Harlan, Meister, and Mitts have proven to be a unique entity in the Peoria musical scene. All three members have performed in different bands over the years but have now joined together in what they lightheartedly call “partners in acoustic therapy”.

Though their backgrounds vary, they all share a common love of music from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Steve Meister (lead and harmony vocals, lead guitar) has a strong rock and country rock background. Past groups include Genesis Rock, Area Code 309, Sundance Kids, 4 Wheel Drive, Just Kickin’ It, and Rewind .… all this while working during the day as a mechanical engineer at Caterpillar Mossville. He’s always had a love of the folk based music from artists such as James Taylor, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Simon and Garfunkel and was instrumentally influenced by Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed. A Chillicothe native, Steve also performs as a solo artist throughout the Peoria area.

Though Rich Mitts (lead and harmony vocals, bass & lead guitar) has always performed acoustic music, in his younger years he played with jazz fusion bands such as Coal Kitchen and Foxtail Barley. Before earning his BA in Music, Rich was a studio musician out in Boulder, Colorado. He later came back to Peoria, worked as a recording engineer, then went back to school to become a school psychologist. Around that time, Rich joined the group “Applegate and Company” and performed for 33 years as the group’s bassist and tenor vocalist. Rich is shy about talking about the other six instruments he plays.

Bill Harlan (lead and harmony vocals, finger picking / rhythm guitar) is originally from Lake Bluff, Illinois. Influenced by artists such as Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens and Dan Fogelberg, Bill performed during his high school years in a folk group that played in the Old Town section of Chicago and later became a solo artist out in the suburbs. While attending Bradley University he met Bob Applegate. Bob has been a major inspiration and offered Bill many opportunities. Bill joined Applegate and Company back in 1976 and performed for 37 years until its final performance in 2013. Bob’s influences led the two of them to form an audio design/contracting company back in 1993 called Integrated Audio Systems (now known as IAS Technologies).