Dave VanRoekel
Dave became the Cartwrights bass player after George Puder moved to Montana to become a worm farmer. A late bloomer, Dave didn’t start his musical career until later in life. "Joining the Split Peas so soon in my career was very much like being thrown into a fiery pit of sarcasm." Says Dave. "These guys are merciless." Dave and his popular "blue shirt" have been seen increasingly more at Cartwright Brothers shows. Says Mark; "The thing that impressed me early on about Dave was his eagerness to learn. He’s not jaded like the rest of us who have been doing this for twenty years. Of course, he’s made a few rookie mistakes. Like the time he invited us to "drown night" at a new club he’d found. ‘It’s on me!’ he said, as he drove us there. We were all a little wary of the place – it just didn’t look like the type of joint we usually drink in – but since Dave was the new guy, we decided to go in with him. Things were a little awkward at first, but after a few glasses of wine, we started to loosen up. Everything was going fine, until the Priest kicked us out of the church. I’m sure he’ll do better next time."