Which of us aging dads hasn’t had – or at least hasn’t wanted to – have their own band out in the garage? Well, the Middle-Aged Dad Jam Band (MadJB) has actually fulfilled that fantasy. Formed during the pandemic by members of the comedy troupe The State, the project is no joke. All accomplished musicians, the group exploded on social media, formed their own YouTube channel, and enlisted celebrity friends to join them in performing a repertoire of favourite pop-rock classics, like Kristen Bell in today’s rendition of “Islands in the Stream.”

Led by vocalist Ken Marino (who notably in the case of today’s video, appeared in the TV show “Veronica Mars”), the band now plays benefits (such as for L.A. wildfire relief) and across the U.S., including making a number of stops this summer.

Among the band’s guests have been “Weird Al” Yankovic, Kathryn Hahn, James Marsden (Spike from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” who has his own band), Will Forte, Uzo Aduba, Joe Lo Truglio, and the aforementioned Bell.

Veronica of “Veronica Mars” it might be noted (as per the insider greeting with Marino at the start of their song) that Bell is a classically trained singer who has performed on Broadway and in Disney’s “Frozen.” As such it’s no surprise that she handles Dolly Parton’s part here in (the Bee Gee’s penned) song with both style and ease. Like the band, she’s an amazing surprise.

Dads rock!

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