he Hula Monsters have been performing in the Mid Atlantic area since 1988. Originally formed as a trio with Dave Giegerich on steel guitar/dobro, Moe Nelson on bass, and Tom Mitchell on guitar, the group has grown to a quintet with the addition of Ben Holmes on drums and Mark Noone on guitar/ukulele. All five members sing.

The band's repertoire is varied and flexible. A typical concert or night club set by The Hula Monsters includes Swing, Rockabilly, Hawaiian, Blues, and Traditional Country Honky Tonk tunes. At times, the band can feature one style more prominently if necessary. For example, at weddings they often do a first set of instrumentals of Jazz standards, while at a Luau they'll play more Hawaiian music. The Hula Monsters have done many Western themed events playing Western Swing and Traditional Country exclusively. Their main criterion in selecting material is that it be fun for the band as well as the audience.

The Hula Monsters have been described as a band of sidemen and are experienced playing in a wide variety of situations. A partial list of acts that members of The Hula Monsters have performed or recorded with includes Bill Kirchen, Dan Hicks, Cracker, Bill Harrell, The Slickee Boys, Kevin Johnson, Pam Tillis, The Grandsons, Queen Ida, Johnny Gimble, Greg Kihn, Tracy Schwartz, Jethro Burns, Mitch Woods, Out Behind The Barn, Billy Kemp, Ruthie and The Wranglers, and C.K. Mann. All of the members have worked as independent studio musicians and have played on many nationally broadcast radio and TV commercials and on dozens of CDs and records.

The Hula Monsters have been nominated for Wammies (the annual awards given by the Washington Area Music Association) in the following categories: World Music Instrumentalist, Country Instrumentalist, Bluegrass Instrumentalist, Traditional Jazz Vocalist, and World Music Band. They were awarded the Wammie in the World Music Band category in 1994.

For booking information please call Robert Friedman at (410) 889-4228 [or toll free: (888) 218-4240].

If you wish to discuss booking matters send e-mail to bluheron@charm.net.