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Tim Helgeson
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| Stage Name: |
Timmy Quick Lumber |
| Role: |
Drummer/Vocalist/Feedback Suppreser |
| Day Job: |
Food Taster to the Indigent |
| Favorite Color: |
Orange with a hint of gravy |
| Favority Movie: |
The one with the harsh language and the adult situations |
| What's on his iPod? |
Your text messages |
| What's under his kilt? |
Ear Protection |
| Quote: |
"Let's let our ears do the talking" |
| Accelerant of choice: |
Jack Daniels |
| Ride: |
Honda Nighthawk |
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Tim - his drumsticks are quick lumber
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Timmy's True or False:
Packs a Four Kilowatt sound system?
True, but size doesn't matter.
Named first band "Pneumatic Youth"?
False. He was a member of Air Supply.
Developed lifelong fascination with Funk?
True. But his Scandanavian roots are in Defunk.
Was a witness to Frank's recent headboard injury?
True. He was helping Frank move the headboard to his son's bed when the injury occurred.
Tim once set his hair on fire to win a $5 bet?
True. Ron still owes him those five dollars.
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Timmy's Band Bio (so far as we know it)
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St. Benedict's Concert Band
1972-1976
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Tim's foray into the world of drumming began in the early 70's when he received his first snare drum. A
few lessons later he was hammering away with the St. Benedict's Catholic School Concert Band in picturesque
Decorah Iowa.
Lesson Learned: The term "stick it" can be interpreted in a manner unrelated to
cymbal playing technique. It was clear by the chuckling in the ranks and by the director himself that such
highly specialized musical terminology was beyond the comprehension of the group.
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Decorah High School Concert and Marching Band
1978-1981
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Playing in the High School Band is a sure-fire way to be not-hip. Even so we had a great time with
corps style marching band with a small but powerful brass section and a tight drum line.
Lesson Learned: With four snare drummers you have just enough sticks to spell
"TITS"
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The Blue Earth Band
197?-1982ish
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What do you get when two teenage rockers move from Mississippi move to Iowa and hook up with a local rhythm section?
Southern Rock with a Norwegian accent: Pfynyrd Tjosnyrd. YOU-bet-YOU! The Smallwood boys, Jeff and
Russ, along with solid bass man John Holman and I managed to belt out some Rock N Roll for the loyal fan(s) up in
Decorah. If you're out there guys, I still have the hand painted Blue Earth Band banner. No really! The attached MP3
file is an actual recording of the Blue Earth Band from around 1980. The song is a Lynyrd Skynyrd tune called Searchin'.
Our version was recorded with a Sony cassette deck and 2 Radio Shack mics in a basement with a dirt floor and ceiling
so low that you literally could not stand up in it.
Lesson Learned: If you put your guitar on the roof of the truck and drive to the gig, the guitar
may not get there when you do.
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Polish SRV
1996
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Need I say more? Ron Carson and I were privileged to play with a gentleman from Poland who basically channeled
Stevie Ray Vaughn from his guitar. (Channeling of SRV vocals fell victim to the thick Polish accent.) While
the band never took off, we were happy to be part of the famed Polish Blues Invasion.
On quiet nights, you can still hear the echoes from an SRV Signature Strat and a Fender amp cranked to 11.
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Redz Band / Mooncats
1996-1997
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After landing in Ames Iowa following a non-musical year and a half in California, I managed to hook up with a
group of local guys from Redz Band. This band had been in and out of operation since the early 80s and was
reforming to become The Mooncats. We played several bars and festivals around central Iowa. All of those
guys are still good friends who hook up from time to time to revive Neil Young, Tom Petty and other tunes.
We recorded some original and cover tunes in an unreleased Mooncats CD called "Out Of The Box." Check back
for samples of Mooncats originals on this site in the future. Former members of the Mooncats now make up the
Sofa Kings [link] and the Ed Red & Ray band [link].
Note: Frank Karasinski (center of photo) is now the lead guitar player for the Burnin' Sensations.
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Raven
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This band had been around for several years under the direction of husband and wife team, Steve and Elizabeth Greenfield.
Elizabeth had a topnotch voice of which the rest of us were unworthy. We played several bars around the Des Moines
area as well as a Seniom Sed in Nollen Plaza before the band left me in 1998.
Lesson Learned: Always skip gatherings described as "Band Meetings".
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FJB Project, aka P, B & J
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A project looking for a female lead vocalist. The endeavor ended when Frank moved to New Jersey. This lead me to:
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Shakin' Katies
2000 - 2003
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When female vocalist Stephanie Mehmen called in need of a rhythm section in October, 2000, she had
"Country" written all over her (and it was misspelled!). I brought in a bass player
(Ron), two lead guitarists in succession (Red, then Frank), and supplied a PA and rehearsal space.
Band progress was interrupted twice by maternity leaves, then was permanently interrupted by a
dissolution of the band.
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