By Jack Steen

Eric Ringdahl is a man of many talents and many titles, such as husband, father, assistant baseball coach, former girls’ varsity head basketball coach, teacher, but there’s one title that not many know he holds: bass player for a local band. The Medicine Show is what the band is now known as, however at first it was named “Doctor John and the Medicine Show” but they shortened it not much later. “[The name change] has made it easier for people to remember and easier to put on merch,” Ringdahl said. The band’s first ever performance was around 15 years ago, during Ringdahl’s 45th birthday. When asked about how it started, he said, “We just threw it together. We had fun but it wasn’t very good. We decided we wanted to play more and would need to practice together. We picked up three more members and the band started playing gigs. Our first was at the place The Roundabout which is now called That Bar and Table.” Everyone remembers the best birthday gift they’ve received in their life, and for Coach it was definitely The Medicine Show.

Nowadays The Medicine Show performs monthly at different local venues including One Love Bar and Cafe and The Pink Flamingo Diner. Many Oak Hall students, including myself, go to the band’s performances to cheer on Coach and he always makes sure to give us a shout out when he sees us in the crowd. He’ll even wear his Oak Hall baseball jacket during some performances. His usual attire, however, consists of his patent bright pink Florence Flamingo’s baseball jersey and some swim shorts. No matter what he’s wearing though, Coach loves repping his amazing school which he’s been affiliated with for almost half his lifetime.

Now every band has their “song”, the song that you think of first when you hear the band’s name. Queen has “Bohemian Rhapsody”, AC/DC has “Back in Black”, *NSYNC has “Bye, Bye, Bye”. Ringdahl says The Medicine Show’s song is “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by The Rolling Stones, a song they have played at every single one of their gigs for a decade and a half now. “People do love that song and it’s fun to play,” he noted.

For more information on The Medicine Show’s future gigs you can always check with Coach Ringdahl or look up TheMedicineShowGNV on Facebook or Instagram.