Roger DeKuiperMandolin player and sometimes lead vocalist, Roger (A.K.A. Lowell Baldwin) is a life long resident of West Michigan and a founding member of The Last Call Band. He originally took up the mandolin in an effort to break up the drone of the band's early all acoustic, rhythm guitar sound. Still searching for the perfect sound and often fighting the band's sonic evolution, Roger finds that the little instrument plays big and can cut through even the most audacious of song renderings. Occasionally, you will also see Roger playing an acoustic guitar or an electric telecaster.
Roger brings a swing/country/pop style to the band from his musical influences that have ranged from the Byrds & the Beatles, to Steve Forbert & JJ Cale. Roger is also proud to tell you about his charming wife Kathy, his big city, Chicagoland, bass playing son, Colin, and his teenage, theater aficionado daughter, Kendra.
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Lee VerSchureA.K.A. Eldee "Sparkie" Wire, Lee was born in a quaint, Dutch village on the coast of Lake Michigan in the same year that Bobby Troup wrote Route 66. A co-founder of The Last Call Band, his favorite color is thalo green, favorite number is 7, favorite movie is The Magnificent Seven and pet peeve is Lite Mayonnaise. Lee married his high school sweetie, Kay, almost exactly 10 years after they first met, and together they own and operate Westview Farms Perennials and Herbs, a retail nursery & garden center. They share their home, a 140-year-old redbrick schoolhouse, with three very spoiled cats and one very nervous snake.
EARLY INFLUENCES
Lee was greatly affected by his mom and dad and a house filled with music. Lee still plays the arch-top guitar his dad carried throughout the Pacific in WW2. His dad also owned a local AM/FM radio station. And there were stacks and stacks of records — from Chick Bullock and The Levee Loungers to Arthur Godfrey, from Johnny Cash to Scatman Crothers, from Edith Piaf to Jerry Lee Lewis, or Homer and Jethro to The Surfaris. They sang along to the whole eclectic crew.
EPIPHANY (January 3,1964)
A film clip of "The Beatles", at the Cavern Club, on the Jack Parr Show — a month before the Ed Sullivan appearances — washed the "Butch Wax" out of Lee's "Princeton " haircut. He borrowed his dad's electric guitar and started the serious quest to conquer the appropriately named "F" chord. This began an extended series of performances in front of the hall mirror.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS (1965)
The Grapes Of Wrath — Lee's first band. Lee played rhythm guitar and knew, at least, a dozen chords. And, he sang lead. After all, he knew all the words to "Louie Louie" and owned the only microphone. The band began an extended series of performances in basements and garages. But, also many exciting "firsts" such as their first paying gigs, their first outdoor gigs, and … hey! … their first police responses!
THE ANN ARBOR YEARS (1966-1970)
Lee packed his new Silvertone electric guitar ($997 with amp built into case), Beatle boots, and stacks and stacks of records into his trusty '54 Chevy ($100 with real leather seats) and headed for the big time! A2 in The 60's! Iggy and the Stooges, Bob Seeger, SRC, The MC5, Suzi Quatro and the Pleasure Seekers, Commander Cody and the LPA … AND ... The Fetal Pig, Lee's second band. Lee was still playing rhythm (knew quite a few chords by then) and still singing lead (owned ALL the microphones). The band began extended series of performances at frat parties, TG's, blind pig keggers, occasional bar or "concert" gigs, and as the "house band" at "The Subterranean Penthouse". There were numerous police responses. They also formed the legendary Fetal Pig spin-off/alter-ego/evil-twin cult band called "Eldee 'Sparkie' Wire & The Circuit Breakers." That band played mostly during breaks at Fetal Pig gigs.
PHASES AND STAGES (The 70's)
Lee moved back to the old hometown and reunited with high school sweetie Kay. Wedding bells! New jobs! (office, secretary, parking space, expense account) New cars! (bought a new Van, a Buick, a Suburban, and a Porsche!) And a house! They were "Young Urban Professionals" on the fast track. They had new friends, a new lifestyle, and everything was pretty groovy — except for the "music scene." They attended some concerts, Lee played his acoustic guitar at parties and camping trips, etc., but there was nobody to "jam" with and nothing much to get excited about in local live music scene. Until Cabbage Crik! Finally, a band that inspired and re-fired the desire to "get out there and pick and grin." Lee spent the rest of the decade following The Crik everywhere and soaking up the fever.
THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY (1981-82)
Lee fell under the influence of "The Folkies". Lee helped start The Allegan Woods Folk Arts Cooperative, started to promote concerts, workshops, dances, etc., learned to "Contra Dance", and met more new friends.
