Mark Cameron - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Songwriter
Minneapolis-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Mark Cameron has been active in live music for over thirty years. He began his performing career in the rich folk-rock scene of the early 1970’s and brought this influence into several bands he founded during the 1980’s and 1990’s. Today, Mark’s focus is centered on crafting original Blues songs with strong melodies and memorable lyrics. The range of his material stretches the Blues genre beyond the standard comfort zone with a focus on “foot stompin, butt shakin” music that resonates with a live audience.
A prolific songwriter, Mark released seven studio albums prior to his breakout effort “Playing Rough” in 2016. The album charted as high as number 7 and stayed on the charts for nearly 30 weeks. The Mark Cameron Band is consistently a top finisher in Blues competitions over the past several years and has become a Blues festival favorite thanks to Mark’s high-energy performance style and diverse guitar skills.
Known as a charismatic front man and soulful guitarist, Mark engages his audience directly in live performances and delivers his original compositions with a mix of sincerity, honesty and often a touch of humor. He is equally at home on acoustic or electrified instruments and delivers slide guitar via a 1930 National resonator. Mark's vocal range stretches from basement baritone to full-on growl, with lyrics that draw the listener in and paint a picture of the many worlds within the Blues.
Bill Keyes - Harmonica, Vocals
Bill Keyes brings that sweet blues harp sound to the band. Bill has been a student of the blues for about 15 years, but was well into establishing his career and family before pursuing music seriously. His musical siblings provided a good foundation at a young age, so when he decided to get serious about playing, the learning came quickly. Workshops at the Harmonica Masterclass School of the Blues with David Barrett in California and classes with Joe Filisko at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago provided a solid foundation for harmonica technique. Locally, lessons with Clint Hoover at the Homestead Pickin' Parlor and vocal training at the West Bank School of Music helped build on that foundation and according to Bill, “It's been a lot of fun getting ready to do this!”
Bill often travels for his professional career, which limits his playing time, but he sneaks in practice time on some of his longer road trips to keep expanding his playing technique. "A lot of people own a harmonica because they like the sound," Bill explains, "but to me, playing this instrument is about refined technique and big tone, which can take a lot of work to develop." Bill's playing style and vocal range is a rich addition to the performance of the Mark Cameron Band's original pieces.
Scott Lundberg - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Originally from Houston, Scott Lundberg began classical piano training at the age of 6 and added guitar, bass, trombone, organ and tuba to his repertoire along the way. He progressed from his first garage band, New Dawn, at age 14, to high school and college concert bands, marching bands, jazz bands, orchestras, pit orchestras, school and church choirs. He has played bass guitar, tuba and keyboards in many working bands along the way, including Hurricane Hash (Dixieland), Liberation (brass rock), Rasputin (alternative rock), Hearts of Praise (gospel), 2nd Exit (electric blues), American Outlaws (classic rock), Top Shelf (electric blues), the Jennifer Springer Blues Band and since 2009, the Mark Cameron Band.
Scott has played venues including the Ordway Theatre in St. Paul and Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis during his five-year tenure with the Minnesota State Concert Band. In his rock and blues bands, he has appeared on the same bill with Three Dog Night, Grand Funk Railroad, Willie Dixon, Indigenous and Corey Stevens.
Scott is also known as “THUNDER” and “BIG MAN” (with profuse apologies to the REAL big man, the late Clarence Clemons), and uses the tagline “Bass lines like a big, funky giant.” His drink of choice these days is usually Bass Ale - what else would a bassist drink?
Dan Schroeder - Drums
Dan Schroeder channeled his energies into playing drums from a very young age. His parents soon recognized that the constant tapping of feet and playing on knees was a sign and encouraged Dan to pursue his passion for percussion. Dan began playing in bands way back in 1976 and has extended his drum skills to include teaching along with his long history as a full time musician.
Dan has shared the stage with an impressive variety of performers from a wide range of genres. From Don Williams to Brett Michaels, Dan has shared the stage with the best and is now known for delivering inspired performances that get people out of their seats and out on the floor. In recent years Dan had scaled back his full-time performance schedule to focus on raising a family. He soon recognized the family-friendly environment within the Blues and has adopted a whole new family in the bargain. Dan is known for having “the best hair in the Blues” according to Cameron, and his addition to the Mark Cameron Band has “raised the bar” according to Blues writer Gary Eckhart
Sheri Cameron - Flute, Percussion
Ask Sheri Cameron and she will tell you she is not a musician by nature or instinct. There are those who might argue that. Ask her husband and band mate, Mark Cameron, and he will tell you that is precisely why she works so well as a member of the Mark Cameron Band: “Sheri does not have a musician’s inflated ego and will do whatever a song needs to sound better, without going overboard”.
Sheri's first studio recording was the memorable flute solo on the 1990 release, “Can’t Take Another Night.” This song, from the CD “Range of Emotion,” became a popular song on Minneapolis radio and first brought Sheri to the stage as a member of the 1990’s Minneapolis band “Citizen’s Patrol.”
After years of helping her husband load in and load out to play live music and record albums, she finally decided, “If I am going to help haul this stuff, I might as well play it too!” Sheri has proved to be a crowd favorite over the past few years as a sax/ flute player and percussion guru.
Today Sheri plays saxophone, flute, bongos, shaker, guiro, tambourine, washboard, chimes and whatever else a song might call for. She provides female vocal parts and lyrical input in the recording studio as well. Sheri puts the “tasty” in the Mark Cameron Band.
