Yankee Station

They define themselves as “rock and roll for grown ups,” which gives them a wide listening audience in baby-boomer-friendly Northern Michigan. They feel that Northern Michiganders are just as capable of playing Southern rock as well as their “southern cousins.”  And they work just as hard as some of the more high-profile bar bands in the region, so now it’s time to get their name out there.
Yankee Station began in 1993 as a jamming venture for a group of Gaylord-based musicians.  At that time, the sole reason for the project was to have fun playing music; but once the band played the region’s Alpine Jam, they caught the live performance bug and decided that they wanted to play more often than once a year.  After cycling through a few configurations of their band, they settled on their current lineup, which is a four-piece outfit that consists of Craig Friend of Elk Rapids on guitar, vocals, and harmonica;  Art Robinson of Boyne City on bass guitar and vocals;  Jack Ross of Elmira on drums; and Bruce King of Gaylord on keyboards and vocals.  It’s a real Northern Michigan mix.

SOUTHERN SOUNDS
But while Northern Michigan is in their blood, the music that they love to play comes from a different part of the country, namely the south.  They cite “great music by bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, and Van Morrison” as their driving force,
and feel that their choice of songs is much different and better than what’s available on the radio today. 
“We play music defined by its distinction and class that is perhaps a little more sophisticated in its content,” Craig Friend explains, saying that the band blends a combination of musical stylings from country and bluegrass to rock and blues.  It’s their performance of that music that they feel sets them apart.
“Our abilities as professional musicians are on a par with our peers with respect to the actual performance standards demanded by our audiences,” Friend continues. “What sets us apart is the level of energy we produce while playing, especially in the presence of people who are out to have a good time. We feel a certain symbiosis between ourselves and the crowd where there is a mutual energy that each shares with the other. Even though each of the band members has played professionally an average of 30 years or more, we are still very passionate about what we do and we try to translate that into our playing.”

LOCAL REACTION
So how does Northern Michigan feel about Yankee Station?  Well, if their constant schedule of gigs is any indication, then the baby-boomers are lovin’ it.  “We have had a fair amount of success playing the local scene over the years,” Friend says, “We’ve been fortunate enough to have played regularly at clubs such as the Sportsman in Boyne City and the Railside in Elmira.  We’re always looking for new places to play as well as events, such as weddings, festivals, and parties. We are also continuously expanding our play list and pushing the boundaries of our capabilities to provide a more well-rounded program. Our goal is to continue as we have been for as long as we are able and to provide some good quality rock-n-roll.”
Yankee Station does try to leave the Northern Michigan station periodically, though.  In spite of the fact that various family and work responsibilities make it a tricky venture, they’ve managed to open for a few other bands including The Bellamy Brothers, and have played shows on Mackinac Island and as far away as Las Vegas, although Northern Michigan remains a challenge because of its notorious particularness regarding just what kind of material local cover bands are expected to play. 
“Northern Michigan is difficult in that it is a sparsely populated area which forces a band to play a broad spectrum of styles,” Friend explains.  “To operate within the confines of a narrowly defined genre is not possible given the fact that venues are going to be patronized by a very diverse and eclectic group of people. It really demands that a band try to play something that is recognizable and that appeals to everyone.”  And so goes the philosophy of a determined Northern Michigan cover band.
But that’s not the only goal that Yankee Station has;  they’re also preparing to update and upload their website (www.yankeestation.com), they have several live shows coming up in the next few weeks, and have been slowly but steadily working on an album of original material.  Perhaps some day they’ll even get to take their northern brand of southern rock down south to meet their southern cousins in person.  And what a jam that would be. View On Our Website