The Teardowns pose in front of their namesake—a classic example of an old home demolished to make way for something new. For the Morningside neighborhood, teardowns are a familiar sight. From left to right: Nicki Williams, Mark Teskey, Jim Balabuszko-Reay, Colin Wells, Steve Diedrich, Liz Heinecke, Ryan Williams and Jeff Lassig. Photo: Pamela Diedrich
Meet members of Edina’s own backyard band.
The Teardowns are parents by day and rockstars by night—and they’re also known as Edina’s beloved backyard band. They cover hit songs from the 1970s to today and have been entertaining the city for nine years. Chances are, if you have been to a school fundraiser, a block party, the Fourth of July celebration and some local restaurants, you have seen them bring joy, fun and vibrant energy to all those who behold their musical magic.
Ryan Williams grew up with music. The bass player joined forces with Steve Diedrich, a guitar player, to perform at Morningside After Dark when it premiered 12 years ago. “I also sang and hadn’t publicly before,” Ryan says. “It went really well.” It went so well that they named their band Buzzirque. Then, at an event, they ran into their neighbors, Liz Heinecke and Colin Wells, who were in a band called The 952.
“So The 952 and Buzzirque would do something slightly together,” Ryan says. And then his wife, Nicki Williams, decided to join in on the fun on vocals. “We discovered we liked it when everybody was performing together,” Ryan says.
Thus, the Teardowns were born. Heinecke says it was the late Laurie Lindeen who came up with the name. Many older homes in Morningside, where the band members live, are being torn down and rebuilt. Nicki and Ryan actually live in one of those teardowns. “We live with the irony,” Ryan says.
Bandmate Mark Teskey spent his 20s and 30s playing in bands that performed 48 weekends a year. “I dropped out of it all when I got married and had kids,” Teskey says. “There’s not much of a demand for a middle-aged saxophone player. There was a point in there that I thought, ‘Am I ever going to be in a band again?’”
Then the opportunity came. Teskey was a guest at the annual Caveman Barbecue, a fundraiser for Highlands Elementary School that focuses on the deliciousness of pulled pork and the accompaniment of live music. Ryan and Nicki hosted it every year. But rather than be enamored by the pork, Teskey was transfixed by the band.
Teskey approached the stage and asked Ryan, “Hey guys, can I play with you?’”
Teskey got up on stage. “I remembered again how much I love it,” he says. “This has been a rebirth for me. It’s a huge thing in my life to get out and make music, be on the stage with friends and have that shared experience where we are all making music and helping people have fun at the same time.”
Beyond making music, it’s the camaraderie and joy of performing that keeps the band going. “It’s always fun for me,” says Jim Balabuszko-Reay, a composer who is in several bands. “I was a music major. I’ve always done synthesizers and composition. With the Teardowns, this is the first time I was in a band as a drummer. I love it. When I’m up on stage, I’m 22 again.”
The Music and the Vibe
The Teardowns boast a repertoire of more than 80 songs, tackling tunes that most cover bands shy away from—a feat made possible by the sheer size of the band and the talent of each member. Heinecke lends her voice and plays the banjo. Nicki also provides vocals, while Diedrich and Wells both handle guitar. Jeff Lassig brings his skills to the keyboard, and Teskey rounds out the group with a versatile approach. “I do everything they don’t,” he says.
“It’s fun to have five, six voices,” Nicki says. “When you have a song [by] Fleetwood Mac, you’re like, ‘Whoa, this is awesome.’ When Mark came along, it was icing on the cake. Here’s this other piece we were missing.”
Photos: Nicki Williams
Teskey brought the expertise they needed to eliminate backtracks on ’80s hits. “I play saxophone but not all of our songs require saxophone,” he says. “I also play the electronic wind instrument. It’s a really big synthesizer keyboard but in saxophone form. A lot of the synthesized tunes, the Cure and so forth, I’m actually playing it on an electronic saxophone.”
Ryan laughs and says, “That’s his nickname, Backtrack.”
The group also tailors setlists to the event. A relaxed gathering may be treated to bluegrass tunes. A high energy event for kids will have plenty of dance music.
Meaning of Life
The Teardowns aren’t just a band. They are a reflection of the Morningside community—fun-loving, close-knit and full of life. They encourage everyone not to give up on what makes their soul sing and not to be afraid to reach out to take a chance.
“We weren’t great in the beginning,” Balabuszko-Reay says, adding it took about four years to really fine-tune their sound. “You have to endure and discard failure,” Ryan says.
That attitude is life-changing, Nicki says. “When you get to a certain age, you feel like you have to succeed at everything,” Nicki says. “I like how we will still try songs and be like, ‘Yeah. That sucks.’ It’s really freeing to say, ‘That’s fine. We’re going to find something better.’”
Teskey says their success is a testament to the saying that one is never too old to pursue what brings joy. “Everybody in [the band] is an empty nester or will soon be an empty nester,” Teskey says. “What are you going to do next in your life? You’ve got to do those things that appeal to you and that you get joy out of yourself. Once the family’s off and doing their thing, I don’t plan on retiring in front of the TV. I want to rock for a bunch of years.”
The Teardowns bring high-energy covers to local stages across the Twin Cities. Catch them at 50th & France’s Summer Concert Series on September 5 in the plaza at Nolan Mains. The performance starts at 5:30 p.m. For more information, go to 50thandfrance.com.
Band Members and Their Day Jobs
Jim Balabuszko-Reay: drums; healthcare IT strategic consultant
Steve Diedrich: guitar; works in IT advertising
Liz Heinecke: vocals and banjo; author and science communicator
Jeff Lassig: keyboard; neurosurgeon
Mark Teskey: saxophone and synthesizer; head of engineering at WareCorp
Colin Wells: guitar and keyboard; English professor, specializing in early American poetry, at St. Olaf College
Nicki Williams: vocals; nonprofit and fashion event planner
Ryan Williams: bass; works in trading and tech at Cargill
