about
BLACKBIRD was formed in early 2009 when Steve Redig and son, Gabriel, joined with bassist Ole Bentz and drummer Steve Vallee with the common goal of playing some of rock's best classics.
Knowing that the band's appreciation for the Beatles' catalog of songs was shared by so many, they focused on a Beatles heavy song list that would allow the band to play a full 3 hours of live Beatles if requested.
Over time, the song list expanded to include many non-Beatles songs that reflected the tastes of the band members as well as the requests of clients who hired them.
In 2013, Steve Vallee departed the band to dedicate more time to other areas in life, and a former bandmate of Steve Redig—Curtis Cooper—took over as the full-time drummer for the band.
In 2018, Curtis stepped away from Blackbird as the full-time drummer and Steve V. took back over the reins.
After playing together for so long, all members of Blackbird enjoy sharing a stage with each other and it shows.
gabriel (Guitar/Vocals/Keys)
Gabriel has been playing various instruments since his dad taught him a few guitar chords around the age of 10. A couple years later, he was recruited by a few friends to play drums in a band, and he continued playing drums in a handful of bands over the span of a couple years.
But Gabriel's short time as a drummer taught him that the fun and creative independence that comes with being a singer and guitarist outweighed the fun he was having as a drummer, so he picked the guitar back up at age 14 and has continued playing since.
Although he enjoys and appreciates classic rock and the Beatles a tremendous amount, Gabriel's musical inspiration comes mostly from Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame) as well as various other rock and soul artists.
steve r (Guitar/Vocals/Keys)
Steve wanted to be in a band from the moment he saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Growing up on Cream's Clapton, Jimmy Page, Santana, he played in a few bands in junior high and highschool. (His band Friends won some Battle of the Band events) In college he played in the band Landslide who opened for The Tubes once in San Fransisco. He also played in the trio StudebakerHawk.
steve v (Drums/Percussion)
(Bio coming soon... we hope)
ole (Bass/Vocals/Guitar)
Ole began taking classical guitar lessons when he was 8, and taught himself piano and bass in the early teen years. While taking music theory classes in high school and college, he played bass and guitar in various settings, from classical guitar duo, to 5-person rock band, to 14-piece jazz-fusion ensemble. Through Blackbird, Ole has found a whole new appreciation for the classic rock genre, which has been so influential in shaping American culture.