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Dan Hostetler - Guitar, Mandolin, and Lap Steel Through an absence of foresight and sound judgement, Dan H. has parted ways with more good musical instruments than he would care to admit. Martin's, Alvarez's, old Epiphone electrics, Telecasters, and Fender double neck steels have all been the victim of this malaise. He played informally in high school and college, filling an irregular spot in an irregular band called Uncle Rat briefly in the 70's. His biggest claim to fame was attending college in Flagstaff, AZ with past and current superpickers Peter McLaughlin and Tom Rozum. Years of flux and ennui followed, during which the aforementioned instruments seemed to flow through his hands like lager through a tin horn, happily raising his son Gabe (now a 16-year old bass player and bon vivant). In the 80's he dusted off the surviving D-28; a brief period of financial solvency a few years later, coupled with the desire to disturb the neighbors, led to the purchase of a new Telecaster and a big-ass Fender amp, as well as the rediscovery (in the garage of a former residence) of a Supro lap steel guitar purchased 20 years previously. With the dubious goal of bankrolling a lifelong love of the hops, he approached best friend, picking partner, and sometime doppelganger Dan Davis about forming a band. Thus began the Luddites (named after a found quote in Harper's magazine... yeah, he can read), and in short order, twang years of electro-surf mayhem in Big Galoot. His influences follow the somewhat dysfunctional family tree of John Coltrane, Doc Watson, the Ramones, Al Perry, and the Pogues. His untutored and iconoclastic compositions clog the repertoires of the Luddites and Big Galoot. Dan H. aspires to the vocal prowess of Leo Kottke ("geese farts on a muggy day"). He no longer does windows.
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