Da Yoopers


Da Yoopers is a traveling comedy show and musical group from Ishpeming, Michigan, United States. They are known primarily for their humorous songs and skits, most of which center on life in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The band's name includes the term "Yooper", slang for residents of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and the use of "da" instead of "the" is typical of the Yooper dialect. Da Yoopers has released twelve studio albums and two compilations, all on You Guys Records. The group's members are Jim Bellmore and his wife, Lynn Bellmore , along with Jim "Hoolie" DeCaire. The original band lineup in 1985 consisted of Anderson and DeCaire, along with Joe Potila and Jim Pennell, with a number of membership changes ensuing throughout the band's history.

History

Da Yoopers was founded in 1975 by Jim "Hoolie" DeCaire and Joe Potila, two songwriters from Ishpeming, Michigan. After unsuccessful attempts at getting songs cut by other artists, they began recording as Da Yoopers in 1985. The band's original lineup consisted of DeCaire on drums and Potila on guitar, with both men also handling songwriting and production duties; completing the initial lineup were keyboardist Lynn Anderson and bassist Jim Pennell. They were originally known as the Joe Arkansas Band. The band took their name from the word "yooper", a term for people of the "U.P.", an abbreviation for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and "Da" came from the Yooper dialect pronunciation of "the". The band toured throughout Michigan's Upper Peninsula for several years, before recording their first album, Yoopanese, in 1986 on their personal label, You Guys Records.
A second album, Culture Shock, was released a year later. This second album featured several comedy songs, including "Second Week of Deer Camp" and "Rusty Chevrolet", both of which became local hits, including considerable regional airplay throughout the Midwestern United States and on Dr. Demento's radio shows.
By the release of Camp Fever, the band's third album, Joe DeLongchamp had replaced Pennell as bass guitarist. In addition, Lynn Anderson married Jerry Coffey, who joined as percussionist and occasional drummer. It also included the first song of the band's career not to be written by Potila or DeCaire, as DeLongchamp wrote the title track. Yoop It Up, their fourth cassette, was released in 1989.

Early 1990s–present

Yoopy Do Wah, released in 1991, was the band's first album on compact disc, released shortly after Dave "Doc" Bradbury took over on bass guitar. Also that year, a compilation titled For Diehards Only was released, featuring a selection of songs from the group's first four albums. Da Yoopers' 1993 album One Can Short of a Six-Pack featured both regular and Christmas songs, including a parody of "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" titled "Grandpa Got Run Over By a Beer Truck". Potila retired in 1995 and was replaced by Jim Bellmore, who also assumed Potila's former role as co-writer and co-producer with DeCaire. Also at this point "Cowboy" Dan Collins joined as rhythm guitarist and occasional vocalist. Bellmore's first studio appearance was on We're Still Rockin' that same year. Potila died in 2001.
Two albums were released in 2000: Jackpine Savage and Naked Elves in Cowboy Boots, the latter an album of Christmas music. Both Dan Collins and Jerry Coffey left shortly after Naked Elves in Cowboy Boots. Songs for Fart Lovers and Diehards II both came out in 2004, with the two-disc 21st Century Yoopers in Space following in 2006. This album also featured several guest contributions in both performing and songwriting. Lynn, who divorced Jerry in 2005, was again credited as Lynn Anderson on 21st Century Yoopers in Space, and married Bellmore shortly after that album's release. The last touring lineup consisted of the Bellmores, Lusardi, Symons, and DeCaire.
Lusardi died May 8, 2016. The band's 2018 album Old Age Ain't for Sissies! features the Bellmores and DeCaire as the remaining three members.

Tourist Trap

Da Yoopers also own and operate a gift shop near Ishpeming called "Da Yoopers Tourist Trap", located in Ishpeming. This gift shop features various Upper Peninsula-themed merchandise.
Da Yooper's tourist trap not only contains merchandise, but two museums as well. The first museum is a mineral museum that contains various minerals found in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It also has exhibits related to the local mining culture. This museum is found inside of Da Yooper's Tourist Trap. The other museum is an outdoor museum that is more oriented towards humor. It contains such things as a large chainsaw, called Big Gus, a large rifle, called Big Ernie, and Da Two-holer. This comical museum has various other displays in which tourists are encouraged to see in order to understand the humor of the Yooper culture.

Members

The band's membership comprises the following:
All albums released on You Guys Records.
Albums
AlbumRelease
YoopaneseJuly 4, 1986
Culture ShockNovember 1, 1987
Camp FeverAugust 1, 1988
Yoop It UpAugust 1, 1989
Yoopy Do WahOctober 1, 1991
One Can Short Of A Six-PackNovember 23, 1994
We're Still RockinDecember 10, 1996
Jackpine Savage1999
Naked Elves in Cowboy BootsNovember 14, 2000
Songs For Fart LoversFebruary 10, 2004
21st Century Yoopers In Space2007
Old Age Ain’t For Sissies!May 15, 2018

Compilations'
AlbumRelease
For Diehards OnlyApril 16, 1995
Diehards II2004