Jim Waln grew up in the 1960s, but he doesn't consider himself a former hippie.
However, Waln and three other musicians have a fondness for the music of that era, so they recently formed a band dedicated to keeping that sound alive.
Waln and his band, Heartbeat, cover tunes from bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Santana. They sing and play everything from British Invasion music to Motown soul.
The band also mixes in 1970s and 1980s hits from stars such as Billy Joel, Elton John and the Steve Miller Band, Waln said.
Heartbeat plays gigs at restaurants, bars and fundraisers all over Tucson and Southern Arizona, including a show at 7 tonight at The French Quarter, 3146 E. Grant Road, and another at 7 p.m. Friday at Taco Bron, 6910 E. Tanque Verde Road.
The band is not just in it for the money but to play music that reminds listeners of an important time in this country's history, Waln said.
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"A lot of this music was popular during real significant events in our country," he said. "The '60s were a real turbulent time, not only with news events, but with the cultural revolution."
Most of Heartbeat's audience attended either high school or college during that time, he said.
"We have a lot of people who say 'I was in Vietnam at the time,'" he said.
Waln started playing the drums at age 14 and joined his first band when he was 16, he said.
The Foothills resident and University of Arizona graduate also works as a certified project manager and consultant who organizes financial records and databases for small and medium-sized companies, he said.
Waln and band mate Bob Zappier started the band in early 2007 and recruited the other members through the Internet, he said.
"We decided to form this group because we got along and hit it off," he said.
Most of the band members have been playing their instruments and singing since they were teenagers.
Dee Molina, 57, had spent the previous seven years playing with bands on cruise ships before moving to Tucson with his family last December.
He saw an advertisement Zappier posted on Craigslist for people who were "lost in the '60s era," he said.
"That sounded like something I wanted to do," said Molina, who sings and plays bass guitar. "So I went in and auditioned, and we hit it off right away."
Molina said his influences include Paul McCartney and bassist James Jamerson, who contributed to many hit Motown songs.
Their music not only brings back memories for the band's older listeners, but it also helps the group acquire some new fans, he said.
"I remember one gig we had finished playing, a kid came up to me and said 'Are you finished playing?' I said 'yes,' and the kid was disappointed," he said.
One of the band's main objectives is to get listeners onto the dance floor.
"One thing we pride ourselves on is, people will be able to dance," Waln said. "There's a lot of hand-clapping and foot-tapping. It elicits a lot of people moving, dancing and reliving their youth."
Lynn Bouffard, co-owner of the Old Father Inn, agrees.
"They like to dance, and you see them tapping their foot and enjoying," said Bouffard, describing her customers' reaction to Heartbeat's music.
Old Father Inn is located at 4080 W. Ina Road on the Northwest Side.
Bouffard said the band has played about three times at the restaurant and sports bar, mostly for special events and fundraisers.
The band does not have any upcoming shows at the restaurant.
"Their sound and vocals are very good for the music they play," she said. "When they were auditioning, I thought it was the jukebox. I turned around, and it was the band."
If you go
What: Heartbeat has two upcoming performances. Tonight it's The French Quarter, 3146 E. Grant Road, at 7.
Friday they'll be at Taco Bron, 6910 E. Tanque Verde Road, at 7 p.m.
For more information about Heartbeat, log on to www.freewebs.com/ agencyonemusic.
