The Statz Band

The Statz Band accomplishes their mission to "Promote peace through music" by telling fun stories and a few dad jokes, playing great music from the past 50+ years, and playing that music very well.

All joking aside, the band is talented, and some of the five members have been playing together for years. Ringermaster and frontman, James Statzer, aka Statz, is the lead vocalist and has the most outlandish wardrobe of the group. He's been singing in public, at every opportunity, since he was 10. He formed the band's first beta group wth his son and son-in-law at a family wedding. The younger men happily yielded their places in the band to others who had more time, more experience with music from the past, and older jokes.

Drummer Matthew Fulmer has performed with Statz for over 10 years, and for some reason, the other members refer to him as "Animal." The multi-talented Matthew also gets lauded for creating the band's t-shirts, stickers, and signs. 

Steve Baranek, who plays bass, first met Jim Statzer in the 70s. They played in a garage band together during high school. Jim considers Steve to be a strong musician and a stage craftsman, saying he adds much to the band.

Shawn McCarty has taken on the role of class clown, along with playing guitar and adding vocals. Shawn played with the band years before, left, and has been back for four years, sharing his excellent guitar skills and unfailing sense of humor. 

Paul Balew adds lead and back-up vocals and plays guitar. He's the new guy in the group and has added a stronger sound and more songs to the band's repertoire. He's the quiet one. Every band needs a quiet one.

Statz, or James Statzer, is definitely not the quiet one. First of all, he loves dressing in colorful, shiny, and unique outfits. He enjoys being the center of attention. He is also the heart of the band, with vocals that can belt out an old rock song and croon a tender love ballad.

These five men of a certain age care about each other and their mission as much as they care about music. Don't let that fool you. They care about the audience, too, and simply want to put on a show everyone can enjoy. They succeed every time they take the stage.