A native of Northeast Ohio, Erik Hendel has honed his vocal and instrumental talents since the early nineties. One of his first bands, Raul, took him to stages and studios throughout the Northeast. In 2003, he launched a one-man act in Phoenix, performing classic rock hits at clubs and resorts, and spent three years as one-third of the folk-rock combo Haiku Rd. From 2007 through 2024, he spent seventeen years as “Levi Rippington” the voice of Faded Jeans, making audiences part of the show with dancing and sing-alongs.
Since April 2025, Erik has been the alibi you didn’t know you needed, performing as Alibi’s primary vocalist under various stage names, but usually “Brent Crude”. Brent adds rhythm guitar, saxophone, harmonica, and dad jokes to the mix. The group’s stellar musicianship gives Brent the freedom to work the room and put on a show while the songs speak for themselves.