The Music and Members of Burnt Toast & Jam

I'm not just saying this because one of the band members happens to be my cousin, but Burnt Toast & Jam is a great band. Each member is a gifted, very musically inclined, and talented addition to the band. They'd have to be to be as successful as they've been.

I remember back when I was a kid, my cousin's dad (my uncle) played guitar. I remember them having a piano too. Out of their seven children, a couple of them grew to have musical careers. Music was a common thing that seemed to be encouraged while my cousin Pat and his siblings grew up.

More than twenty years ago, Pat's group of buddies got together to play music at campfires, in their garages and homes, and on the banks of Red River. Later on, instead of bluegrass, one of the band member's daughters labeled the genre of their music as dewgrass.

What is dewgrass? Well the band says 'It's all those sparkles on the grass when you roll over next to a campfire on a sunny summer morning after dancing at a bluegrass festival at night. It's the wetness on your feet as you walk to the river and the dampness on your clothes as you throw them to the ground before you dive in. Dewgrass is all of the above complimented with a unique mix of bluegrass, acoustic, newgrass, R&B, folk, jam music, and other influences.' Nicely said. It's like poetry!

Band members include Kurby Hoffman who plays banjo and guitar and participates in vocals, Tim Balke, guitar and vocals, Patrick Rades (my wonderful cousin), guitar, lap steel, Dobro, and vocals, Tod Pubanz, bass, Sarah Ludeman, wood box percussion, and guest performer, Nate Sitzman on mandolin. They have several honorary band members including Joe Ebel, fiddle and guitar, Wade Fernandez, electric guitar, Dave Habeck, acoustic guitar, and cabasa, and Peter Buxman, drums.

Their first self-titled CD, Burnt Toast & Jam, was released in 1995. Their second CD, Dewgrass, was released in 1999. Lost in the Woods was released in 2005. They play their own original music and music of artists like Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and Fleetwood Mac to name only a few. They have a big, loyal following of fans. Their audience never hears the same set twice during live performances which are full of energy and very entertaining.

Burnt Toast & Jam has a fan site at www.burnttoastandjam.com. They have shows booked all over Wisconsin. Since I haven't visited with Patrick for some time, I plan on attending one of his upcoming shows. I'll take pictures and include them on my slide show on my content producer page at the end of this month or the beginning of June. Visit their fan site for a complete listing of upcoming shows.

Their CDs can be purchased from their website, or if you're from the Shawano area, their music can be found at Jungle Music which is located on Main Street in Shawano, Wisconsin.