McKenzie River Band

Back in 1994 a new Country Band was formed and by this time, country music was already hot. George Strait had already been crankin’ out hits and Garth was just starting to make his mark on the industry. An artist by the name of Vince Gill was the inspiration for this band’s founder and he was going to try and put together a group to play in the Omaha area. John Mendenhall was the guy responsible for getting this band together and out playing. It wasn’t until 1996 that McKenzie River started to become more popular. At that time there was a few personal changes that moved the band on to the next level. For the next two years the band got a lot of playing time around Omaha, Council Bluffs, Lincoln, and several outlying towns in Nebraska and Iowa. In 1998 it looked as if the band had finished, and for about a year it did! After the break, John was determined to get McKenzie River back into the circuit. From there it took a good year to get back to where it all ended. The band kept playing but it was never the same … UNTIL NOW!!! The year 2006 was promising to be a great new start for this band. It seemed that all the right players were finally in place to get some serious music accomplished. The four musicians in this group have played music for many years in Omaha. They have all played with other successful Omaha bands and they all have opened for a large number of National Acts and a couple of the guys even spent some time on the road paying their dues. One unique thing About this band are all the vocal parts, John (guitars) sings as well as Tim (drums), and Bob (keys). Let’s introduce you to the guys. Tim (the old one) sings a good portion right along with Jessica (lead vocals). Tim has been in the music business since 19??! In the old days he was a rocker, but things have changed a lot since then, however, Tim can still rock on! Bob has worked with John in the earlier years of McKenzie River. He has also spent some time on the road touring. There is still one man not accounted for Mr. Mark Jahns (bass) the second “driver” of the band! He presents himself a very quiet guy; do not let that fool you! He’s been involved in music since high school. And that’s been just a few years ago (just a few … yeah right). Mark has also played bass for many years in bands with Bob. Then there was Jessica a girl who can belt it out like Martina McBride. Jessica has been singing ever since she was a little girl. What we have today is a great group of people that are able to play many styles of music. Whether it’s Country, Rock, R&B, or Pop, this group will cover it all! That’s a great thing for club owners, street dances, and yes we’ve even done some weddings. Diversity allows the group to keep everyone happy and comin’ back for more. We (McKenzie River) are completely dedicated to giving a professional show each and every time we go out. We hope to be playing wherever you are at very soon! Look forward to seeing you there!