Fatty Jenkins
Fatty Jenkins began in 1997 in small town Newton, KS (pop. 18,000). From 1997 to 2000, Fatty Jenkins took on several incarnations, including various horn players and bassists. John McKay (guitarist/singer) and Mike Weber (percussion), Phil Toevs (bass/keys), and Eric Frey (drums) began jamming in a small college practice room. When Frey moved to Canada in 1999, Mark Smith (drums) joined the band. At one time, the name of the band changed to “Johnny Breedlove & the MoneyMakers” – and then back again. In 2000, Jerod Lowe joined the band playing bass guitar. Fatty Jenkins had become a household name in the small Kansas community and on the campuses of local area colleges. During this time, friendly audiences enabled the band to experiment with improvisational jams. Fatty Jenkins prided themselves on being able to entertain audiences from all backgrounds. From blues festivals to the famous laundromat concert series in Harper, KS, Fatty Jenkins struck the soul to dance. In June of 2002, Fatty Jenkins took the plunge and moved to Fort Collins CO. “The Front Range area is full of solid musicians”, says guitarist McKay. “If you’re going to try to make it in the music industry, you might as well go to one of the toughest regions in the U.S. and see how the audience reacts. Anyone can be famous in small town America”. Fatty Jenkins recruited the help of a former fan to play keys and help with vocal harmonies. Nikki Hershberger attended Fatty shows in Kansas avidly. As it happened, she was assigned an AmeriCorps position in Fort Collins and began sitting in with the band. She provides a long missed element to a Fatty show, one not seen since the departure of Phil Toevs in 2000. The last missing piece was filled by Matt Shirk on drums. Shirk’s steady mix of rock and funk beats provide a backbone of energy for Fatty fans. Originally from Santa Rosa, CA, he has played the drums for 15 years. Fatty Jenkins took on another incarnation in 2003. Previous drummer Mark Smith has moved to Fort Collins to rejoin the band. Tired of people and city life, Mark moved to Fort Collins to enjoy Colorado and energize the Fatty groove. In November of 2005, Fatty Jenkins welcomed some new additions. Ian Wurst from Greeley Colorado joined the band on bass guitar. Don’t worry folks, Jerods just transitioning to guitar. Ian has played bass for numerous local bands and has decided to play with Fatty Jenkins full time. Fatty Jenkins has also welcomed a three piece horn section featuring Henry Cavalier(Trumpet), Paul Maley(Trumpet), and Troy Thill(Saxaphones). This has expanded the repitore of the band as well as the song writing. Although the names and faces have changed over the years, Fatty Jenkins continues to provide audiences along the Front Range and beyond with evenings full of musical surprise. From killer Latin funk to jazzy improvisational blues, Fatty Jenkins is engaging listeners from all walks of life.
