Jay Brown - (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/Harmonica)
Stephen Ochsner - (Rhythm Guitar/Vocals)
Brandon Neumann (Drums)
Dave James (Bass)
*Bryan Potyk (Bass) 2011-2012
Deborah Peltier (Fiddle/Vocals)
Dave Bond (Lead Guitar)
*Jason Kahanek (Lead Guitar) 2011-2016 - Founding Member - RIP - We love you brother!
*Taylor Long (Lead Guitar) 2016-2018 - Contributing member. Influential writer on BadRide Album
Smoke Wagon formed in 2011. A Soundman with the dream of putting together a "rocking country" band, published a random Craigslist post. Original members Brandon Neumann (Drums), Stephen Ochsner (Rhythm Guitar and vocals), Jason Kahanek (Lead Guitar) and Bryan Potyk answered the cattle call - the first to show up. We liked each other...step one complete...
What now? A band isn't a band without a lead singer. Enter JMFB, aka. Jay Brown (Lead Vocals and Acoustic Guitar) - occasional front man for Skunk Weed (they have their last "final show ever" every year) and Poor J Brown! Ladies and Gentlemen...we now have a band!!! What next?
ONE YEAR of rehearsal....ONE...LONG...YEAR... to put together a wall of sound that was so big....
We attracted the "X factor"...Enter Deborah Campbell. She started as a fan (attended our first show at Tavern in the Gruene!) and the next week this classically trained violinist, ball of energy and sound auditioned and came over to the dark side as a smoking hot Red Dirt/Texas Country fiddle player! She had us at hello. She auditioned. We said YES...
(Wait...there's more). Bass player swap! The man who brought MFJB to Smoke Wagon, the man who patiently sat on the side-lines, the man who played with Jay Brown in other projects for half his musical career....found an unexpected opportunity (I mean...really...who would ever want to leave such a fantastic group of musicians?!?)...Enter DJOB aka Dave James! The rest is history...ALMOST!
Founding member, beloved musician, rockstar and our friend, Jason Kahanek passed suddenly in 2016. A devastating blow. Cheers to you brother! We miss you! You were a master at your craft!
Enter Taylor Long. Barely out of diapers and a closet guitar player (we love you Taylor)! Taylor filled the gapping void left by Jason. He played an instrumental role in helping us get back on our feet before moving to his own project as a front man! Thank you Taylor!
Enter Dave Bond! A rock guitar player turned country, Dave brings a sound to our band that defines Smoke Wagon sound and perfectly complements the sound we have worked 11 years to perfect (still a work in progress)! Smoke Wagon produces a unique and energetic sound that includes incredible vocals, captivating lyrics, hard-hitting guitar riffs, dressed up with a smoking red-hot fiddle (when in Texas). Come see us! Come say hi! We love our band family and we love our fans!!!
*Smoke Wagon's music is produced by Michael Morales/Mixed by Ron Morales (both multi-Grammy Award winners) at Studio M in San Antonio Texas.