MONROE - Hugo Espinoza has been in music and entertainment throughout most of his life but recently joined together a group of unlikely amateurs for Monroe's newest rock band.
Espinoza, Jacob Keeffe, Tony Rogerson, Craig Hoesly and Dan Schenkat met through their varied jobs at Monroe Clinic. Espinoza, who works in language services, was sitting on his lunch break when he was approached by Rogerson, an ear, nose and throat doctor, and Hoesly, who works in human resources. They asked if Espinoza wanted "to jam."
"I always knew Dr. Rogerson played guitar," Espinoza said. "I'm serious about my music, not that they're not, but this is part of my income. My first reaction was "oh my gosh, I have no time.' But they're my buddies, so I said "yeah, I can come over and bring the guitar.'"
The group went for it. Espinoza on the rhythm guitar, Keeffe, who works in pharmacotherapy, was on bass, Rogerson on lead guitar, Hoesly at the keyboard and Schenkat, an inpatient pharmacist, on the drums. Keeffe and Espinoza said the first night in Hoesly's basement was not going smoothly and there was little enthusiasm from the band. They started on one song just to try it, but it was a shaky beginning. Progress was looking grim and the members of the band, ranging in age from 20s to early 50s, could have ended their efforts at that moment.
Still, the band decided to try "Running Down a Dream" by Tom Petty. Suddenly, everything clicked.
"We all looked at each other, and we said, "holy crap, guys,'" Espinoza said. "We said, "this sounds cool.' We just got into a groove."
And so Four And A Half Men was born in the fall of 2014. Its name was given by Espinoza and the humor behind the handle is instantly apparent in the band photos with the four other men towering over him.
The group, with Keeffe and Espinoza at vocals, began meeting more and became a cohesive group quickly.
"We definitely get along," Espinoza said. "We like to laugh at each other a lot."
Espinoza urged his bandmates to go public, having confidence in their ability to pull in an audience and get paid for their talent. Their first concert was at Beaches in Lena last spring.
It was more than a success for a debut show.
"It was wall to wall," Espinoza said. "It was so packed there was no parking outside."
Keeffe was nervous to take the stage for the first time, especially considering he had been playing the bass for less than a year before the first concert.
"I never thought I would be in, sort of a rock band," Keeffe said. "I was very hesitant about playing for the first time. But honestly, that first night we all played together was such a surreal experience that I don't think there's anything that will compare to it."
Since then the group has kept its audience tuned in to the shows through Facebook. Their show at Cash's Old Smokey in Monroe drew in more than 200 people in May 2015, and Espinoza said the business told the band it had been its biggest crowd ever.
Their music ranges from The Beatles to Johnny Cash to the Barenaked Ladies and they have 50 to 60 songs in their playbook. The Men are now gearing up for their next show from 4 to 7 p.m. July 23 at Hawk's Mill Winery in Browntown.
"It's always fun when we get together," Keeffe said. "Family and friends supporting us, getting together and playing music, it's always a good time."
Espinoza, Jacob Keeffe, Tony Rogerson, Craig Hoesly and Dan Schenkat met through their varied jobs at Monroe Clinic. Espinoza, who works in language services, was sitting on his lunch break when he was approached by Rogerson, an ear, nose and throat doctor, and Hoesly, who works in human resources. They asked if Espinoza wanted "to jam."
"I always knew Dr. Rogerson played guitar," Espinoza said. "I'm serious about my music, not that they're not, but this is part of my income. My first reaction was "oh my gosh, I have no time.' But they're my buddies, so I said "yeah, I can come over and bring the guitar.'"
The group went for it. Espinoza on the rhythm guitar, Keeffe, who works in pharmacotherapy, was on bass, Rogerson on lead guitar, Hoesly at the keyboard and Schenkat, an inpatient pharmacist, on the drums. Keeffe and Espinoza said the first night in Hoesly's basement was not going smoothly and there was little enthusiasm from the band. They started on one song just to try it, but it was a shaky beginning. Progress was looking grim and the members of the band, ranging in age from 20s to early 50s, could have ended their efforts at that moment.
Still, the band decided to try "Running Down a Dream" by Tom Petty. Suddenly, everything clicked.
"We all looked at each other, and we said, "holy crap, guys,'" Espinoza said. "We said, "this sounds cool.' We just got into a groove."
And so Four And A Half Men was born in the fall of 2014. Its name was given by Espinoza and the humor behind the handle is instantly apparent in the band photos with the four other men towering over him.
The group, with Keeffe and Espinoza at vocals, began meeting more and became a cohesive group quickly.
"We definitely get along," Espinoza said. "We like to laugh at each other a lot."
Espinoza urged his bandmates to go public, having confidence in their ability to pull in an audience and get paid for their talent. Their first concert was at Beaches in Lena last spring.
It was more than a success for a debut show.
"It was wall to wall," Espinoza said. "It was so packed there was no parking outside."
Keeffe was nervous to take the stage for the first time, especially considering he had been playing the bass for less than a year before the first concert.
"I never thought I would be in, sort of a rock band," Keeffe said. "I was very hesitant about playing for the first time. But honestly, that first night we all played together was such a surreal experience that I don't think there's anything that will compare to it."
Since then the group has kept its audience tuned in to the shows through Facebook. Their show at Cash's Old Smokey in Monroe drew in more than 200 people in May 2015, and Espinoza said the business told the band it had been its biggest crowd ever.
Their music ranges from The Beatles to Johnny Cash to the Barenaked Ladies and they have 50 to 60 songs in their playbook. The Men are now gearing up for their next show from 4 to 7 p.m. July 23 at Hawk's Mill Winery in Browntown.
"It's always fun when we get together," Keeffe said. "Family and friends supporting us, getting together and playing music, it's always a good time."