The Stefan Geisinger Band is a four-piece rockin’ blues band (electric guitar, bass guitar, keys, drums) based out of Eau Claire, WI. Over the past 6 years SGB has had success expressing themselves and making connections at blues festivals, theaters, community events, and wherever else they could set up and play. SGB plays recognizable blues songs with a splash of original songs throw into the mix.
Stefan Geisinger/Electric Guitar
After hearing B.B. King live at the Regal, a then 17-year-old Geisinger pickup up a guitar and dug deep into the roots of blues music. Albert King, Lightnin Hopkins, Hubert Sumlin, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Charley Patton, & Otis Rush are just a few influences woven into his unique blues style. Growing up in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, what else was there to do but to play guitar, listen to blues music, and drive his mother crazy from strumming a Gmaj7 chord over and over. Geisinger’s expressive & skillful – not to mention spirited – performances have drawn rave reviews from audiences. Listeners often remark that there seems to be an old soul inhabiting such a young Blues artist. Stefan has played with blues legends Larry McCray, Lil Ed, Howard Luedtke, Sue Orfield, and he hopes to continue spreading the joy of blues music for many decades to come.
Buck Barrickman/Bass Guitar
Buck Barrickman is an Eau Claire native and has been playing the bass guitar since his teenage years. He is best known for his 12-year stint as bassist for The Pumps, a favorite Midwest, rockin’ Blues Band. He was featured with The Pumps guitarist and drummer, Tom Brill, and Frank Juodis, on the CD "Cover to Cover," which enjoyed national sales. He has played at The Chippewa Valley Blues Society’s "Tuesday Night Blues" and at the Northwest Blues Festival. He played with Tommy Tutone backup band for their appearance at the infamous Red Parrot Night Club and at the Grand Little Theatre.
Travis Nicolai/Drums
Travis Nicolai grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and began playing drums at the age of 10. He got his start playing percussion in multiple school bands throughout middle and high school. Travis’s love for playing music, especially jazz music, grew while he was in high school and as he continued his music education at UW River Falls. While at River Falls, Travis continued to develop his skills as a jazz drummer and had the opportunity to learn from and play with a lot of talented musicians. In the 20 years since college, Travis has played in a variety of local bands where he has had the opportunity to play many styles of music including: Jazz, Rock, Country, Funk, Ska, Indie, and most recently Blues with The Stefan Geisinger Band.
Frank Rineck/Drums
Frank Rineck, born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, has been playing drums and singing since his young school days. After spending an afternoon with his grandpa’s 8 Track collection and nothing to do, he has fallen in love with music of all kinds. Blues found its way into Frank’s life through a combination of B.B. King records and “The Blues Brothers” soundtrack. Since then, he has added several blues albums and artists to his listening repertoire, including John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, and Christon “Kingfish” Ingram.
John Utphall/Keys
John Utphall got his bachelor’s degree in music education at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, his master’s degree of Science in Education at the University of Stout – Wisconsin, and was the orchestra director from 1987-2014 at Menomonie, Wisconsin public schools. He has been playing the keys since age 6, has been performing live in the area since 1977, and is a master performer on the violin. He currently plays dozens of shows a year in numerous bands other than SGB (North of Dixie, Balterdash, Ranger Rudy and the Swinging Wingtips) and has shared the stage with music heroes Randy Sabine, Jeff Becker, George Strait, Clyde Stubblefield, Big Al Downing, & Hank Thompson. To say music is John’s life is a complete understatement.
