MEL MANOVITZ, Keyboards and Vocals
Mel has been "slinging hash" in the music and entertainment business for over 30 years. Literally born and raised in a diner, Mel still fries the best over-easy egg in the business. More importantly, the diner is where Mel honed his people skills. Mel loves to be the center of attention, yet takes even greater pride in finding an audience member to take his/her "15 seconds of fame" (as he puts it) for the rest of the crowd to enjoy.
He started banging out "Chopsticks" on an old upright piano in the back of the diner. The next thing you know he was crooning to diner patrons for dimes and quarters. Music and hash browns are in Mel's blood. Only death from high cholesterol or two broken legs will keep him from rockin' and rollin' for his growing number of fans.

A NEW VISITOR HEADING OUR WAY!

HANK the CRANK, Guitar

Hank has been rocking and rolling for decades all over the Twin Cities.  Funk bands, Heavy Metal, Grunge, R&B, Disco, Classic Rock - he's played them all and laid down some serious grooves over the years.  When asked about the nickname, Hank simply smiled and with a twinkle in his eye said, "Yep, that's what they used to call me . . . . "   Welcome to the Diner Hank.  One of these days in the near future, we will hear the whole "crank" story.

BRUCE ALMIGHTY, Bass

When his big brother Mitch strapped him down (a la “A Clockwork Orange”) and made him watch MTV during the heyday of hair metal, the young, naïve Bruce asked, “why does that guitar only have 4 strings?”  The seeds were planted, and the rest, as they say, is history.  Since then, Bruce has used his plucking prowess to cover the musical spectrum from the esteemed (jazz, progressive rock, Funk Brothers) to the embarrassing (Ugly Kid Joe, American Idol), and everything in between.  Although he has won awards for his playing, he has more often been the punch line of countless “what do you call a bass player who… ” jokes, many of them self-inflicted.  Hopefully he can seek some assemblage of refuge from these jeers here at the Diner.
 

ROCCO, Drums
Banging on the skins prior to puberty, Rocco played his first gig at the age of 13 at the Veseli Hoe Down on the back of a flat bed truck.  Since then he has played with a variety of original and cover bands in the Twin Cities, as well as working as a studio session drummer.  Influenced early on by the tunes blaring from the AM radio of Dad's red '67 Firebird, Motown, Rock, and Disco have been the driving forces behind his playing style and hip, funky beat.  When the soup jockey clears the table and the lights go down at the Diner, Rocco knows how to lay down the groove and get the party started! 

STEVE-OH, Sound Technician
Steve-oh  is originally from Georgia.  He misses the peaches but loves our balmy Minnesota weather.  Our hats off to Steve-oh.  The acoustics at the Diner can be menacing, but he makes us sound like Orchestra Hall at every gig.