Bob and Mike

Michael “Fathead” Easton’s affair with the harmonica and blues began in 1972 when he was 15. At the time the blues scene in Harrisburg was dying only to resurface in the 1990’s. While the opportunity to play in an actual blues band didn’t occur until the 1990’s he took whatever gigs he could get. This experience led him to be well rounded in other musical styles as well as blues. By age 17 he was sneaking into bars to sit in with his older brother’s band. By 19 he joined his first band as roadie, sound/lightman and harmonica player. From there he held the saxophone/harmonica seat in an Elvis imitator band for a year. That experience broadened his understanding of country music and the roots of rock and roll. By the early 1980’s New Wave Hair bands dominated the music scene so he went into semi-retirement until mid 1990’s. In 1996 he dusted the rust off his harmonicas and started jamming with the blues bands that were cropping up in the region. While they already had harmonica players he was welcomed to sit in. In 1997 he became one of the founding members of the Blues Society of Central PA and served 2 terms as it’s first VP. In 1998 he started experimenting with harmonicas to find ways to make them perform better. In 1999 he started Fathead Musical Instruments and has been building and repairing harmonicas for pro and semi-pro blues, jazz and classical players around the world. He has become one of the few chromatic harmonica technicians in the world and his services are in heavy demand. Also in 1999 he helped form his first blues band, Jimmoe and the Late Night Boys. From there he played harp in Lancaster’s Blue Attitude band. Around 2004 the harmonica chair became available in Harrisburg’s premier blues band, Krypton City Blues Revue. He was asked to join and held that seat for the next 3 years. The highlight moment was winning the local IBC blues competition and going to Memphis TN to compete on the international stage. He met Bob Wineland at the local blues jam in 2008 and recognized a bond the two had on stage. After a few “jams” he approached Bob about forming a duo in hopes of having other musicians approach them to form a band rather then sitting around waiting for something to happen. After a year of rehearsing and honing their acoustic techniques they’ve become a rare act in the Central PA region. Without the use of overdubs or rhythm machines they bring their own rhythm to blues and Americana music from the early 1920’s to present as well as playing original material.

Bob Wineland aka South Jersey Slim has been playing blues guitar for four decades. Inspired by the blues songs recorded by the popular artists of his youth such as Johnny Winter, Eric Clapton, and the Allman Brothers, he explored the deep roots of the blues until he discovered such seminal artists as Robert Johnson and Skip James. He has been hooked ever since.