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Classic Rock · Blues · Americana · Santa Cruz, CA

Santa Cruz, California
American Underdog was founded in Santa Cruz, California by singer-songwriter Tommy Dunlop and multi-instrumentalist Tony Fleig. The band is made up of veteran players who have decades of musical experience performing in and around northern and central California including Thomas Hartnett on lead guitar and vocals, Don Jacobs on drums and Kimberly Parrish on vocals and percussion.
Genres include: Original material, Classic Rock, Blues, Folk Rock and Americana with an emphasis on toe tappin' danceable melodies. We love to get the audience up and dancing!
Over the years American Underdog has played shows at many of the clubs and restaurants in the Santa Cruz and Monterey-Bay area including Stockwell Cellars, Kissed by an Angel, Henflings, Whale City Tavern, Brookdale Lodge, Music at Skypark, Community TV and numerous outdoor festivals, celebrity parties and corporate events.
“We love to get the audience up and dancing!”
Meet the Band
What We Play
Classic Rock, Blues, Folk Rock and Americana with an emphasis on toe tappin' danceable melodies. Original material plus the songs you know and love.
The backbone of our sound — timeless riffs and big choruses that get people moving.
Raw, soulful, and honest. From Chicago electric to Delta roots.
Heartland storytelling rooted in folk, country, and the American experience.
Catch Us Live
Catch American Underdog live in the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay area.
On Stage & Off
Bookings & Inquiries
Singer-Songwriter, Guitars & Vocals
California singer-songwriter and frontman for American Underdog whose songs draw from a lifetime of work, travel, and everyday experience. Past roles: truck driver, pilot, author, actor, husband, father, musician. In the 1970s-80s worked with Norton Buffalo, Bobby McFerrin, Brian Auger. In the 2000s toured with Arthur Godfrey. Music style rooted in folk, country, and Americana tradition.
Bass, Guitar & Vocals
Professional performer since 1972 in Northern California and The Netherlands. Previous bands: Two Foot Daddy, The Cherry Brothers, Foxfire, The Bottom Dollar Band, Snakefarm Confidential, Johnny Reyes and the Blues Crew, The Last Minute Band, Cabin Fever, Whiskey Moon, The Bandits, Broken Shades. Also performs solo.
Drums
Over thirty years of drumming experience. Portland, Oregon background: R&B, Blues, Country Western, Soul bands. Notable bands: Blues Ranch (three-time Vancouver Battle of the Bands winner), The Slicers, The Inclusions, Disorderly Conduct, Spring Fever, Mahayana, The Thundering Love Hammers. In Santa Cruz: Cleveland Cowboys, Bump, Sound Squad.
Lead Guitar & Vocals
Tom Hartnett is a guitarist shaped by the spirit of the San Francisco Bay Area in the ’60s and ’70s, when music was rebellion, language, and life. His style is described as expressive, fearless, and just a little unruly. Plays with intention but leaves room for surprise.

Vocals
Kimberly Parrish is a vocalist rooted in shared song, first singing at campfires and family gatherings. She later performed with bands like Whiskey Moon, American Underdog, and Bird in the Hand. Her performances—whether intimate or high-energy—are marked by sincerity, soul, and joy.
Acoustic-driven melodies with full-band energy and sing-along hooks.
Songs written by Tommy Dunlop — drawn from a lifetime of work, travel, and everyday experience.
A taste of what we bring to every show — from the golden decades to Tommy's originals.
Members have performed with
Decades of combined experience across Northern and Central California's live music scene.
Available for clubs, restaurants, private events, and corporate functions in the Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay area.
Contact for Booking