Just in case you've forgotten what rock and roll is, you're probably not alone.
Sure, I could tell you that it's supposed to be super-fast, full of fun and humor, raunchy, rootsy, raucous. I could go on and on about how far it's strayed from it's source. From the days when it came on like gangbusters, talked about Friday being payday and Saturday night the time to take that dough and go out dancing.
Or, instead? You can just go see The Spampinato Brothers on Saturday at The Fairfield Theatre Company. These two fellas and their band don't theorize or deconstruct rock and roll. They just lay it on you.
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"We have a lot of material to draw on, considering the bands we've both been in," said bassist Joey Spampinato. "So we'll be doing a little from all our different catalogs and some stuff from our new album."
And what catalogs they are!
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Joey Spampinato, in case you don't know, happens to be a founding member of that effervescent rock band, NRBQ. The fellows that kept the fun, the groove, the rawk, in rock and roll, even during the darkest days of psychedelia and endless, snooze-inducing progressive music. Their best-known tunes, "Me And The Boys," "Wild Weekend" are rave-ups that have buoyed up albums by Bonnie Raitt and Dave Edmunds.
His brother, guitar-playing Johnny, played in The 'Q' during their last 13 years and also helped to found Cape Cod's most beloved group, The Incredible Casuals.
Together, they bring the eclecticism and excitement of 40-plus years of playing and genre-busting thrills to every stage they stalk.
"We all take turns singing onstage," said Spampinato. "Me, Johnny, (guitarist) Aaron Spade, everybody gets a chance. And, unlike other bands I've been in, we all get along."
Even, I ask, with Johnny? No sibling rivalry?
"No," said Spampinato and laughs. "You have to realize, I'm 8 years older than Johnny. He sort of idolized me when he started playing at age 12. Because I was a pro by then. So, it totally works. We get along great. It's the bands where the brothers are just 2 or 3 years apart, like The Kinks. Those are the guys who have problems."
Still, despite the philosophical attitude, you get the feeling that Spampinato, is not just a great bass player, but a great team player, too. That certainly had something to do with his being chosen by Keith Richards to back-up rock and roll legend, Chuck Berry, for the filmed concert, "Hail, Hail, Rock 'N' Roll."
"Yeah, that was an incredible experience, playing with Chuck. Basically it happened because (drummer) Steve Jordan knew and liked my playing. He brought Keith to an NRBQ gig at The Bottom Line and Keith was sold. There are some tense moments in that film (like the legendary scene where Richards and Berry square off about how to play a certain riff), but that doesn't really matter. The pressure was really on Chuck to deliver. I just had to show up, play well and have a good time. Which I did."
Spampinato mentions that his rootsy band has a new album, "Pie In The Sky," that comes out in September and is already tearing up the charts in Japan, where the Bros. will be touring this Fall.
That aside, the bassist, sounds relaxed and content, happy to still be making a living 40 years on in the toughest of businesses.
"Yeah, the band is playing really well and we have a bunch of gigs lined up. When we're not on the road, I live in Cape Cod, which is a great, relaxing place to be. Even in Winter. All in all, man? Life is good."
Info: The Spampinato Brothers will be at The Fairfield Theatre Company on Saturday at 7:30 PM. Doors are 7:00 PM. Tickets are $17, members save $5. For more information call 203-259-1036
