'80s stars the Romantics return to their first love -- making music
Detroit's rock heritage is being carried on by some worthy successors -- the White Stripes, Kid Rock, the Von Bondies, the Paybacks, and the Detroit Cobras. Look further back and you'll see a band that helped pave the way -- the Romantics, whose hits "What I Like About You" and "Talking in Your Sleep" are essential to any decent '80s music compilation.
And now the Romantics are back.
Actually, the band never broke up, but it spent most of the '90s mired in legal hassles with former managers. Those problems have finally been resolved (the Romantics won back their copyrights) and not long ago they released an album, "61/49," which was their first in 17 years. They're supporting it with a show at the Middle East Downstairs on Sunday -- a garage-rock spectacular with the Chesterfield Kings (from Rochester, N.Y.) and Boston's own Lyres.
"I don't think that we've played the Boston area in 10 or 12 years," says Romantics bassist Mike Skill. "But we've always loved Boston rock. We used to do shows with the J. Geils Band and the Cars. And we used to go see the Real Kids, which was one of my favorite Boston bands."
The Romantics are coming back to Boston on their own terms.
"We like clubs," says Skill. "Through the years we've had the chance to get into the state fair circuit and do '80s rock revival shows, but we stayed away from them. We didn't want to get stuck in those things."
The Romantics are a foursome with two original members (Skill and singer Wally Palmar) plus longtime guitarist Coz Canler and new drummer Brad Elvis from the Elvis Brothers. (Clem Burke, who plays drums on the new album, has since gone back to touring with his group, Blondie.)
The Romantics have ditched the matching red suits that used to define their look, but they haven't shelved their pure, unabashed love of straight-ahead rock 'n' roll. "Our heart is still in it," says Skill. "We just want to get out now and play some more."
The new album, "61/49," is named for the Mississippi highways whose intersection is where bluesman Robert Johnson made his supposed pact with the devil, selling his soul in exchange for musical greatness. It's a pretty esoteric title for the Romantics, but they add a little levity to it in the new song "Devil in Me," though this time they're singing about romance: "A little angel put the devil in me." The album rocks in patented Romantics style, merging power pop and garage rock with some hedonistic flavor in "Midnight to Six Man."
"We had to get back to the Detroit energy, which is how we started in the first place," says Skill. "We knew this had to be a high-energy, raw album."
And, no, the Romantics haven't met the White Stripes, but Skill does hope to cross paths with Stripes frontman Jack White. "He's a great guitar player," he says.
Heard around town: Pink Voyd at the Good Times in Somerville: This well-financed Pink Floyd tribute band knows more than 50 Floyd tunes -- and replicates them with dynamic instrumentation that makes for a vivid listening experience even if the vocals are sometimes hit and miss. Another high point is the visuals -- there were several video screens set up around the club that projected original imagery and sci-fi animations that fit the spirit of Floyd's psychedelic journeys. Definitely worth seeing if you're a Floyd fan.
Bits and pieces: To boost family attendance, the Great High Mountain Tour just announced a $10 ticket for children 16 and under to its FleetBoston Pavilion show May 31 with Alison Krauss & Union Station, Ralph Stanley, the Whites, and others. . . . The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival has Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury, Natalie MacMaster, Leftover Salmon, James King, and many others on its July 15-18 event at Rothvoss Farm in Ancramdale, N.Y., not far from the Massachusetts border. More details at greyfoxbluegrass.com. . . . Former Bostonian Tom Hambridge shares production credits (and writes two songs) on Johnny Winter's upcoming disc, due June 15. . . . Highly recommended: The Brian Walkley Band each Wednesday at Saint. . . . Tonight: State Radio and Lost Trailers at the Middle East Downstairs, Wildest Dreams at Johnny D's, Nicole Nelson at the Sea Note in Hull. . . . Tomorrow: Jake Zavracky & the Cyanide Valentine at Middle East Upstairs, Barrence Whitfield's Groove Juice Symphony at the Sea Note. . . . Monday: Jimmy Ryan and Jabe at the Independent in Union Square.
