Like so many famous vocalists and musical groups, the Union Street Revival Band started at church. Dan Hacker, Anne Kane, David Lane, and Guy Manwaring have served as liturgical musicians at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Tecumseh for several years.
"I think when we did the parish picnic for the first time and saw how much fun it was, we all asked each other if we were game for trying it out outside of church," Hacker said. "I hadn't played much at all since the pandemic except at church and with Anne at Cambrian once or twice. Dave had been playing with the Macon Highway Pickers and asked what we thought about bringing his fellow 'Pickers' bandmate Aaron Ricketts in for bass to play with our group. It was an easy decision because bass and his vocals really fills out the sound."
The five-member Union Street Revival is still in its infancy. The group played some local gigs in the fall that didn't revolve around church music, including Appleumpkin, the Clinton Fall Festival, and Alber Orchard & Cider Mill. This spring, they are scheduled for Four Keys Brewing in downtown Blissfield on March 29 and the Clinton Summerfest on June 14. There likely will be several more engagements ahead.
The band's moniker is a nod to their parish, which is located at 506 N. Union St., as well as the variety of music they play, both in the church and outside of it. Their playlist includes gospel, hymns, folk tunes, and hits from the Big Band era to the '60s, '70s, and '80s, along with classic country and popular music.
Hacker, who sold his downtown jewelry business four years ago, is one of the guitarists. A native of Blissfield and a 1977 BHS alum, he played percussion in high school band and was a drummer. Then, when he was in college, he started playing around with guitar. "When you're in college, it seemed like everyone was picking up the guitar. How else are you going to get a girl to look at you?" Hacker quipped.
He recalls taking his father's unused guitar to college along with a "Learn to Play" guitar book. After a hiatus from playing while his son was growing up, Hacker returned to the instrument and later formed the group Raisin Jam with a few friends, playing pretty regularly until the pandemic. And, while they never actually disbanded, they got out of the habit of playing together.
Lane, who grew up in Ypsilanti, moved to Clinton in 1978 and then to Tecumseh 20 years ago. He took an early retirement from the Gus Harrison Prison, where he worked in the maintenance department, and then opened a music store in the Tecumseh Plaza for four years. A gifted guitarist, he also gives lessons. "My dad taught me mandolin when I was 9 and guitar when I was 12," he recalled. "I started learning banjo at 19 and dobro at 25. Dobro is an acoustical version of steel guitar."
Aaron Ricketts' day job is with Ricketts, Ricketts & Associates financial planners in Adrian, but music is his passion. He graduated in 1984 from Tecumseh High School, where he played trumpet. "Later on, I needed a hobby so I dove into music," Ricketts said. That was six years ago.
"And he took to it like a duck takes to water," Lane interjected. He and Lane also play with the Macon Highway Pickers and often may be found at AmVets in Adrian. Ricketts plays bass guitar but also knows his way around the banjo and the guitar. "I may play all three, but I'm a master at none of them," he said with a grin.
Manwaring, who is a certified home inspector and real estate appraiser and a 1971 THS alum, always liked music and in junior high played the clarinet. But, he said, he discovered football in high school and left his nascent music career behind. Eventually, he picked up percussion, teaching himself as he went along.
He said he particularly enjoys playing percussion on the songs "Something to Talk About," "Somebody's Talking," and "The Great Divide." "I like the peppy songs we do, especially those showcasing Anne's voice," he said. "I like it when our practice pays off, and when we play, if we can bring the same enjoyment to others as we feel, well that's really great."
Kane, who is a member of the Life Enrichment Team at Cambrian Senior Living, has been singing as long as she can remember. She sang in choirs from elementary school through high school in her hometown of Greensburg, Indiana, and then continued while attending Purdue University.
She met her future husband, Paul, while at Purdue, and after they married, they moved to the Mitten. Owners of Golden Acres, the Kanes joined St. Elizabeth's when they arrived in Tecumseh. Kane said she was fortunate to meet many people who shared her same passion for music. Being involved in the Union Street Revival Band is an extension of that experience.
"I love being able to share music with friends that are very talented and seasoned musicians," she said. "I do have a lot of favorite songs, but I love singing 'Wayfaring Stranger.'" All of the male members of the group enjoy Kane's enthusiasm and talent on vocals, which adds to the depth of the music they play.
"Dave and me, we've been playing music for 20, 30 years or whatever and just plunking around in jam sessions where it's rare to be able to have a vocalist," Hacker said. "So, we really enjoy that." He also likes the moment a song starts to "click" during a rehearsal.
"When we discover a harmony together, we kind of smile at each other and afterwards say something like, 'it needs a little more work, but I think it's a keeper,'" he explained.
Lane points to the interaction between the band members as a key to its success. "The way we feed off of each other is great," he said.
The group practices weekly at Lane's "studio" in Raisin Township. They experiment with a variety of songs — they draw mostly from pop, bluegrass, folk, country, and classic country. "We have an interest in a lot of different kinds of music," Hacker said. "I think it helps us as a group that we've got such a mixture of songs."
One of Hacker's favorite exercises is spinning different takes or interpretations of songs. "Like the traditional Catholic hymn, 'Hail Holy Queen,' done with a driving banjo, then following it up with a very traditional rendition of 'The Old Rugged Cross,'" he explained.
"And even when we get a song down, it's seldom done exactly the same twice in a row." Ricketts cannot pinpoint one particular favorite aspect but acknowledges that much of the fun comes during rehearsals. "I didn't know the fun part would come just from during our rehearsal sessions and all that," he said. "But it's just amazing."
"Music is just fun," Hacker pointed out. "When you really kill a song, you look around, everybody is smiling. The people that just played the song are smiling and the people that listened to the song are smiling and you know you nailed it. It's a really fun hobby that's turned into a passion for all of us."
For more information or to schedule the Union Street Revival Band for your event, visit their Facebook page and send a message or contact Hacker at 734-239-4605. "If you know one of us better than the others, feel free to reach out," Hacker said.
