The ‘Cats’
The AcoustiCats were formed in 2024 when Ken and Jim decided that life had finally graced both of them with enough time to take their 10+ year musical partnership and make it into something more professional. Ken and Jim met while volunteering for The Appalachian Service Project at their church in Oak Park in 2010 and have been fast friends ever since. The two of them have been playing in and around the Oak Park area and are a staple in the local music scene. Always in search of the next great song that will be the purr-fect match of audience participation and audience familiarity, the duo’s roster of songs is an ever-evolving list of ‘one great song after another’.
Ken Kreis
Guitarist/Vocalist/Cat
A lifelong musician, Ken has been gigging clubs in the Chicagoland area for the better part of 40 years. Ken has played all of the major clubs as the drummer for bands like Epic, Backstage Pass, Circle of Fate, Ten96, Jacked Up, Shell Shocked, Lynt and HedRush. A multi-instrumentalist, Ken’s passion for acoustic guitar really took hold of him in 1993 when he had small children in the house and noise volume from drums was prohibitive. Ken’s guitar mentors are Tommy Emmanuel, and the late great Michael Hedges. Ken has been a resident of Oak Park since 1989 and is the very proud father of 3, grandfather to 1, and husband to one amazing woman (married in 1989). An avid volunteer with The Appalachia Service Project, Ken has been an active participant for over 12 years. When not playing music, Ken usually can be found doing home repairs on his 120+ year old house.
Jim Stevens
Bassist/Vocalist/Cat
Born in the back half of the Baby Boom generation, it was hearing The Beatles for the first time at age six that that really got Jim interested in playing music. Starting in 7th grade as drummer, he went on to play percussion, bass clarinet and tuba in high school and college bands. Jim was also a member of the Chicago-area CYO Band for 10 years. He started playing bass guitar while in the St. Edmunds Catholic Church Contemporary Choir, of which he was a member for 19 years. Jim also intermittently dabbles in playing the hammered dulcimer. Jim’s main bass playing heroes are Paul McCartney, also a left-handed bassist, and the incomparable James Jamerson, the main studio bassist for Motown records in the 1960’s. Jim has lived in the Oak Park area for nearly 40 years. In addition to being a 10-year volunteer for the Appalachia Service Project, Jim, now retired, is a repairer with the Oak Park Repair Cafe. He is happily married and has two adult daughters.