Since Lake Street Dive’s inception in 2004, Mike Olson, beloved as “McDuck” has offered a critical component to the band’s dynamic blend of pop, jazz, and R&B with his trumpet. He founded the group with three classmates from Boston’s New England Conservatory, including Rachael Price (vocals), Bridget Kearney (bass), and Mike Calabrese (drums). Most recently, they inducted their keyboardist, Akie Bermiss as a full-time member. The band is named after a street of dive bars in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Olson’s home state.
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Following their fifth full-length studio album, Obviously, and first live performance in over a year, McDuck announced he will part from the now quintet.
With sincere gratitude, the artist chalks up his decision to leave after 16 years with Lake Street Dive saying, “it is time for a change.”
The post clarifies the rest of the band will stay in place, but McDuck is going to “hang up [his] trumpet and let someone else take a turn on the tour bus.” Lake Street Dive has yet to name a replacement. “I want you to know how deeply I’ve appreciated all of you out there, although it may have been hard to tell sometimes because I have one and ONLY one facial expression,” he shares, playing on the widespread joke about he shares with fans and bandmates.
“I may have been the one onstage the whole time, but you played the more important role: you showed up, and then showed up again. Then you started learning the lyrics to our songs and danced along. Then you waited in the rain for us to start playing, or sweated like crazy at the summer festivals, and packed into someone’s car and road-tripped when our closest concert was sixty miles away,” he continues. “I’ve come to realize the measure of a band is in the quality of the people in the audience. We’re really lucky to have you.
“The next time Lake Street Dive is in town, maybe I’ll see you…but in the crowd this time, he concludes on a high note, suggesting his departure is not in vain. “I know it’s going to be a great show.”
