Under 21 with Guardian


BRIGETT OWENS
VOCALS
Brigett’s first performance was at age 19 in blues band with a focus on Chicago blues greats and modern influences of Kenny Wayne Shepard and Jonny Lang. She then joined Blues Trip, a big show band, known for rocking contemporary blues and classic rock dance anthems that shook regional dance floors at fairs, casinos, clubs and private parties. Fun times! At 26, while living in Prague, Czech Republic she formed a band with super talented, misfit engineering students who had a softer, jazz/singer songwriter style. And so began her love of Etta James. One Sunday evening in early spring of 2019, after many long, arduous trips around the sun (resulting in great songwriting material!), she happened to run into a kindred spirit at B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ: Russ KidMan Shenke. They chatted, jammed a few times and the universe conspired to bring them together with some of the most talented, funny and open-hearted musicians to create something new: our Bandoliers.  

"KIDMAN" RUSS SCHENKE
HARMONICA, VOCALS
KidMan spent years playing bass in Blues, Roots, Americana, and Rock bands in Chicago, including the Bald Willies and the Juice Dogs. After moving to Kansas City, he focused for over a decade on blues harmonica, learning tone, style and skill from Lee McBee, Jimmie Meade and other KC harmonica greats. 

From Brigett: 
"Russ is such an amazing harmonica player and brings out the deep sense of the moodiness and movement in every song he plays. He’s also a damn good bass player and I’ve seen video footage of him rocking Chicago stages to a packed house of adoring, dancing fools!"


JOE SLATER
DRUMS
Joe started playing drums at 8 years old. It was the start of of a life-long love of music. He has worked as a studio drummer. In live performance Joe leads the backline with a heart in blues and funk. His live credits include Slater Rae, Blues Trip, Oxline Road, The Tavern Saints, Mustachio, The Jammin Biscuits, and Old School Band. 

From Brigett: 
"Back in the day (I was 21 years old) I auditioned for Joe to join Blues Trip (they weren't looking for a "girl singer"). They eventually hired me. It was my first real gigging band. I loved playing with him and learned so much. We played together for four years at bars, festival, casinos. I'm so honored and excited to play with him again. He's not only a great player, he's a one-of-a-kind soul. A soul that he'll bring to every show. And, for me, it feels like coming home." 

BEN VAN DYKE
GUITAR
Ben has logged 12 years and hundreds of thousands of miles on the road. He made his professional musical debut playing trombone with his father, Leroy Van Dyke. Three years later, at 15, he took up guitar, and an intense affinity for traditional blues. While attending college as a trombone performance major, he began playing guitar and bass with numerous bands in the Midwest, and explored the Kansas City blues scene as a member of King Alex and the Untouchables. Since 2005, Ben has played lead guitar for his father and myriad classic country music artists as part of the Country Gold Tour, yet maintains a steady touring and recording schedule in regional bands of various styles.  

TERRY PETTET
BASS
Terry Pettet began his musical pursuits in Kansas City, Missouri at a young age, finding his preferred voice to be on bass guitar by the age of twelve. After growing up on what is now Classic Rock, Terry shifted to more R&B delving into both Urban and Delta Blues. Over the years, Terry has played with long-seated KC talent such as Millage Gilbert, Soul Shakin’ Blues Band, Little Eva and the Works, among others, at Knuckleheads. While he was with KC Brass and Electric, he shared the stage with Wayne Jackson of the legendary Memphis Horns, and opened for such national acts as Roomful of Blues at the old Grand Emporium. Upon moving to Oklahoma City in 2011, he settled into a six-year residency every Tuesday with the house band at Mojo’s, the Home of the Blues in Bricktown, as well as toured the state with the Michael Updegrove Band. Terry played with a number of Oklahoma Blues Hall of Famers, including Freddy Rice, Dorothy Ellis a.k.a. “Miss Blues” and Joe Settlemires. For the last five years he has enjoyed seeing a bit more of the country while playing with Dirty Red and the Soul Shakers, with tours through Florida, Montana, Wisconsin, Texas and included stages on Beale Street in Memphis and in Las Vegas. With his return to Kansas City, Terry is looking forward to bringing it all back closer to home with Brigett & Her Bandoliers!

https://brigettandherbandoliers.com/