Band History

​

• Kitchi Boogie was formed by Steve Ross (bass) and Shane Corning (guitar, vocals), who had been playing together for a few years at various jam sessions. In 2009, Shane joined Steve’s group The Beerds. In 2010, along with Chris Carter (drums) and Jason Dowell (guitar, vocals) they became Kitchi Boogie.

• By 2012, along with Shane and Steve, the band now includes Dave Quamme (drums, vocals) and Jake Baldwin (guitar, vocals). The following year, Kitchi Boogie’s self-titled first studio album is recorded at Gary Burger Studios in Turtle River MN, and is released in January of 2014.  Later that same year, Isaiah Mooney becomes the band’s new drummer. With the departure of Jake, the remaining three members record their appearance on Lakeland PBS’s “Backroads” in the spring of 2016.

• Summer 2016, Jason Dowell returns to the band along with new drummer, Adrian Liberty. In October of that year, Jason has a traumatic injury to his arm which all but ends his ability to play guitar. In early 2017, the co-leader of one of Steve’s side projects, The Hardwater Blues Band, Donny Williams (guitar, keyboards, vocals), joins Kitchi Boogie. In May, miraculously, Jason has healed enough to return to active gigging and the band for the first time grows to five members.

• Doug Quance (drums, percussion, vocals) originally had filled in at “Fozz Fest III” and jammed with band a few times back in 2015. With the departure of Adrian, Doug becomes a full-time member of the band in the summer of 2017.

• October 2018, Kitchi Boogie, now Shane, Steve, Jason, Donny, and Doug perform live on the air at KBXE’s Bemidji studio.

• Winter-spring of 2019, the band starts working on their next studio album Airconditioned Fish House, at Flying Dog Studio in Pennington MN, the final production and release of which would be delayed by the oncoming pandemic of 2020.

• February 2019, Kitchi Boogie appears on Bemidji State University’s “Live at BSU”. Later that summer, Kitchi Boogie’s releases Live 1, an EP featuring live performances recorded in 2018-19. In July of 2019, the band appears and is broadcast live at KAXE-KBXE’s Mississippi River Festival.

• New Year’s Eve 2019, Donny Williams plays his last gig with all the Kitchi Boogie members as he tragically succumbs to cancer. Passing away on March 3, 2021, Donny leaves a 56-year legacy as a musician’s musician of bands both big and small.

• Due to the pandemic of 2020-21, the band plays its last gig in February of 2020, taking a year-long hiatus. The band returns to the stage in July of 2021.

• Summer 2021, Airconditioned Fish House, the band’s second studio album, is released online, with CD’s released the following year.

• Winter 2021-22, Mattea Elhard (keyboards, vocals) joins Kitchi Boogie.

• Currently the band is promoting Airconditioned Fish House and writing-preforming material for its next studio album.