THE BAND
KRISTI ESSLINGER
// vocals/percussion
Kristi has been performing in various bands since 2008. She enjoys a wide range of music styles from almost every era and has performed several styles of music. With over a hundred performances on the books, she has an extensive repertoire. Her favorite genres include Classic Rock and Blues, with Pop, Alternative Rock, Jazz, and a little Country in the mix. Her go-to cover band is KD & the Painkillers, but she has performed with many different bands over the years.
DRAKE JOHNSON
// guitar/vocals
Drake is a Fort Collins native who started playing guitar in bands in the early 70’s. After raising a family his love of music brought him back to the stage where, along with Kristi, he leads KD and the Painkillers with his goofy sense of humor and (at times) outrageous lyrics. He loves 70’s rock and roll, country and anything with heavy guitar sounds. He counts among his influences a diverse array of artists including Neil Diamond, David Wilcox, Sammy Hagar, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Journey, Def Leppard, Rick Springfield along with country artist such as Keith Urban and Garth Brooks. When he is not playing music, he sails boats in the Caribbean, plays with his grandkids and enjoys a lousy round of golf…as long as drinks are part of the game.
TIM ALLEN
// trumpet/vocals
Timmy is a self made hundredaire with an eclectic and often goofy love of music. He has a penchant for saving lives and improving the human condition that is often overshadowed by his lack of skill, his unreliability and disdain for most of the 1970s. Musical influences include Bjork and that’s it.
LIZ STEVENS
// keyboards/vocals
Liz has many years of experience with multiple musical instruments. She's dabbled with the banjo, shakes the maracas, and is a piano player extraordinaire! Her musical influences are Dave Brubeck, Joe Cocker, and Elton John.
BARRY ODBERT
// drums
Barry has been a fan of classic rock since before it was “classic” and has played a mix of other musical styles as well. His drumming inspirations are Neil Peart, Ringo, and Barry’s dad Bill who first introduced 10-year-old Barry to drumming with a classic swing rhythm. Thanks Dad!
ERIC STEVENS
// bass/vocals
Eric played violin as a youngster then quit in high school and became absorbed in other activities. But he always listened to music, especially the bass lines, and considering that his formative years were during the height of disco and funk he absorbed some pretty amazing bass lines into his subconscious. Later in life when he had enough free time and money to start checking off items on the "unfulfilled wish list of life" he bought a bass and started taking bass lessons. Considering that his bass lessons (which he still takes) and band practices are always the highlight of any week he feels like he made a wise choice. Eric loves the different-ness of playing music in contrast to his usual job. He loves working with other musicians to craft something fun and enjoyable for others listen and dance to. He likes the fact that even as amateurs we can do a decent job even while admiring the skill of the many musicians who are far more skilled than he will ever be.
MIKE WINCHEL
// lead guitar/vocals
Mike has either run sound or been in various bands since the 80’s, although he is nowhere near that old. Recent bands he has run sound for or played in include Black Box Warning, Off Call, The Roctors, local praise bands and now KD & the PainKillers. Mike sings, plays rhythm guitar and some bass, and now is honored to play lead guitar with such a fine and fun bunch of musicians as are in KD & the Painkillers. Music influences include Mark Knopfler, David Gilmore, a Welsh band called MAN, Wishbone Ash, Allman Brothers, Eric Johnson, Eric Clapton, Santana, Dave Beegle, and Stevie Ray Vaughn.