Any NRBQ fans out there?

Tony Palmer · Post by **Tony Palmer** » 26 Aug 2002 8:43 am

Just curious if any of us "country" folk stray over to the other side now and then.
I'm a new fan...just saw them for the first time, but I was struck by how many times their fans see them.
One guy to the right of me saw them 100 times; the guy who brought me over saw them 20 times!
What a great rock band!!

Glenn Suchan · Post by **Glenn Suchan** » 26 Aug 2002 9:46 am

I'm a BIG NRBQ fan. Although I've only seen a couple of their shows, those shows were among my all time favorites. Them boys in NRBQ have fun playin' music!

It's not surprising that some fans have seen them 100 or more times. They've been a band for a long time. Around 30 years I believe.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Steve Miller · Post by **Steve Miller** » 26 Aug 2002 9:48 am

Oh Yes! NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet) A friend of mine was so exited about this band that he bought my ticket in exchange for a ride to the Coach House. This was about 10 yrs ago and I had never heard of them before.

It was possibly the best show I've ever seen/heard. These guys really give it all they've got. I especially liked the piano player. They completely blew me away.

To top it all off, for the third set they had a special guest, no big deal, it was just Bonnie Raitt! Seeing Bonnie sing from 30 feet away was a heavenly experience.

If you get the chance, don't miss these guys.

AND they didn't play too loud either.

sgm[This message was edited by Steve Miller on 26 August 2002 at 10:53 AM.]

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 26 Aug 2002 11:55 am

Hell yes. They are perhaps the best live band I've ever heard. I've seen them about 10 times - mostly back in the late 80s/early 90s. I haven't seen them since Big Al Anderson departed the band for a career as a session picker in Nashville but I'm told that Joey Spampanato's brother has picked up the slack admirably. They play so many completely different genres of music so well that it has always doomed their marketing potential - because they always refused to focus on a single style and exclude the others for the sake of record company bean counters. They probably play the best blues shuffle you'll ever, ever hear. -MJ-

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 26 Aug 2002 12:01 pm

I liked them better with the new guitar player.

I like the keyboard player because he can play a whole phrase where every note is worng and still sound good. Not many players can do that. Vladimir Horowitz could do it, but what has he done lately? Not much.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 26 Aug 2002 12:46 pm

I saw them back in the early '70s when they were young and eager. Big Al Anderson was in the band and I was blown away by their sound. The show was in one of the "dining commons" at the University of Mass where I was a student at the time. I was sitting about 10 feet from the stage!

Before NRBQ, Al Anderson was in a band called the "Wild Weeds" from CT. Their one and only album (Vanguard VMD 6552) featured songs written by Al and it sounded really "country" for that era (60's, 70's). Some of the tracks were recorded at Bradley's Barn and featured Weldon Myrick on steel and Charlie McCoy on dobro and harmonica. A portent of things to come in Al's career!

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[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 26 August 2002 at 06:58 PM.]

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 26 Aug 2002 4:42 pm

YEAH!!!
"Slim Harpo's over on the jukebox,
stop pouring orange juice down my socks."

And wasn't Joey married to Connie Smith years ago?

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 26 Aug 2002 4:45 pm

One of the best live bands EVER!!!! And, over the years, their Yankee Stadium album has always held up as one of my favorites.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 26 Aug 2002 5:19 pm

That would be Skeeter Davis not Connie Smith.

Greg Simmons · Post by **Greg Simmons** » 26 Aug 2002 6:28 pm

I saw a band called the Lindys at their inaugural gig at the Radio Cafe in Nashville just after the St. Louis show last year. Very cool bunch of guys: drummer, keyboard (i.e. piano, no synths) a guy on electric guitar (songwriter named Tim Krakel?) and the one and only Joey Spampinato on bass and vocals - man what a show, Joey was amazing on his old Silvertone. I've never seen NRBQ live, but when they kicked into "Get Rhythm" it kinda made up for that

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Greg Simmons
Custodian of the Official Sho~Bud Pedal Steel Guitar Website
shobud.cjb.net

Jason Odd · Post by **Jason Odd** » 26 Aug 2002 10:07 pm

I like them, but it's not like they get out my way too often.[This message was edited by Jason Odd on 26 August 2002 at 11:08 PM.]

Joel Glassman · Post by **Joel Glassman** » 27 Aug 2002 10:41 am

Well yes...
I've seen them about 10 times-
mostly w/ with Al on guitar.
Some of the shows were among the best club dates I've ever seen: dynamics, humor, hot playing,
great audience interaction. Very entertaining. Al Anderson is extremely under-rated as a guitarist. With all the bad music out there, I'll never understand why NRBQ
weren't famous.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 27 Aug 2002 2:02 pm

When I was with Ronstadt in 1968, we played a show in Hartford with the Wildweeds. They knocked me out, especially Al A. and Bob Dudek, their bass player. Imagine my surprise when Al called me in January of 1969 and offered me a gig with the Weeds!

I moved to CT for 6 months and played with a really cool running rock band, but musically it didn't work out for either of us and I went back to CA that summer. Al was really high on steel guitar and while I played with the Weeds he ordered and received a rosewood/maple Sho~Bud Crossover, but I don't know if he ever learned to play it.

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Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 27 Aug 2002 3:29 pm

Herb, I didn't know that you played with the Wildweeds. Do you remember if you played the Mountain Park Ballroom or the Woodrose Ballroom with them? Man... that was a long time ago!

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 27 Aug 2002 3:55 pm

Herb, man, you got the coolest career of ANYBODY! Can you remember all that stuff?
And Michael, good catch!

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 28 Aug 2002 7:49 am

Doug
I don't remember many gigs with the Weeds... I do remember we played a bunch of frat parties and dance clubs in the N'London area, Hartford, etc., and we'd go into the City every now and then and hang out with Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys who shared a totally decrepit walk-up in the Village.

At the time, the only car I had was a 62 Falcon with no reverse that Al owned, and I was living in a restored 1726 Colonial on the banks of the CT River in Middle Haddam (outside Middletown). I spent most of my time down at the river, except for gigs. Kinda boring for a city boy at the time.

My roommate was the percussionist, Skip Yakaitis, who wound up stiffing me for a $200 phone bill! Oh I was such a kid!!!

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Texas Steel Guitar Association

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 28 Aug 2002 2:07 pm

and I never tire of "No Good To Cry".