Take a microbiologist, drummer dude, industrial engineer, construction worker and a psychologist and what do you get? Would you believe a butt kicking, 'Groovin’ Acoustic Rock Jazzy, just dam good music, band? Hell yeah!

Pauls Apartment came about from a bunch of friends jamming in the year 2001 (read below for more details). The band consists of

 

Donna Lynn Johnson - lead vocals and guitar,

Neil Thompson -bass and vocals,

Tim Callhan- lead guitar and vocals

Brian Kelley- Banjo

Greg "Duke" Dewey- drummer and vocals

 

Over the years they have honed their playing and crowd pleasing talent! whether its an original or a special cover tune they are sure to please!

 

Below you wail find the original bios of the band, as we evolve so do the descriptors, imagine that!


Former Country Joe and The Fish drummer Greg Dewey pulses the rhythm with Donna Lynn’s harmonious sultry vocals that makes you want to sing and dance! With the release of their first CD in 2002, Pauls Apartment debuted what Dan Corcoran of the Impact Weekly described as the “epitome of the homegrown jam session. Whether you’re listening to one of their cover tunes or original songs, you’ll soon find yourself movin’ and groovin’ along with them." SWRecords.Net said, “Down home, upbeat and bluesy, Pauls Apartment has a Les Claypool sense of humor and a Carl Perkins rockabilly groove.” Rev. Cool of WYSO’s Around the Fringe show simply describes them as, “Psychotic Bluegrass, Yea!”

In May of 2003 Pauls Apartment released their second CD, Utilities Included. This CD captures their down to earth, funny and rootsie songwriting that appeals to all ages. Utilities Included has 12 originals that the band created over the past year and simply put makes you want to shake it!!. But don't take our word for it though!! Buy one and check it out for yourself!

The Origins of the Band
In 2001 Donna Lynn Johnson brought the group together after meeting them at a local weekly open jam session in Yellow Springs, Ohio. "I was playing out around town solo and finally thought, HEY! what if I asked a few of the fellas to join me from jam night!?, that would be so much better." There she found Tim, Brian, Neil and Oliver. They played small gigs around Yellow Springs and decided they had put something together they couldn’t, shouldn’t stop.

One night, soon thereafter, they all went to Canal Street Tavern to watch a few bands. During that evening at one point Tim's wife, Kelly' stood up, looked at all of them and said, "Hey, look! there's Pauls Apartment". (The jam night was often held at a good friend’s apartment, Paul). Pauls Apartment was born. almost...All they needed now was a drummer

During Donna Lynn's first summer in Yellow Springs she was asked to join in on a Jam downtown for the fourth of July. The drummer there was Greg Dewey and by the end of the day he said to Donna Lynn, “If you ever get a band together, I want to be your drummer". Well she remembered that, knew the time was right, hunted him down and asked him if he was still up for it. He said yes! And Pauls Apartment was complete

Describing the Parts

(click on each band members photo for their own page)

 

The Drummer Dude-
Greg “Duke” Dewey, Drummer and always knew he would be one since he was five (according to his mom). At the age of 17 he moved to California to be a rock star, it worked……. Over 35 LPs later, back to Yellow Springs he went and met a woman named Donna Lynn……. Ahhhhh, and immediately made music.

The Food Safety Microbiologist-
Donna Lynn, Vocalist and Guitarist started playing and singing in her native California when she was 12. Sounding like a cross between Joni Mitchell, Lucinda Williams and Bonnie Raitt, she says she honed her vocals while working as a talc miner in Death Valley, California, “The acoustics in those drifts were great!” . Her day job led here to Yellow Springs, Ohio and the “fellas” as she endearingly calls them

The Industrial Engineer-
Neil Thompson, Bass Master and well, frankly he plays anything he can get his hands on. Weaned in Centerville, Ohio with a hula popper in his mouth he started playing music and we hooked and mounted him immediately!

The Psychologist-
Tim Callahan, Vocalist and Guitarist is also lovingly know as Tim “Dark Doctor” Callahan. He doesn’t really believe in reality so you know he doesn’t really mean it when he says, “He didn’t Mean to Kill Her” *grin*

The Construction Worker-
Brian Kelley, Banjo’ist Extrordinnare always does it well and has been since he can remember. In the beginning he always did it alone, but now he can’t help but do it in front of everybody. Donna Lynn always says, “Here! Here! To a job well done!
ll done!”

 

FORMER MEMBERS BELOW

The Snake Pudding Specailst-
Oliver Simons, Mando (mandolin) Dude has also been know to venture to far off islands in search of the finest snake pudding. He has also been rumored to be one of the finest roofers about and if he roofs a tenth as good as he plays his mandolin...... he’s a damm good roofer.