wary of the instrument after heeding warnings from upright bass players complaining of sore hands from the slapping technique often associated with rockabilly and psychobilly bassists. But free bass rentals and lessons from an MSU music faculty member changed his mind. When Henke offered him a spot in the new band, Donatelle stretched the truth. “I actually didn’t know how to play bass when he asked me,” Donatelle, 21, said. “It wasn’t a week later until I picked up the bass. Then I found out why all my friends were complaining about how much their hands hurt. It was rough.” “I thought he already knew how to play bass,” Henke said. “But Vinnie’s a really talented guy, and he pulled it off.” In September 2011, the Bitterroot Band began appearing weekly at open-mic nights at Savoy in downtown Mankato. Though their debut performances were essentially glorified rehearsals, the band noticed people were coming just to see them. When the music moved some patrons to dance on the bar’s tables one night, the Bitterroot Band concluded they had stumbled onto something good. “We started looking at it like, ‘Holy crap, we’re catching on.
Let’s book some gigs,’” Henke said. “There seemed to be a lot of people in Mankato who were grabbing onto it.” “It’s great the city has been super supportive,” Acker said. “We are infinitely grateful.” Their inaugural headline slots at the Coffee Hag, Red Sky Lounge and the Wine Cafe found warm receptions. By spring 2012, the band had ventured to Iowa City for its first series of out-of-state gigs. “That was a defining weekend for us,” Acker said. “We realized the potential, that we can go on the road and not hate each other afterwards. … We like to play often and in as many different types of venues as we can. Over time, that’s helped us, given us a leg up. “ The band signed with a Duluth-based booking agency, and by summer 2012, had scheduled shows in various locales in the Midwest. Taking cues from artists like Charlie Parr and Trampled by Turtles -- and fully aware there are rarely overnight sensations in Americana music -- the Bitterroot Band is slowly dipping its toes in the regional touring waters. “With this type of music, no band really blows up really quickly,” Acker said. “It’s an organic process. For the most part, that’s the approach we take. We’ve got to meet the people and entertain them. That’s what it’s all about.” On June 22, the band will play one its favorite Mankato venues, the Vetter Stone Amphitheater at Riverfront Park, on a bill with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra. “It’s a funny pairing,” Donatelle said. “I don’t know how songs about alcohol and women will go over. But I love that park, and it’s an awesome sound system, which we’re not used to all the time.” For Acker, a 2012 MSU graduate with a degree in zoology, playing music for a living is a dream realized. “I’ve been waiting for a moment like this my whole life,” he said. “I don’t have many distractions. I got the degree. If I don’t give this an honest shot, I’d always wonder, ‘What if?’ I can’t imagine doing anything else right now.” Donatelle says he’s relieved the infamous burglary is now a distant, if still painful, memory; just another tribulation in the life of a do-it-yourself acoustic trio. Next time, he vows, he’ll bring all the band’s gear inside. “Since then, it’s been smooth sailing,” he said. “Knock on wood ...” “I told Vinnie, ‘Now you know that we trust you in the band and need you,” Henke said. “It brought us together when you would think it would tear us apart.”
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Photo courtesy of Bitterroot Band
16 • June 2013 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
Local dates for the Bitterroot Band in June include: June 6 at Songs on the Lawn in Mankato, June 14 at the NaKato Bar in North Mankato, June 22 at Rockin’ By the River in Riverfront Park and later that night at Patrick’s in St. Peter.