Bluegrass Gospel and Americana Music     

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Above :
Jim Mathis and Nancy Meis at Homer's Coffee House

More about Electric Prairie

Band Members are:

• Paul Wenske - guitar, vocals
• Nancy Meis - mandolin, recorder, vocals
• Alexis Burdick - vocals
• Jim Mathis - dobro, lap steel guitar, vocals
• Bob Kaat-Wohlert - lead guitar, bass
• Theresa Kaat-Wohlert - bass, vocals

There was always lots of singing in the Wenske household. Making up corny ditties on long, cross-country drives was a family tradition. But it was daughter Alexis, who has sung in churches all her life, who convinced her classically trained mom, Nancy, and proud dad, Paul, whose guitar accompanied his daughter's singing all over Kansas City, that their little family band, with its three-part harmonies, could both provide a spiritual message and have a lot of fun.

It seemed inevitable that Paul, Nancy and Alexis would meet up with Jim Mathis, who runs Homer's Coffee House in Overland Park, famous for the motto: "Changing The World One Latte At A Time." Jim, a former professional photographer, was also looking for a new way to express his spirituality, and an excuse to dust off his dobro and the lap steel guitar his father gave him. He brought to the band a wealth of old songs and bluesy, soulful licks.

More recently the group has been joined by Theresa and Bob Kaat-Wahlert, who also were looking for a way to expand their musical horizons. They ran across other members of the group while performing at area churches. Already in two other bands, including a rock group and a praise band, Theresa, who sings and plays bass guitar, and Bob, whose lead guitar embraces every genre from The Who to Flatt and Scruggs, brought a broader professionalism to the group.

With the addition of Theresa and Bob, the band has been able to combine its variety of musical influences to reach its goal of melding together a group known for tight vocal harmonies, strong instrumentation and good-old fashioned fun, playing traditional music with a message.

As for our style, we pay happy homage to the influences of such great artists as The Cox Family, The Carter Family, The Stanley Brothers, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Woody Guthrie, Allison Krauss and Union Station, the wonderful Emmy Lou Harris, Ricky Skaggs, The Isaacs and a host of loveable '60s Rock 'n Roll bands.

Musical influences:
The band gratefully acknowledges these and many other brilliant musicians,
for providing inspiration and wonderful tunes.

• Allison Krauss
• The Cox Family
• The Isaacs
• The Carter Family
• Blind Boys of Alabama
• Dixie Chicks
• Guy Clark
• Mindy McCready
• Woody Guthrie
• Arlo Guthrie
• Elvis Presley
• Points of Grace
• Stanley Brothers
• Norman Blake
• Tony Rice
• Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• Emmy Lou Harris
• Mary Catherine Reynolds
• Ricky Skaggs
• Del McCoury
• Daybreak
• Bob Wills