Mike IversonOld Bands

The Bands - A Brief History Of Mike’s Past Ensembles!

The following is a partial list of ensembles Mike has played with over the past thirty five years:


Mike’s High School Garage Band (Mid 70’s)

Lynn Glover - guitar, vocals
Steve Smith - mandolin, guitar
Mike Iverson - banjo, guitar
Rob Winters - guitar

We were a John Denver Clone band and probably the only folk ensemble Layton High School has ever produced...

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Corn Husker Road (Late 70’s)

Earl Rouse: guitar, vocals
Bob Hardy: banjo, bass
Mike Iverson: banjo, mandolin, vocals
Becky Shupe: fiddle, vocals
Neesha Roberts: bass violin, vocals

-Earl Rouse put together this band when we were attending Weber State College

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Homegrown (Late 70’s)

Gene Campbell: guitar, vocals
Bob Hekker: guitar, vocals
Mike Iverson: banjo, mandolin

-This folk/rock trio was put together by Dick Davis of the Weber State College Program Bureau as an official college ensemble. As such, they represented Weber State at various events along the Wasatch Front.

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Hawgwash (Late 70’s - Early 80’s)

Earl Rouse: guitar, vocals
Bob Hardy: banjo, bass
Mike Iverson: banjo, mandolin, vocals

-A bluegrass trio based in Logan. Performed at various events including the Park City Bluegrass Festival, Golden Spike Celebration (Promontory Point), Bluegrass Express Festival (Ogden), Golden Spike National Fiddle Contest (Ogden).

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Bitter Creek (Early 80’s)

Don Baker - guitar
Jim Shupe - fiddle
Ted Shupe - bass violin
Lou Featherolf - banjo, vocals
Mike Iverson - mandolin, vocals

Jeanine Orme - fiddle (Jeanine replaced Jim when he left the band)

-Bluegrass band that performed at many special events including the Roosevelt Bluegrass Festival, Fort Buenaventura Bluegrass Rendezvous (Ogden), Park City Bluegrass Festival, Provo Freedom Festival, and the concert series held at the O.C. Tanner Amphitheater outside of Zions National Park.

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Bunch Grass (Early 80’s)

Mike Iverson - mandolin, banjo, vocals
John White - guitar, mandolin, vocals
Tom Dean - guitar, vocals
Andy Keller - bass violin

-Bluegrass/newgrass band comprised mostly of natural resource majors from Utah State University (which explains the name... )

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Prairie Fire (Mid 80’s)

Mike Iverson - banjo, mandolin, vocals
Bob Hardy - bass violin, vocals
Terry Fields - fiddle
Don Baker - guitar

-A short lived but very talented bluegrass/newgrass band.

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Powder Ridge (Late 80’s Early 90’s)

Mike Iverson - mandolin, clawhammer banjo, vocals
Don Baker - guitar
Bob Hardy - bass violin, vocals
Matt Flinner - banjo, mandolin
Ryan Shupe - fiddle

Theresa Ellis - fiddle (Theresa replaced Ryan when he left the band)

-A critically acclaimed bluegrass/newgrass band that performed at festivals all over the intermountain west. Mike was leading this band when it took first place honors at the prestigious national bluegrass band competition held at the Telluride bluegrass festival in Colorado. Powder Ridge "opened" for many national acts including Bob Dylan.

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McKay/Iverson Duo (Early 90’s)

Dan McKay - guitar
Mike Iverson - mandolin

-A classical guitar and mandolin duo that performs material from the baroque to the modern. This duo features pieces by such diverse composers as Bach, Debussy, Mozart, Grieg, and Bartok. The duo performs mainly at private parties and weddings, but does the occasional public performance at events such as the Layton concerts in the park series.

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Rainbow Factory (Late 90’s Early 2000’s)

Marcia Knorr - guitar, vocals
Mike Iverson - banjo, acoustic and electric mandolins, clarinet, jaw-harp, and harmonica.
Shauna Iverson - bass violin

-A trio that performed fun, interactive songs for children. In every Rainbow Factory show, the audience was continually involved with singing and motions. Various music topics were discussed and the children exposed to a variety of instruments. This group was selected twice for the Utah Performing Arts Tour and performed for many events including the Utah Arts Festival.

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Brenn Hill (Late 90’s)

Brenn Hill - guitar and vocals
Mike Iverson - mandolin, banjo, guitar

-The best of the contemporary western songwriters. Mike toured with Brenn throughout the West where they performed at such events as the Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering, Michael Martin Murphy's Westfest, Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering, the Gene Autry Theater (Los Angeles), and a tour of military bases in Alaska.

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Rosewood (2015 to 2020?)

Shaundra Cragun - guitar and vocals
Angela Cooney - vocals
Phil Secrist - drums
Steve Porter - electric bass
Tony Spencer - keyboard and vocals
Mike Iverson - claw hammer banjo, mandolin, and vocals

The most unlikely band I’ve played with is undoubtedly Rosewood. Whoever heard of a “pop” band with a clawhammer banjo as the primary “lead” instrument? How did that even happen?

I can tell you it was pure serendipity.

I’d played a show with Rosewood’s bassist, Steve Porter, and when the keyboardist couldn’t make a show, he thought of me as a replacement! After I found out that he was serious, I agreed to meet with the band and play through a few tunes. Steve told me that I would be impressed by a songwriter in the band and he was certain that my music and hers would mesh (he always did have a remarkable ear for music).

Rosewood was built around the song writing and guitar work of Shaundra Cragun. It turned out that Shaundra's original and cover tune arrangements provided the perfect setting for me to explore "progressive clawhammer" experimentations as well as brush up on my long neglected mandolin skills.

That one gig turned into a five year stretch in the most creative band I’ve been associated with - the only band where I looked forward to our weekly practices more than our gigs!

Pop covers of such artists as Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, Imagine Dragons, Andy Grammar, Ed Sheeran and Missy Higgins right along with classic 70s folk-rock by James Taylor, Carol King, Doobie Brothers, Bob Segar, Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, CCR, etc.. What a hoot! Five years in a band where I played everything BUT folk and bluegrass!

Steve passed away around the time that the band was splitting up. Although he broke my heart with his passing, I’ll always be grateful that for some strange reason he thought of me when Tony (keyboards) couldn’t make that “one show”…