Damian Dieter, Matt Irish and Art Kopec met in college in the 80's and started a band as a means of drinking beer and more importantly meeting girls. Members of the band came and went until they met Jeff Roessner and the original lineup of The Artichokes was set. They played around town for a while and then Damian went off to medical school. For several years the boys had little contact. They married, went to school, drank beer and traveled through life without playing the music they once shared.
Fast forward to 1995. Damian finishes medical school, Art & Matt are roommates, Jeff is working on his Ph.D. and they decide to get together to jam one afternoon. The vibes rushed back, the thirst was there and they decided to reform the band. Their first gig was at the now famous Green Star Cafe and the boys made a whopping $12 each, after paying the sound man. Righteous bucks for a student, a truck driver, an out of work pipefitter and an unestablished podiatrist. The only unfortunate thing was that they didn't even have a name for the band. A friend of Damian's, Allen Steffey, once suggested the name "Art and the Artichokes." Unable to decide on a name, they left it up to the crowd the next time they played at The Green Star. They voted on "I Buried Paul" or "Art and the Artichokes." The winner is obvious and the name was born.
In 2000, Jeff and his wife Christy packed up and headed east to pursue their teaching careers (both college professors), at the great Mercy Hurst College in Pennsylvania. The band regrouped and carried on. Once again band members came and went and in February of 2003 Kent Jensen made his debut with The Artichokes. He was a perfect fit right from the start. Then in July of 2003 Kent was able to perform with his brother, Mike Jensen, as Mike made his debut with the band, without missing a beat. Again, another perfect fit, which is extremely important especially when Jeff returns to town to sit in for a gig when on his travels westward. They can play together like they have all known each other for years. You can tell that they truly have a good time together on stage and want to make sure the crowd has fun too.
The Artichokes enjoy playing a large variety of music that appeals to fans of all ages. On any given night you'll hear them play Classic Rock, Soul, Funk and Popular music. It's a great time for all. They tend to shy away from playing weddings, but enjoy playing the bar scene, public functions and can occasionally be persuaded to play a private party.
