multi-instrumentalist but mainly plays fiddle. He shares in lead and harmony singing, too. He has played music with Mike and Nancy for many years under a couple band names. This music has proven too addictive to stop playing.
• Kirk Drager - plays guitar and mandolin. He shares in lead and harmony singing, too. Past bands have led him down many musical paths yet he enjoys the styles we do together. There seems no end to the songs he plays.
• Jim Campbell - plays our rhythm guitar and flat pick lead guitar. He shares in lead and harmony singing, too. His influences include Folk and Rock, too. Hailing from Manhattan, he drives more miles than the rest of us to feed his music habit.