For
Bookings, call 319-360-2031
or send Email.
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BAND
BIOS
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Jason
Holub, Drums
A native of Cedar Rapids, drummer Jason
Holub has played with several earlier versions of the
band until Stranded in Iowa became what it is today.
Jason has played drums for 25 years. He says he knew
what he wanted to do the first time he saw Van Halen’s
“Jump” video on MTV and he’s been
playing ever since. When he was about 11 years old,
Jason started playing the snare drum in the school band.
He played in the jazz band and got his first drum set
when he was in junior high school. Before he and the
Stranded group played together, Jason played drums in
several local bands, including “Night Moves.”
He and his wife Tina, along with their 12-year-old daughter
Carli, live in Cedar Rapids, where Jason is a self-employed
carpenter. |
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Dave
Suri, Bass Guitar
Stranded in Iowa’s Bass Guitarist
Dave Suri considers himself a Cedar Rapids native since
he says he’s been in Cedar Rapids since shortly
after high school. He started playing bass guitar in
garage bands when he was a sophomore in high school.
His wide variety of experience includes stints with
blues, country and rock bands. Locally, he has played
with Tommyrockers, Blue Zone, Upstage, Twilight, and
Chain Reaction amongst others. He has written and recorded
original music with Blue Zone. A graduate of the University
of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in Management
Information Systems, Dave is employed by Vangent as
a business analyst. “I play music to cope with
the insanity in the world,” says Dave. “The
irony is that I’ve discovered more!” |
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Patrick
Harrison, Lead Guitar/Vocals
Born and raised in the Decatur and Bethany,
Ill. area, Patrick and his family came to Cedar Rapids
in 1998. He’s been playing the guitar since he
was 10 years old. By the time he was 21, Patrick was
doing a lot of song writing and working in a recording
studio. He worked as a full-time musician for the central
Illinois band Joker X-press from 1989 to 1993. Patrick
is a graduate of the Institute of Electronic Technology
and is employed as a test technician at Rockwell-Collins.
He and his wife Christy are the parents of three children,
ages 9, 16, and 17. Ask Patrick the simple question,
why do you play music? You’ll get a simple answer,
always accompanied by a mischievous grin: “For
attention, of course! It’s the only time anyone
will listen to me!” |
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Rob
Wallace, Lead Vocals
Lead singer Rob Wallace combines experience
and musical passion to help set Stranded in Iowa’s
popular tone. Rob was born in Montgomery, Ala., but
moved to Cedar Rapids at age 5. He started playing drums
and singing with other neighborhood children when he
was 8 years old and joined his first rock band when
he was 12. He spent a lot of time in choirs and show
choirs and fondly recalls his Chippendale days when
he was in his 20s (a joke). Rob has been in 9-10 bands
since 1981 and has also written and recorded music in
both Los Angeles and Nashville. He is a graduate of
Washington High School and holds degrees from Ohio State
University and Mount Mercy College. He is a counselor
at Four Oaks of Iowa. Rob and his wife Kathy’s
four children include 8-year-old twins, a 12-year-old
and a 15-year-old “Music isn’t a hobby,”
says Rob. “It’s a way of life. I NEED to
do it – the energy, the excitement and pleasing
audiences is what keeps me young!” |
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Billie
Tessendorf, Keyboards/Vocals
Billie has been “Stranded in Iowa”
since her birth in Dubuque, although she spent her formative
years in northwest Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
She relocated to the Cedar Rapids area in 1997, where
she is currently employed as a Technical Sales Manager
for Glanbia Nutritionals. She holds a business degree
through the Kirkwood/Mount Mercy Advance program. She
and her fiancé, Scott, have a combined, extended
family that includes five children, ages 12-21. Billie’s
passion for all things musical started when she began
taking piano lessons at age 4, followed with participation
in school choirs, jazz and marching bands and community
theater. She has worked as a church organist and accompanist
and has played keyboards and sung professionally for
other band projects, including The Pulse, Shades of
Gray, and Flashback. “I’m in constant pursuit
of the ‘goose bump’ factor!” says
Billie. “There’s nothing better than when
a musical project ‘gels’ just right and
your hard work translates into a solid performance that
helps you connect with your fans. It’s electric!”
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| For
Bookings, call 319-360-2031
or send
Email. |
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