RMT is a Columbus, Ohio-based band that performs a wide variety of rock, country and blues music. The band's playlist covers over seven decades of hits, all the way from 1950s classics up to current popular songs. RMT is fronted by founding member Mark Reinhart on guitar and vocals. The band is not the only central Ohio musical group that Mark regularly works with - he is also a longtime member of Shucking Bubba Acoustic. In addition to being a musician, Mark is also an author - his books Abraham Lincoln on Screen (2024), The Batman Filmography (2013) and Chet Atkins: The Greatest Songs of Mister Guitar (2014) are available through the academic publisher McFarland & Company.
Mark's backing musicians in RMT have included Todd Berry (bass and vocals), Mike Stull (guitar, bass and vocals), Jim Prescott (guitar, bass and vocals), Fred Fochtman (harmonica, congas, and vocals), Brian Preston (keyboards, guitar, bass, and vocals), and Bruce MacLaughlin (bass). Over the years, the band has worked with a number of talented drummers, including Dan Boyd, Rob Fratianne, Joe Mamlin, Nick Ray, Jim Mogavero, Bryan Rupejko, and Mark's son Keaton. (And though he has never formally joined RMT, Mark’s son Taylor has performed with the band many times, singing and playing both guitar and bass.)
Some of you who are reading this might be wondering if RMT is an abbreviation for a longer band name - well, that is a fair question, and one that Mark is a bit embarrassed to have to answer! When Mark formed the band with Fred and Todd over 25 years ago, they decided to call it Rich Meaty Taste simply because they thought the name was funny. The band was supposed to be kind of a throwaway enterprise that would only end up performing a few times, so the guys didn't think its name would be around very long.
But the band ended up lasting much longer than its founding members ever thought it would. During the course of working together for decades and doing well over a thousand shows, Mark, Fred and Todd got tired of being saddled with such a ridiculous name - so among themselves, they simply referred to the band as RMT. Over time, those initials became the band's more or less official name. (However, it should be pointed out that there is a great deal of material out there on the Internet that refers to RMT by its old name - so Mark reluctantly admits that the band will probably never be completely free of it!)
OK, that is enough about RMT's checkered name history - let's get back to the band itself. RMT performs regularly at Carsonie's Stromboli and Pizza Kitchen in Upper Arlington, and Benny's Pizza in Marysville. The band has also been featured at the Ohio Statehouse, The Center of Science and Industry (COSI), the Columbus Arts Festival, Grove City's Ohio Flags of Honor, the Worthington Concert on the Green, the Columbus fireworks spectacular Red, White and Boom, and many other public and private venues.
RMT's original material is a blend of rock, country, swing, blues and funk, and over the years many of the band's songs have been featured on Ohio radio stations. The band has released six collections of originals, RMTCD (1999), Richer Meatier Tastier (2002), Thank You So Much (2006), Live at Benny’s (2009), Mark Reinhart and RMT (2015), and RMTEP (2017). RMT's music is available from online retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify. It is also available directly from the band at live performances.
One novel aspect of RMT's shows is that band playlists are made available to audience members, allowing them to choose songs they want to hear - RMT rarely uses a prearranged setlist, instead structuring their show around the musical taste of a particular crowd.
RMT can be contacted through Mark Reinhart at rmtmusicgroup@gmail.com or (614) 440-5932.