Under 21 with Guardian

The Original Plagiarists are T.J. Quinn, Joe Tougas, and Ann Fee, an acoustic Americana/rock trio. Their partnership grew out of a chance meeting at a concert in 2023 and has blossomed into a multi-state rambling circus of chosen family.
Their songs are bound by vocal harmonies, sly wit and warmth.
Their shows are an invitation to join this growing circle, where we learned blood harmony can be found among total strangers.

T.J. Quinn is a New Jersey resident with a side hustle as an investigative reporter for ESPN, and has been part of the New York/New Jersey music scene for years as a singer/songwriter with the bands Uncle Richie and the Barons, the Route 4s, Time Served, and There Goes Steve. He also recently spent two weeks on tour as a guest bassist with the L.A.-based punk band City Mouse. He’s a Mizzou grad with a deep love of Kansas City, despite what the Royals did to the Mets in 2015.

Joe Tougas has been a pillar of the Minnesota River Valley music scene since 1982 when he followed his heart to Mankato, Minn., only to be dumped by the woman he thought was his fiancée. She later wrote a memoir, and in 2025 Joe wrote a song about it, and you are damned right The Original Plagiarists will perform it. Also a journalist by day, Joe is the founder of the bar band Joe Tougas & Associates, and the Joe’s Garage Ensemble, an 11-piece Frank Zappa tribute band. He also plays guitar for the Twin Cities powerhouse vocalist Annie Mack, and performs as an acoustic duo with Ann Fee.

Ann Fee is a founding member of Steely Ann, south-central Minnesota’s premiere Steely Dan tribute band. In addition to performing as a duo with Joe Tougas and a member of Joe Tougas & Associates, Ann is a style columnist for Mankato Magazine, a tarot card reader, and a writer of songs about vengeful women.