Midnight Hour Band

Whether she’s performing a great blues/rock tune by Tina Turner, Janis Joplin, or Aretha Franklin, Midnight Hour lead singer Shirel Smith has been belting out rock and the blues since the age of four. Together with co-founder and husband Mark Rainey, Midnight Hour was born seventeen years ago and has been rocking the socks off blues and rock audiences ever since. But it was when keyboardist Dave Townsend—with his penchant for strong vocal harmonies and first-rate musicianship—joined the band that Midnight Hour found its bluesie center of gravity, its groove, and its rockin’ vibe.

PERSONAL BIOS:

Lead/Harmony Vocals/Percussion/Rubber Chicken:

Shirel Smith has been singing since she was 4 years old. Her family of six used to drive around in a VW bug and Shirel had to ride in the cubby hole behind the back seats. To combat boredom and help defrost the back window, she would sing. Her older siblings enjoyed the music as they rode along, as they demonstrated by taking turns keeping the beat lovingly on Shirel's head with a fly swatter. This may be why Shirel loves Reggae.  She had her first public performance at age 12, playing and singing to a crowd of 2,000. She started playing for money at age 15. At 17 she discovered bluegrass and folk rock; this was followed by opera at age 28 (she has a range from alto to first soprano). During this time, she performed in the same show as Bill Monroe. A few years later she had the honor of singing for Martin Luther King Jr’s daughter. One fateful day, she went to a bar mitzvah and later converted to Judaism. Soon she was leading services (mostly chanted or sung) as a Cantorial Soloist, a job she loved for many years. At 44, she decided she wanted to sing Janis Joplin and the blues. And viola’, Midnight Hour was born and has been rocking ever since. Shirel dances to the beat of a different drummer…

 Drums:

A Different Drummer…. Mark Rainey was raised by squirrels in a park, until one day he saw a band playing a concert.  Look at that drummer!  I wish I could do that instead of collecting nuts.  The squirrels looked at me and said, “Well, guess what?  You can! You’re actually not one of us….Since then, Mark has been playing in the Seattle area, first blues, then branching out into rock, jam bands, hand percussion, world music, fusion, and pretty much anything percussion/rhythm related.  Mark hooked up with Midnight Hour after hooking up with Shirel.  In addition, Mark currently plays with a fusion trio and hosts a drum circle in addition.  But Shirel and Midnight Hour are the priority.

Lead/Harmony Vocals/Keys:

Dave Townsend is the keyboard player and resident nerd, and he's been both of those things for a very long time. He can design a database, program a microcontroller or crack your computer's security. Since none of those skills are particularly useful in a rock 'n roll band, we mostly rely on Dave to just play piano and sing. And in a pinch, troubleshoot a PA in the dark.

Lead/Harmony Vocals/Bass:

Steve Marshall hails from the East Coast where he began playing trumpet in the school band. He transitioned to bass guitar playing from Boston to Florida from the late 60’s to mid-70’s.  Early influences include Cream, Hendrix, Zeppelin, The Who and The Allman Brothers. Steve also collaborated in the studio with various jazz and classical musicians. Moving West and after family and career time, he retired early to continue to his passions for playing music and practicing yoga. 

Lead/Harmony Vocals/Guitar:

Norm Street got his first guitar when he was 14, and he progressed quickly with the help of several teachers. He was playing casual gigs and bars in Orange County, California by the time he was 17. He joined the US Navy at 19 and didn’t play for almost 6 years. Upon discharge he enrolled at Fullerton College where he earned an A.A. Degree in music, while playing music in bars and casual gigs. After a brief period in the Studio/Jazz Guitar program at USC, Norm started a family, fell back on his military education and went to work in IT… while still playing music whenever possible. Upon moving back to the Seattle area in 1993 (he was born in Seattle), Norm tried playing with a local band, but work-related travel got in the way. Norm walked away from playing the guitar for about 25 years to raise a family. He began playing again in 2017 and found a home playing guitar for the Midnight Hour band early in 2024. It’s good to be back. Norm did not have the great blessing of being crammed in the cubby of a VW bus as a child, and yet he turned out to be an excellent singer, nonetheless.