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.

EBONY De LUCA , Vocals
At age 3 while growing up in the Dominican Republic, Ebony's parents temporarily lost her in an open marketplace.  After frantically searching high and low, they found her attracting a big crowd as she danced up a storm to a local kid’s boombox.  She's been singing and dancing to the music every since.  Ebony has performed in Austria, Lichtenstein, Ukraine, Croatia, and Bosnia.  And now she has settled down here with us at the Diner.  Come in and see for yourself this international treat, now dancing on our jukebox!

JIMMY DIGGS, Guitar
Growing up a guitar player in Houston, TX is no easy ordeal.  Guitar players fiercely compete to perform at the hottest nightclubs with the hottest bands. Influenced by the likes of hometown heroes Albert Collins, Johnny Winter, and Billy Gibbons, Jimmy distinguished himself as a musician focused on the groove and feel of a song.  Soon after finding a passion for jazz, Jimmy had developed an incomparable style encompassing elements of R&B, soul, pop, classic rock and roll, and post bop jazz.  After touring the United States and playing midnight sessions in Manhattan NYC, Jimmy finally found his new digs; servin’ up some southern style grits at the Diner.

DR. TOBIAS FUNK, Bass
Hailing from Düsseldorf, Germany, Dr. Funk graduated from the Hasenpfeffer Institute with a degree in Submarine Technology - - - submarine  SANDWICHES that is.  Dr. Funk has a regular seat at Mel's lunch counter for the "soul" purpose of furthering his research.  As knowledgeable as he is of sub sandwiches, he's a greater authority on subsonic frequencies.  This is evident by his ongoing investigation of the effects of bass playing on the human female body.

 

ROCCO RAMONE, 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.