Phat Mike and the Bartenders

Phat Mike and the Bartenders is a familiar name around Lake Ozark venues that offer music to their patrons. However, the band's lead singer and guitarist's name is not Mike nor do his band mates tend bar. Phat Mike is Jason Hildebrand, the last original member of Phat Mike and the Bartenders still playing. The band is in the fourth incarnation, or as he calls it, Phat Mike and the Bartenders 4.0. "This is the fourth, and I call it, the final phase of Phat Mike. It will never be called Phat Mike again after this fab three right here," Hildebrand said. The current group of Bartenders are Hildebrand's son-in-law, John Martin, bassist, and Chris Libby, drummer. His son, Santana Hildebrand, is their sound and lights man. Hildebrand, 47, has been a paid musician since he was 14 and remembers coming to school after playing weekend gigs, tired but thankful to have music as a focus. His musical influences are many. For more on this story see the LCR.