Single Car Garage

Single Car Garage formed out of a recording project in the Spring of 2006. The CD is available for $10.00CDN plus applicable taxes and shipping by e-mail: bep1@shaw.ca..

We are a band who play for fun and enjoyment. We are serious about our music - but not too serious!

The band consists of musicians Dean Cherkas, Mike Foottit, and Blaine Powel. We frequently encourage other musicians to sit in with the group.

Mike has a long list of musical accomplishments. The long time guitarist/singersongwriter has two solo albums and a third in progress. He has played at festivals in northern BC as a solo act but generally sticks close to home with work and family. Songwriting and recording are the two great passions that keep him up late on winter nights . Mike feeds the need for more guitars (because one never has enough) by building his own, including a lap steel, archtop, dobro and mandolin. He built his daughter's guitar... then she bought a new one.

Blaine started music lessons early in life on the piano and clarinet. He is currently taking bass lessons. His love of the drums began at an early age when he got a toy drum for Christmas. By the age of 10 he convinced his parents that drums were his passion. As his parents moved around Canada, he was fortunate to get lesson from Des Eagon in Toronto to Jim Blackley in Vancouver. Blaine played his first gigs at the age of 14 in Vancouver. He has played in bands with his brothers, friends, as well as recorded. His interests range and include Latin, Big Band, Jazz, and Country Rock. Blaine was part owner of "Drums Only" in Vancouver with Ray Ayotte for a number of years before returning to university and then the northern latitudes.

Dean comes from a large family of musicians. He still has roots originating from the Canadian prairie province and community of Kamsack, Saskatchewan. He credits his parents, the Late Fred Tetoff and Lilian Cherkas for their support and encourage in becoming the musician he is today. A big part of Dean’s musical life is rooted playing with his family orchestra consisting of both the Chutskoff and Cherkas family members from the age of 11 to 20. During the university years, Dean toured with a Saskatchewan Art’s Council performer (Ron Kalmakoff) and did some recording gigs in Saskatoon (Studio West) in the mid 80’s. While in Prince Albert, Sask. in the late 80’s, Dean performed with some Rock bands and toured some of northern Saskatchewan while still in school. Dean’s Ukrainian roots are still very strong and this definitely influences his musical style. Playing music with Blaine and Mike has allowed Dean the ability to share creative ideas and further develop a sense of musical awareness that will further expand his musical abilities and skills. Other bands often invite Dean to sit in with his saxophone. Dean recently had a stand up base ("Luba") made for him in Prince George by Jim Borden.

As a three piece, we currently play at venues that lend themselves to acoustic music.

Adding other musician friends we move into a more electric blues band and play special events such as conventions.

We've recorded ten of Mike's original songs in live takes through one microphone into a DAW system. With the recording project finished and mastered, we are looking to take our mix of acoustic/electric roots music to small venues and festivals.

A big influence is experience. Over the years all three of us learned from a variety of musical genres like classical, country, big band, hard rock, funk, latin, acoustic, blues, and folk to name a few. We appreciate listening to most music as it adds to our musical creativity.

A theme with this Project is to keep it simple. This includes how we record the music to how we play the music.