|
|
The Q’s get their
due
| NRBQ |
When: 8 p.m.
Saturday
Where: The Bull Run,
Route 2A, Shirley
How much: $14 in
advance, $18 at the
door
| | | | Are you a Q person?
Telltale signs include a
record collection stuffed with titles of NRBQ records, of which
there have been about two dozen since 1969. Or perhaps when
confronted with a dilemma, you utter, “Ain’t no horse can’t be rode,
ain’t no man can’t be thrown,” or some other suitable lyric. And Q
people don’t have weekends; they have wild weekends.
This
weekend, you’ll find the region’s Q people at the Bull Run in
Shirley, where NRBQ is playing Saturday night.
But be
advised, the legion of Q people is bigger than you think. A recent
litmus test of Q love revealed that the following are Q people: Yo
La Tengo, Steve Earle, Los Lobos, Bonnie Raitt, REM’s Mike Mills, J
Mascis, Widespread Panic, Ron Sexsmith and SpongeBob
Square-Pants.
Those are some of the artists contributing
songs to the forthcoming “The Q People: A Tribute to NRBQ,” the
first release from Spirithouse Records, based in
Easthampton.
“It’s a perfect foundation to build on,” said
Spirithouse co-founder Paul McNamara. “It connects the label to real
music and real musicians.”
McNamara and veteran producer
Danny Bernini launched the record label last year. It grew out of
Bernini’s Spirithouse Productions work, and the two said the label
is a means to showcase the wealth of talent rooted in Western
Massachusetts.
To that end, "The Q People" tribute
features NoHo area acts Ware River Club, King Radio and Settie.
Spirithouse is also releasing Ware River Club's third CD,
"Cathedral," on March 9, the same day "The Q People" comes out. Both
projects have already received national press attention.
But
even the local ringers had to prove their allegiance to the Q.
Ware River Club's Matt Hebert came to the music of NRBQ
through his work with the prolific Ray Mason.
"When I joined
Ray's band he gave me a NRBQ record. He was a huge fan, but I didn't
know their stuff. After listening to the record, all I could think
was, "What brilliant musicians and writers.' I immediately put them
at a level with the greats," said Hebert, whose band covered the
pretty "I Love Her, She Loves Me."
The tribute CD aptly
covers the many moods that NRBQ (that's New Rhythm and Blues Quartet
for you Q newbies) evokes with its music. Yo La Tengo's read of
"Magnet" and King Radio's "Yes, Yes, Yes" underscore the Q's
sensitive side. J Mascis ripping it up on "I Want You Bad" and
Widespread Panic's feisty take on "Ain't No Horse" serve as
reminders of why NRBQ is among the best barroom bands ever produced.
And listening to Mills navigate "When Things Was Cheap" makes one
wonder why they don't write 'em like that any more.
Though
NRBQ has monstrous musicianship in the form of keyboard player Terry
Adams, drummer Tom Ardolino, bass player Joey Spampinato and his
brother guitarist Johnny Spampinato, the band has never been without
its sense of humor.
And that aspect of the band comes
through on the tribute CD's 17-minute "audio cartoon" featuring
SpongeBob SquarePants and the rest of the crew from the Nickelodeon
cartoon about life undersea in Bikini Bottom.
Tom Kenny, the
voice of SpongeBob, caught wind of the tribute from music producer
Andy Paley, who worked with NRBQ.
Kenny described himself as
a longtime Q obsessive, noting that before landing a job doing voice
work he was a stand-up comic who once opened for the band.
"Their music lends itself to the kind of silliness you see
in SpongeBob. Sure they have incredible chops, but they aren't
overly serious," Kenny said.
Kenny and Paley cooked up a
plan that grew from SpongeBob singing a tune or medley of tunes into
a skit involving all the characters and signature sounds from the TV
cartoon. Kenny wrote the piece, mimicking old-time radio shows, and
wove in many NRBQ references. Beyond the obvious workouts and
rearrangements of "Little Floater," "Wild Weekend" and "Here Comes
Terry," the true Q-head will pick up on countless other references
to the band and its songs.
While Kenny said he saw a natural
harmony between SpongeBob's brand of humor and NRBQ's music,
Spirithouse's Bernini thought having the kid-friendly character on
the CD would serve a higher purpose.
"With SpongeBob on
board we'll have 4-year-olds singing NRBQ songs and getting hooked
on the music," he said.
That means the Q better be planning
well beyond this year's 35th anniversary celebration, as those
young'uns will one day be wanting their own wild weekends with the
band.
Scott McLennan can be reached at [email protected].
-30-30-30-30-
|
Home |
Telegram | OnTheCommon
Yellow Pages | Classifieds | Personals | Weather
Privacy
Policy | Contact
Us
© 2004 Worcester Telegram &
Gazette
|
|
WORCESTER WEATHER
Get
the forecast
|
