Steve Andsager ~ Lead vocals, ukulele and rhythm guitar

Steve can shout the blues or croon, all while obsessing on his favorite topics: food, booze, and love gone bad. He acquired a taste for roots music early on, due in part to his father's Silvertone guitar and Hank Williams Complete Song Book.

During his romance with electric guitar, Steve formed The Brain Dead Blues Band in 1988 and, in spite of their name, they made a splash in Des Moines as the house band at Bagg's Blues Palace.

A move to Columbia in the 90s spawned The Mudbugs. Popular as a Cajun band, they also included western swing in their repertoire, and performed in the central MO area for 10 years.

Steve scouted Matt and Dirk playing the street corner on respective occasions. Both joined the long list of Mudbug veterans, and it just follows that former members of the Mudbugs and the Night Crawlers would evolve into the Bait Shop Boys. Formed in 2000, they have been plying their rent party music ever since.

Matthew Bossaller ~ Bass

Recidivist rocker Matt Bossaller began playing the bass after a love affair with a tuba went sour. After playing the field with a few guitars and electric basses, in the mid-90s he met Martha, a 1961 Kay C-1 upright and they've been going steady ever since. One day soon after, he was busking on a street corner when he was apprehended by Steve and forced to play in his band. Matthew learned to like Steve and this strange old music he was playing, and a musical force was formed.

Dirk Burhans ~ Dobro and Steel Guitar

Dirk cut his teeth on electric guitar and, along with his younger brother, got his mojo working while playing high school dances with the Mojo Brothers. Later, as a struggling artist in New York, Dirk played keyboards for the euro-pop group Musical Chairs at CBGB's. Then, after returning to the midwest Dirk studied "Travis-style" guitar picking, and could be found playing the street corners of Columbia, as well as at Travis-picking events on the same stage as pickers like Paul Yandell and Tommy Flint.

A fateful attendance at a steel guitar convention in St. Louis sparked his infatuation with steel. Dirk is best known for his side work on pedal steel, lap steel and Dobro. His local resume includes the Mudbugs, the Nightcrawlers and the Bluetick Boys.

Mike Dulak ~ Fiddle, Guitar, Wisecracks.

Veteran of many influential bands such as the Chicken lips, the Velcrotones, the Average brothers and the Rank Sinatras. Mike joined our band as part of a witness protection program. That's what he tells us anyway.