Small town band shares musical passion
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BOTTINEAU -- Members of the Too Old to Stand band, TOTS for short, are finding that simply doing what they love has a way of resonating with audiences.
The Bottinea band started in 2017 when five friends, Shane Parsons, Luther Olson, Brady Michel, Robert Marum and Swain Benson, wanted to do something for the Bottineau County Amateur Night, a Bottineau-based talent show style competition. The TOTS band won the competition, and Parsons said that was the last year the event was held, which means they are still the undefeated champions, he joked.
Though they did not originally plan to continue the band, Parsons said opportunities just began to open up. The band was asked after its performance at the Amateur Night to perform again at multiple events and venues, eventually traveling across the state to perform. The band has performed at multiple county fairs, recently performed at the 2026 Fjord Folk Fest, and notably, toured a few towns in Minnesota, including Roseau, Blue Earth - famous for the 55-foot statue of the Jolly Green Giant - and Delano.
Parsons described the trip as a "mini tour." He also said they like to joke they are on a "15-year farewell tour," of which they would be on the ninth year.
Parsons said TOTS is an acoustic variety band, which means it covers many genres of music. Among the more frequently performed genres are rock and country, but Parsons said there really is no generalization when it comes to their music. The band performs covers of songs ranging from the "Banana Boat Song" by Harry Belafonte from 1955 to "Toes" by the Zack Brown band from 2009. The band also likes to do songs that are not often performed by other bands.
The band has Parsons performing lead vocals and keyboard; Olson on the guitars, keyboards, mandolin, banjo and vocals; Michel playing bass, guitars, trumpet, percussion and vocals; Marum performing drums and vocals; and Benson on guitars, percussion and vocals.
Originally called "The Musical Stylings of Old Men," the name was changed because, as Parsons said, it is a long name to fit on a business card.
Parsons described himself as having a deep passion for music, having been singing since he was 4 years old. He said he loves being in the band, working with the other band members, and especially loves to have fun and watch everyone involved - including the other members of the band and the audience - have fun.
Parsons said winter is the slower time of the year for the band. TOTS often averages around three to five shows each winter, but the summer is packed with shows and bookings. The summer of 2027 is already filled with bookings and shows, Parsons said.
The next planned show is Dec. 19 in New Town.
Parsons said he feels blessed and lucky to be performing and expressed his gratitude to the Bottineau community for its support. Beyond traveling the roads in the winter, he said, he sees no downsides to being a group of artists in a small community.
He said he "couldn't imagine doing it anywhere or with anyone else."