It all started around a campfire at the beach during the pandemic. Brian pulled out a guitar, and Beau started singing. Jerry had a guitar, too. Back home in Bend after the trip, they added drums, pulled in a couple more guys, and fired up a bonafide jam session in someone’s garage. But this wasn’t a group of teenagers looking for something to do with their summer and maybe a little glory. This was five guys in their 50s, husbands and fathers with day jobs, mortgages and slightly worn-out bodies. Soon enough, the Dad Bods Band was born.
Dad Bods is a Bend-based cover band playing mostly ’80s songs with a few hits from other decades sprinkled in. The band is comprised of Beau Killett (lead vocals), Brian Kelly (lead guitar), Jerry Williams (rhythm and lead guitar), Chad Crowell (bass) and Dale Anderson (drums). Dad Bods’ first gig in June of 2021 was supposed to be a one-off for friends and family, but the crowd loved the high energy performance and friendly, familiar songs so much that the group decided to try for another gig. “Northside Bar gave us a chance and we packed the place with a strong support from friends and family,” said Killett. “They immediately had us book another date which led us to believe, we can do this.”
The Dad Bods playlist is packed with iconic hits from U2, Billy Idol, The Cure, The Killers, Van Halen, Duran Duran, Bryan Adams and The Cars, to name a few. “We fill a niche here in Bend,” explained Killett. “Other bands in town play ’70s or ’90s music, but we come from the ’80s—the music that makes everyone forget about everything happening in the world and just have fun.” Dad Bods has become renowned for bringing the up-energy of the 80s to life, along with playful antics like shooting bubble blowers into the crowd, handing out leis and stickers, and Killett’s endless string of (bad) dad jokes. “How do you know when it’s raining cats and dogs?” he asked the crowd at a recent show. “You go outside and step in a poodle.”
The jokes might be cringy, but they are always clean, as is the show. “We’re family-friendly,” said Killett. One of the things that’s fun about a Dad Bods show is that it gets everyone up and dancing, from babies to Boomers. “The audience engagement is the most fun part of performing,” said Killett. Crowell added, “That is our motivation and fuels our energy.” The band also finds inspiration from one another. “We were friends before and now we’re really close,” said Kelly. “You’ve got to like the grind, too, and we even like just practicing together.”
This year, Dad Bods will play 17 performances—a number that could be much higher if it weren’t for the challenges of scheduling five family men. “You won’t see us playing in August, because we’ll be moving kids back to college,” said Killett. But despite time demands and sore dad-bodies the day after shows, the Dad Bods Band isn’t going anywhere. As long as there is a demand for fun in Bend, the Dad Bods will show up to provide it. “We love what we do,” explained Crowell. “The rooms overflow with people, everyone’s dancing, the crowd forgets about every tough thing going on for two to three hours—and we’re doing that, too.”
The Dad Bods Band is scheduled to play at the Bend Summer Festival Friday July 11, 4-5pm; Silver Moon Brewing Saturday July 12, 7-10pm; and as the opener at Munch and Music in Drake Park on July 17, 5:30-7pm.
This article appears in Source Weekly July 10, 2025.
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Thank you so much for this article Kim! 🤘🎸🔥🤩 Dad Bods Band website is: https://dadbods.band