Stoopid Kool & the Kiss My Brass Horns

Stoopid Kool is Nashville’s premiere Motown, Funk and 80’s band. Are we a big band? YES! With an even bigger sound!
Featuring the Kiss My Brass horn line, Stoopid Kool brings energy and a song list rarely seen in Middle Tennessee.
From Chicago to Aretha Franklin, Earth Wind and Fire to the Cranberries or from The Ides of March to Stevie Wonder, this band guarantees to bring excitement to your event and life to any dance floor. With three ladies and six gentlemen, they bring the music your crowd wants to hear and the show they want to see!

BRYAN COLLINS - Lead Vocal, Trombone, Guitar
Originally from Jackson, Tennessee, Bryan attended MTSU and the Armed Forces School of Music.
Bryan has been playing music in Middle Tennessee since 1991. Bryan has played with many groups through the years and enjoys playing every genre of music, including Jazz, Classical, Country, and Rock. He formed Stoopid Kool in 2010 with guitarist and longtime friend Max Johns and singer Courtenay Shipley and hasn't looked back!

BECCA DARLING - Lead Vocal, Piano, Fiddle
Nashville-based pianist and singer Becca Darling is a seasoned performer and teacher who has been involved in Nashville recording sessions, Irish and old time string band music, traditional early country, jazz ensembles, and Motown/rock bands for over 10 years. Becca has always charted a solitary and distinctive path by showing a diversity and style in music that has touched souls throughout her life.
A Belmont graduate, Becca has been seen performing at venues ranging from the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan, where she was the staff pianist, to being a performer at local and national venues with the extravagant nine-piece horn rock’n’roll band, Stoopid Kool & the Kiss My Brass Horns.

JOEY HODGE - Lead Vocal, Piano
Born and raised in Talladega, AL, Joey has been playing rock, blues and gospel music in one ensemble or another for nearly forty years. He’s also composed a fair share of music for tv, even taking home an Emmy Award in 2014 for cowriting the score to a PBS documentary.

JACK GRANGER - Lead Guitar
Originally from Upstate NY, Jack has been playing live music and teaching for 10+ years. He received an Associate’s Degree in Audio Engineering and Music Theory from Finger Lakes Community College. After teaching at a local record store and playing with multiple groups around the Upstate NY area, he moved to Nashville in 2017 to attend Belmont University’s Commercial Guitar Performance program where he received his Bachelor’s Degree. In addition to being a band member of Stoopid Kool & the Kiss My Brass Horns, he is a private music instructor offering lessons for multiple instruments in music technique, theory, and technology.

MATT ARSENEU - Lead Vocal, Bass
Matt hails from the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan and has been playing bass for over 20 years. In that time, has had the privilege of playing some of the best venues with some of the most incredible musicians in the business! With very eclectic tastes, and being comfortable playing most any style, Matt's biggest passion is entertaining people.

LAWRENCE "YODA" BAILEY - Drums, Vocals
Graduate of MTSU and Brother in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Yoda is one of the few true Nashville natives and has been a strong presence in the Nashville music scene for over 30 years.

JARED FORD - Tenor Sax
Jared Ford is an active performing saxophonist who is originally from Memphis, Tennessee. Having played in various ensembles, Jared’s talent took him to the Middle Tennessee area where he studied jazz and other facets of playing under Don Aliquo. Jared has played in several different genres of music, with most of the focus being in jazz and latin American music settings.

JESSE GIBENS - Trumpet
From Tokyo to Rome, Honolulu, and even Carnegie Hall, Jesse has electrified the stage with his versatile trumpet playing! Spanning genres from rock and jazz to blues and classical, Jesse is a proud Nashville resident where he teaches and performs session work.

KATIE HARRAH - Trumpet
Katie has a Bachelors in Music Education from Otterbein College and a Masters in Trumpet Performance and Brass Pedagogy from Belmont University. She plays trumpet with the Tennessee Valley Winds, the Music City Brass Ensemble, the Green Hills Wind Symphony, and several brass quintets. Katie spent 17 years in music education and is a 3-time recipient of the CMA Foundation's Music Teachers of Excellence award. She currently runs a real estate business serving the areas in and around Nashville. Katie lives in Smyrna with her husband, daughter, dog, and cat.

MARGARET COMPTON - Trombone
Originally from Le Roy, NY, Margaret studied the trombone under Professor James DeSano at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Margaret has enjoyed playing in various ensembles in the area focusing on Jazz, Funk and Classical music.

RYAN GAINES - aka 'TRIP' - Sound Engineer
Army Veteran Ryan Gaines was Born in Atlanta and moved to Detroit in 1978. He's been involved in the "Detroit Sound" running the mixing board for churches, schools, and local artists until he joined the Army in 1995. After serving in Saudi Arabia with the "Rakkasans" (the 101st Airborne, 187th Infantry Battalion), he moved to Nashville in 2001 and has continued his love of engineering live sound.

Main Rack:

2400 wt. main power amp

1000 wt. monitor amp

7000 wt. sub power amp

Power Soak

Beringer Crossover

Alesis Quadraverb effects

Alesis MEQ230 EQ

Beringer Feedback Destroyer

32 Channel Mackie Mixer

Speakers:

2 - 2x15/horn main speakers

3 - 1x12/monitor speakers

2 - 18" subwoofers

Lighting:

2 - trees with 4 Par36 each

2 - multi light effects

1 - laser light effect

2 - fog/smoke machines

4 - Par46 spot lamps

assorted color gels