This is New Wisco Weekend. I'm Lisa Hale. Grand Union was started in 2007 on a dayer.
The creator of the band is a big rock and roll kind of guy and one day he's goofing
off with friends and he was dared to start a country band. 18 years later, it's still
going. McKenna May and Jake Allen from Grand Union recently appeared on Civic Media's
Mino in the Mayor's Show. Here's a little of their interview and their music with John
Mino, Jim Schmidt, Dennis Peters and McKenna May and Jake Allen.
Dennis introduced their very special guests. Well, I don't think they need an introduction.
They're so awesome. So what the heck brought you guys in today besides your vehicle?
Sure. So Jake and I are two of the lead vocalists in Grand Union. The band has been around
since 2007. Fun fact, it was started on a dayer. So yeah, that's kind of funny. Still
ripping, but there's four other guys in the band with us and I've only been in the band
three years. Jake's been around longer, but think six now. Yeah. So talk about the
dayer. What was it? So Steve Pollock was original founding member of Grand Union and he's
a rock and roll guy at heart. Right. This guy loves, I mean, we're talking kiss, that
kind of stuff. And somebody said I dare you to do a country band and Steve goes watch
me. And next thing you know, it's kind of took off from there and there's been a few
iterations of Grand Union throughout the years. And it's just the latest one. I love the
back story on your name. You know that it was a dare. Did he? Yeah. Is it not coming
around asking for commission? He just retired. We said he quit. He retired, but yeah, he
put a good eight almost 18 years in. So do you write your own? Tell me about your music.
So the current lineup of the band is myself, McKenna. Jason McNabb is the latest edition
we just got. Wow. That's a great pick up. I'm so excited to have him the group. He's phenomenal,
who is great guitar player. We have Phil Smith, who's our fiddle player, guitar player,
virtuoso. He's incredible. Josh Fry Miller. There's a drummer. And then Tim Beekler,
bass player, left handed bass player plays like nobody else. And she's been such a great
group. We play it. We played quite a bit of country music. Right. I would say we're
rooted. That's all going to have been your staple over the years. Yeah. But Jake, Jake
has an incredible range. And so we'd be silly to not take advantage of it. So we, we
make sense in some rock and roll. We play some take on me. And, yeah, I'm hoping about
your background. My background. Well, I, this is the first band that I've ever been in.
You know, it shows. You know, I don't know, right? Yeah. I mean, I've been singing my whole
life. I've done a lot of really cool, random things, you know, like National Anthem
at Fenway Park. I've been in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Very random thing.
Where are you from? Here. And you sang it. Fenway. I did. Yes. But yeah, the, the opportunity
came to audition for the band. I was a little intimidated because it wasn't like a, I've
never been in a band, but I went for it and I got it. And it's just been the joy of my
life. Well, we got to hear you guys. Let's go. Let's go.
I can't imagine Jake Allen in studio this morning.
I'm ready. There's a team gets. We can be tried on with our hearts with the help of
a Mason John drinking watermelon. Shine. We cut the bird with a little line. Parking
back in them. Could survive. I was here. And every bit of our boy was mine too. Young
and I love was. But we were learning on his sweepers. There's never nothing like the
first time. And mine's always going to taste like watermelon moonshine. I don't remember
where we got it from. I just remember feeling on grown up. Taking booze, I get a
whole thing. Never told them it was my first shake. But I told them that he wasn't
one. You're so sure when you're that young. You think you got it off. Dig it out. And
we're not going to think about drinking watermelon moonshine. We cut the bird with a
little line. Parking back in them. Could survive. I was here. And every bit of our boy was
mine too. Young and I love was. But we were learning on his sweepers. There's never
nothing like the first time. And mine's always going to taste like watermelon moonshine.
I thought this how it lasts forever. And that ain't what it does. Maybe we were drunk in
love. Maybe we were just.
Okay, that's one of my all-time favorite countries songs. It gives me goosebumps. You sound
so much like her. It's my I'm trying to think who it is. Lany Wilson. Lany Wilson. You sound
so much like her. It's incredible. Oh, well, thank you. Wow, Dennis. Amazing. You're the
expert. How do you do that? How do you sound so pure on a Friday morning? Yeah, you know
what? I sang my whole way here, but I was a little worried about those high notes there.
Aside from Grand Union, Jake and I do an acoustic duo. We do this one for our acoustic one,
but we don't do it the whole band. So we actually got to play at the whammies. I think it was
two years ago. We've played there, but we have a list of nominations as well. I think
I don't know. You guys too, Jake is nominated. I'm nominated. I bought it for you too, by the
way. You did, Dennis. I'm not saying because I'm radio. I'm saying because it's actually
true and deserved. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That's fantastic. It was fun. We just
kind of sat back and even dropped a little bit. You guys talked about the biz and the whole
thing. Instead of like competitors, it was a really cool support of something. You know,
not even just that night though, but I feel like we have a everybody is very supportive
of each other. Let me ask you about our community here. I know you're Nina Aptenashkosh.
Love venues for you to get exposed. I would say I'm super thrilled with this area and
the support we get to be able to play music live. I mean, to be able to play this many
shows in this size of area. Right. As consistently as we do, I think it's incredible.
She grew up on the side of the road where the church bells ringing and strong the
bells. She grew up good. She grew up so like American honey.
Steady as a preacher, free as a weed. Couldn't wait to keep going but wasn't
quite ready to leave. So in the same pure and sweet American honey.
Thank you for being a part of Newisco Weekend and our take on National Goof Off Day, March 22nd.
Newisco Weekend is produced and written by Terry Barr and Lisa Hale. Our executive producer
is Todd Michaels, directed by Lisa Hale. Our lead correspondent is Terry Barr with features
from Conrad Krieger, Brittany Merlot, Joe Ann Croulette, Pete Schwabba and our commentator,
Amanda Nimmer. Special appearances this week by John Mino, Dennis Peters, Jim Schmidt
and Melissa Kay. If you have a story you'd like to hear covered, please feel free to email
me anytime. Lisa.Hale at civicmedia.us. I'm civic media Northeast Wisconsin Bureau Chief
Lisa Hale for WISS and WGBW News. The Unstoppable.
