SoundCheck: The Hook Knives carry on the tradition of Rock music in The Ozarks

By Jimmy Rea

Published July 8, 2025 at 6:45 AM CDT

The Hook Knives will be on Studio Live Friday, July 11 at noon. Then catch their in-person performance that same night from 6p-8p upstairs at Springfield Brewing Company for Studio Live Social Hour.

Nine years in and The Hook Knives are still writing and performing original music. The band is made up of Jess Balisle, Ran Cummings, Mike Rumsey, Jody Bilyeu, and Mike Henderson. Ran and Jess are KSMU team members

Studio Live

Jimmy Rea

Jimmy Rea is a proud Ozarkian with deep ties to the music community. With 2 decades of creative entrepreneurship underfoot, Jimmy has toured coast to coast and around the world with acoustic acts The HillBenders and Keller Williams. Spearheading numerous musical groups, recording projects, and live music events, Rea’s work in the Springfield music scene is a passion and lifestyle. Happily married to wife Melissa and father to Archie, they enjoy life together with 2 dogs and a cat. In his downtime you can find Jimmy fishing for bass in the crisp rivers, creeks, and streams of the Ozarks.<br/>

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