The Lo Cats
Tim comes from a musical background with parents who were both musicians. His father played in '40's and 50's†during the Big Band era. His mother was a pianist and singer. His brother Kevin is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and record producer and his sister Lori is an accomplished pianist and singer.
Tim started playing drums as a child, mostly to jazz and Dixieland jazz that his father introduced him too. But rock and roll caught Tim's ear and turned him on in a big way. His first band was the Bushman when he was 14 and actually got to play a set at the fabled Sandy's Escape. After that he started a band called the Rauckers..
After a hitch in the U. S. Army during the Vietnam War he jammed and played sporadically until he and his brother, Kevin along with Dave Barger (guitar) and Ken Fallon (bass) started Risky Shift. They both left Risky Shift and formed a duo with Kevin on guitar and vocals and Tim on percussion and background vocals. Next came a well-known band out of the '80's called Oasis with Dave Barger, Buck Weyerman, Ken Fallon and the Swisher brothers. This band played mostly original music written by Kevin.
Over the years Tim has jammed and played the occasional gig and in 2013 formed the Lo Cats with Kevin and Jerry Potter (guitar). The next band consisted of Jim and Jason Churchill (guitars), Bob Manzel (bass) and Tim called the Shuffle Cats, which eventually changed personnel with Bob Manzel and Bill McIntosh coming on board and re-naming them the Lo Cats. He now plays with the Swisher-Manzel Band
Besides his love of music Tim is a private practice psychotherapist with an office in the Old Market in downtown Omaha, NE. He also is the President of the Omaha Friends of Jung an organization dedicated to offering educational programs to mental health professionals and the general public
By the age of eighteen, he was touring with The Night Shift band, playing guitar, bass, keyboards, and singing.
An incomplete listing of the musical associations Bob has been a part of since 1965 includes:† The Kaleidoscope, Heaven, The Cherry Bombs, Cardboard, Whale, The Blackstone Brothers, Lo Cats and currently, The Swisher Manzel Band.
However, for most of his music career, he has performed as a solo artist, singing and playing guitar, in small venues across the United States.† Special thanks to these wonderful people who have had the greatest influence upon his 50 years of playing:† Colin Keefe, Rick Walters, Richie Lane, Dug Sheffield, Leroy Critcher, Richard Weiner, Ray Ray Gearhart, Butch Berman (RIP), Jim Reinmuth, Doug Fenton, LaVonne Kassebaum, Stan Hall, Linda and Wayne Williamson, James (Harri) Harrigfeld (RIP), Scott Colborn(RIP), Dennis Taylor, Ron Strnad, Steven O. Hanson, Jay Fremont, Steve Ozaydin, and Bob's wife, Karla Anne.
Bill McIntosh has played in many bands over the past several decades. He started out a drummer and switched to guitar. He developed a very distinct style comes at a song from new and exciting place. Often surprising the listener. His recent bands have been Angel and the Backbeats, The Lo Cats and currently with BO' Dell and the Relics.
Tim Swisher and the Cosmic Restoration Band
The Cosmic Restoration Band hails from all around the globe. Warren Colman (guitar) U. K.; Bruce Hoffman(lap steel, pedal steel, guitar, bass, fiddle and mandolin) Canada; GDaliy Garmiza(sax) Russia; Clint Wells (guitars, bass), Rachel Solomon (keyboards, vocals), Creg Carillo (guitars, bass) Leonard Wolf (keyboards) are all from Nashvillie, TN; Kevin Swisher (harmony vocals, percussion); Scott Johnson (vocals, bass, songwriter); Bob Manzel ( bass, songwriter) are from Nebraska. Tim Swisher (vocals, drums, percussion, songwriter, producer, album design) is from Iowa.