Artist description Four piece original rock group, from Minneapolis.

Music Style Indie-Style Rock

Musical Influences No Social Skilz, Pavement, Phish, Tommy Dorsey

Similar Artists No Social Skilz, Ween, Weezer, Phish, Pavement, They might be giants

Artist History The founding members, Bill Marshall and Phil Thompson, first met in 1982, when as co-workers in the University of Minnesota hospital kitchen, they encountered each other on the streets of Dinkytown one day, and ended up jamming. Immediately recognizing each other as true songwriters, they formed an early band that evolved into the space-rock power trio AKR. Although Marshall soon left the band to pursue solo interests and concentrate on songwriting, AKR flourished in the mid-1980s, playing out in most of the important venues in town. This was the heyday of the 1980s ?Minneapolis sound,? and AKR played engagements backing many of the big names -- Rifle Sport, Babes in Toyland, Magnolias, Naked Raygun, and Boiled in Lead. The band?s career culminated in the release of a cassette, ?Mastodon?, which Ed Ackerson (now in Polara) called ?a minor miracle of 8-track production.? The tape received extensive airplay locally, especially on Drew Miller?s ?Crash Gearbox? show on Fresh Air Radio.At the same time, future Rainbow Bridge bass player Zack Williams was employed in one of the most popular live stage acts in town, a group called No Social Skils. The Skils had a large following, headlined all over town, and often shared billings with the Geardaddys and other well-known groups. Their irreverent, flamboyant stage presence and powerful, from the gut original songs contributed to their winning a Cabooze Bar Search contest in 1987, following a stellar performance. Bill Marshall and Phil Thompson were in attendance at this, and many other Skils shows, and became acquaintances and fans of the group. Also, the future drummer of Swine, was the roadie for The Skils. When The Skils broke up due to personal differences, and AKR split following a robbery at their practice space, Marshall and Thompson, who had continued to work on songwriting projects all along, decided to start a new band. They recruited Scott Peterson, a one-time AKR drummer, and made a number of promising recordings on Marshall?s home 8-track mixer. They chose the name Rainbow Bridge

Group Members Bill Marshall, Phil Thompson, Zack Williams, Todd Lipelt

Instruments Guitar, Bass, Drums

Albums First Night Out, It's Not Too Late To Start Again

Location Minneapolis, Minnesota - USA

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