MUSIC FRIENDS
Lee started hanging out with Mark Schrock (formerly of Cabbage Crik) and Dave Raffenaud (music idol since high school days) when he had EPIPHANY #2. When Mark and Dave invited Lee see Iowa Rose (made up of Mark and Dave, Jeff Rose & Mary Sue Wilkinson) he said, "Now, that's the band I want to be in!" Lee signed on as the "Tone Chaperone" (Sound Tech) for them. He was inspired by their great musicianship and started getting serious about playing music again too. When Lee met kindred spirit (and fellow Cabbage Crik / Iowa Rose fanatic) Michael Houston Clark, they decided to take lessons with Mark from Iowa Rose. Later, when he met up with Roger DeKuiper, Lee's third band, The Last Call Band was born. At about that same time, Lee and Kay took leave of their senses, quit their "real jobs" (with benefits, insurance plans, expense accounts) sold the Buick, Suburban and Porsche (kept the van), cashed in their profit-sharing retirement, and bought a piece of land in order to start their very own nursery business called Westview Farms Perennials and Herbs. Of course, they had absolutely no horticultural background or experience at all! Everybody also played together in Wild Thyme (the hottest "contra band" in the state).
FROM THEN TO NOW
After a "good run" (including two appearances at Wheatland Music Festival) Wild Thyme disbanded, but Lee and Kay still grow and sell plants. No more sport cars, but lots of trucks. As a "Sound Monkey" Lee toured for 10+ years with Iowa Rose, a few years with "Peter Madcat Ruth & The Pressure Cooker" and a few more years with "Jive @ 5". He's still hanging out with Mark and Dave, Et Al, and, after a few personnel changes, still making music with Mike and Roger plus Rick and Christoph in The Last Call Band. He's still on guitar (rhythm and lead), still sings (leads and back-up), and now and then he even blows a little "harp". (Everybody owns their own microphones now.) The band continues an extended period of performances at nearly every festival or outdoor concert series in this part of the state, as well as playing for private and corporate parties, receptions and the occasional roadhouse or tavern. Lee is also pleased to note that the band still gets occasional police response.
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Christoph SissonDrummer come lately, Christoph is the youngest member of the group. He is continually amazed and inspired by the large musical repertoire of his elder members. He enjoys the opportunity to learn new tricks from old dogs.
Christoph was strongly influenced by monster drummers like Buddy Rich, Dave Weckl, Bill Bruford & Terry Bozzio and started begging his parents for a drumset when he was four years old. Finally, when he was 17, he gave up begging, got a job, and bought one himself. Since then, he has concentrated on his ability to compliment what his fellow bandmates are playing, but, like many drummers, still manages to drown them out with occasional bursts of manic energy. Partial to catchy rhythms, Christoph especially enjoys playing blues and funk.
Before joining The Last Call Band, Christoph played jazz with the 126th Army Band, rock with The Linear Action Band and blues with The Southside Connection. He's happy to see his children grow as musicians. His 16-year-old daughter Kyla plays piano, flute and guitar. His 14-year-old son Ian plays drums. And his 1-year-old son Julian plays the pots and pans.
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Michael Houston ClarkIt's too bad you can't play the guitar and ride a bike at the same time. If you could, Mike would certainly spend most of his time doing it. Mike runs his own bike shop, VeloCity Cycles of Holland, and bikes almost 200 miles each week, even when Michigan winter sets in.
Mike is one of the original members of The Last Call Band, having hooked up with Eldee and Jim Vrieling at that fateful surprise birthday party all those long years ago. (Visit the Photo section for more information.) A resident of Holland, Mike hails from wild, wonderful West Virgina, no doubt one reason for his predilection for that "down home" sound. He's been a "musician" for about a year longer than The Last Call Band has been around, starting off on the banjo (which was an impulse purchase at a Bluegrass festival). Switching to guitar fairly quickly, he soon added mandolin and bass to his repertoire, giving credence to the "Jack of All Trades, Master of None" cliche. The only other band he's ever played in was when he was the string bass guy for Wild Thyme, once considered West Michigan's hardest-rocking contra dance band. (How's that for a small pond?)
He's the shortest member of the band, but quite often the loudest, even without a sound system. He lives above The Last Call Band's World Headquarters, with long-suffering wife Linda, offspring Katie Jo and Sam, emergency back-up son Jaime Amaro (a foreign-exchange student), and Max-the-dog.
Mike is also known for his quick wit when at the microphone. He loves to make up lyrics that blend the song with current events or things happening in the audience. Be careful not to pick your nose when Mike is on stage ... he's likely to sing about it.
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Rick SlachtaRick was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan at a particularly exciting time in that locality's musical history. As a child it seemed that an AM radio was glued to his ear, even after bedtime underneath the covers, where he dug the sounds of Motown and Muscle Shoals, The MC5 and Cream, Seger, Simon, Garfunkel, Petula Clark, and damn near everything in between. Then, when he found out that there was other music NOT played on the radio, he discovered Zappa, Coltrane and bluegrass music (among many others) and a whole new world opened up. There would be no turning back.
Disappointed that his Mom wouldn't let him go to Woodstock (he was all of eleven years old!), he stayed home to channel his passion for music onto any instrument that he could get his hands on. By young adulthood, the fact that he had not mastered any of them drew him to the four-stringed simplicity of the bass. Undeterred by a few years of formal music education, Rick remains an active player in a number of ensembles that cover a wide range of genres. And for a guy that never met a music he didn't like, that's a perfect fit.
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