Cosmo's Dream Americana Band from Tacoma, WA

Cosmo's Dream is an Americana/Bluegrass trio. They can play without amplification, or they have PA and lights if required for your event. They are appropriate for weddings, parties, and concerts. They play a variety of material ranging from traditional bluegrass, country, folk, and pop oriented acoustic music. They keep a regular schedule of monthly performances in addition to yearly festival bookings in the Tacoma area. In fall of 2018 they made a fifteen-show tour to Folk Alliance in Los Angeles, California. The band is comprised of husband-wife duo Steve and Kristi Nebel and singer-songwriter, guitarist Gen Obata, all residents of Tacoma, WA. They met in 2012 at a local folk music event, quickly became friends, and started jamming and playing music together in 2014. They launched the trio Cosmo's Dream in early 2015. Steve and Kristi Nebel ("KNEE-bull"), both raised in the Pacific Northwest, first honed their troubadour skills during ten years on the road performing cover songs in dives and cocktail lounges, and then, in more recent years, performing their own songs in folk clubs and at festivals throughout the United States, the UK, and Japan. Because of their vast and versatile experience, each is an accomplished instrumentalist and vocalist with great facility in many styles of music. Kristi plays bass guitar and Steve plays guitar. Kristi was a finalist for western swing singer of the year by the Academy of Western Artists in 2015. St. Louis native Gen Obata has been writing songs and playing flat-pick guitar since the 1970s. Gen writes songs that are, as Nicky Rossiter of ONLINE magazine wrote, "Tales of infidelity, lost love and longing." He displays "a clean, unshowy flatpicking style," according to online music critic Ken Renick. Roy Kasten of the St. Louis Riverfront Times described Gen's exceptional vocals and guitar-playing this way: "[H]is guitar playing has the emphatic muscularity of Lester Flatt and the illuminating melodicism of Doc Watson, who, like Obata, developed his style on old fiddle tunes transposed to guitar. . . . Over the years, Obata has managed to capture the best of the American singer/songwriter tradition and the best of the country instrumental legacy." The band has a beautiful three part harmony sound, and all are accomplished instrumentalists. Gen plays mandolin as well as guitar. Expect the highest standards in professional music from this trio. The band toured to the midwest from their home in Tacoma, WA in February and March of 2016 and also toured in the UK in August/September 2016. A spontaneous review from The Focal Point in St. Louis, MO: "Mind you, Bluegrass, folk and country music was never part of my make up, I cut my teeth on Deep Purple, The Clash, The Talking Heads. I listen to Opera, Classical Music, i dance in my head to Techno and Industrial. But a three piece band..accoustic? No drums? Thanks but no thanks…. Well, consider me a convert. Steve, Christy and Gen changed my mind. I was stunned, I sat there for several hours with a big smile on my face, listened to the words that were sung, and felt something change in me. I could see, hear and feel the love that Steve and Christy have for one another. It was there in the songs that they sung. The intensity of Mr. Obata's playing got my feet moving, I could feel his passion for what he was playing. I honestly did not think that fingers could move that quickly, and at one point, I think I heard the mandolin let out a groan and plead for Gen to be gentle. My favorite? The waltz that was played (I do not recall the name). Hearing Christy's voice gave me goose bumps, I wish that they had played it again. And again…I was amazed. All the songs were amazing, funny, heartfelt….Who knew that a song about a mall in the hills of Tennessee could be that good. It was a great evening, one that I truly enjoyed. 3 adults of questionable age, playing like they were kids…..Look past the grey hair, they are damned good." — David Stradal, St. Louis, MO