The seeds of Janitor Bob and the Armchair Cowboys were planted at a Sioux Falls, SD pawnshop in 1991 through a chance meeting between drummer Mark Richards and guitarist Pat McIntyre. Having similar interests in music and a want to compose their own material, they dedicated endless time writing and practicing in Mark’s kitchen while looking for like minds to create music and have fun. Pat had been playing with Chris Yost in another local band and was able to convince Chris to come check out what was happening in the kitchen. Soon after, Pat contacted Jay Janssen and invited him to come play bass. The four musicians set out writing songs and reimagining other material, leaning heavily on a love for jam, punk, metal, alternative, and classic rock influences. While developing a core sound for the band, there was only one thing missing - a voice. After trying out a few different singers, the foursome struck gold with Martin Dill, making the group complete.
Over the next 6 years Janitor Bob toured the country and opened for acts as big and diverse as 311, The Allman Bros, Trip Shakespeare, Bash and Pop, The BoDeans, and countless others. They were a finalist in Musician Magazine’s Best Unsigned Band contest, recognized in Relix Magazine and Rolling Stone as one of the “Best Bands You Never Heard,” and became a top draw in the region. They released 3 albums and received massive radio play in the region with 6 singles, of which “Happy Song” is still a regional staple 30 years later and can be heard kicking of the Friday 5 O’clock drive on B102.7 and other regional stations.
Chris Yost left Janitor Bob in 1995 and was replaced by local guitar god Casey Gooby; the band continued to tour and write until disbanding in 1997. They played reunion shows in 1999 and 2001 with original guitarist Yost, but then reformed in 2009 with Gooby on guitar. Since then Janitor Bob has played sporadic shows and wrote new music as time and distance allowed. Just prior to COVID, Janitor Bob teamed up with original guitarist Chris Yost to play a benefit for his brother, Danny.
In early 2022, the members of Janitor Bob were informed that they would be inducted in the South Dakota Rock and Roll History Museum. To commemorate this event, it only seemed right that not only should all members of Janitor Bob and the Armchair Cowboys be inducted, but they should also get together and perform music as a 6-piece, 3 guitar band. These shows as a 6-piece band will take place at Levitt at the Falls on August 6th, 2022; then the SDRRHM induction show on Sept, 24th.
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