Sep 27, 2007
Doug Wahlberg Band
Fans go ‘Sa-looney’ over local band in NYC
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by MAGGIE CALDWELL
mcaldwell@thereddingpilot.com
Though it was a packed house at the Manhattan music venue, patrons were doing whatever they could to make room to dance.
Most were resigned to remain in their seats, toes tapping and hands clapping along with the five-piece rock band on stage that was wailing on hits from the 1960s and 70s. Others, unable to sit still, pushed back tables and cleared chairs to open some floor space.
Two women — a blonde and a brunette — grabbed the hands of a man in a wheelchair who looked delighted when they began pulling him back and forth to the music.
After wrapping up the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” the lead singer — a tall man in his 40s with shaggy blond hair and blue glasses — took a second to show his appreciation to the fans.
“I want to thank you all who came in from Connecticut, the Georgetown Saloon crowd especially,” he said.
It was Sept. 14, the night Georgetown descended on New York to cheer on local rock and rollers in the Doug Wahlberg Band.
The characters
The night began back in Georgetown, when some 50-odd people gathered in one of the local church parking lots to drop off their cars and hop aboard “party buses” headed to the city. The core crowd was a crew of Georgetown Saloon regulars varying in age from their early 20s through their late 50s. Others joined the group as well, including about half a dozen people from Meetup.com, a Web site that links local people in groups based on their common interests. The common interest that was night was rock n’ roll.
All who stepped on to those neon-lit party buses were ready for a night of revelry. Beer cans were cracked and the liquor began to flow as soon as the ride got underway.
Among the merrymakers were some true characters.
There was the group of bartenders and waitresses from Danbury who all play together on TK’s Ugly Americans, a co-ed softball team whose record is “like a million games below .500,” according to one player. There were the three flirty Canadian girls who slipped into their native tongues pretending to only know how to parle Français when much older men approached.
There was Lori Cannato, the blonde of the duo who was dancing with Joe Feeney, the man in the wheelchair. She said she hasn’t been to a movie in 30 years because she can’t sit still long enough, and “just has to dance” whenever there is music.
There was the Mad Hatter himself, Redding resident Les Lewis, a landscape architect/fashion designer. Introduced as “the guest of honor,” Mr. Lewis was decked out in some of the creations from his own fashion line, including a fuchsia tuxedo coat with teal lapels and a cowboy hat covered in light pink, down feathers.
And then there was the man of the hour, Mr. Wahlberg.
Judging from the comments of many on board the party buses, Mr. Wahlberg has become somewhat of a local guitar hero.
“He’s got a very rockin’ sound,” said Bob Sheridan, a bouncer at the saloon. “He plays at the saloon usually once a month and he is easily, by the far, the best musician that walks in there.”
Brian Reynolds, a lifelong Redding resident and Georgetown volunteer firefighter, said everyone on the buses was coming for two reasons: To have a good time and to support Mr. Wahlberg.
“Everyone who knows Doug and hears him play, loves him,” he said.
Redding resident Adam Lubarsky, the former owner of the saloon who now represents the band, described Mr. Wahlberg’s sound as “true 70s rock n’ roll.”
“It’s flat out, hot and sweaty on-the-dance floor rock and roll,” he said. “Whenever he plays at the saloon, it’s a packed house. There’ll be 20 people standing outside the place, having cocktails and dancing in the street listening through the windows.”
The show
The New York show took place at a venue on the West Side called The Cutting Room, which is partially owned by Chris Noth, of Sex and the City and Law & Order fame. The club hosts established performers and regularly has big names performing on its small stage. Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kid Rock, Vanessa Carlton, Sandra Bernhard, Mini-Kiss and many more have recently performed there and guests have included David Bowie, Ralph Fiennes, Ethan Hawke, Chris Rock, Kelsey Grammer, Steve Buscemi, Edie Falco, Russell Crowe and Toby McGuire, according to the club’s Web site. Mr. Noth himself made an appearance at the show, and it was rumored that hip hop artist P. Diddy, flanked by a deep entourage, lingered outside the venue for a short period of time that night.
The show began with an acoustic performance by Marc Huberman, who does PR for the saloon and runs the acoustic open mic night there. He said the number of people who came along to the city that night showed the growing popularity of the Connecticut music scene.
The Doug Wahlberg Band took the stage following Mr. Huberman’s performance. Tim “T-Bone” Stone on keyboard, Rick Tedesco on guitar, George P. Miller on base and Rich Genovese on drums, join Mr. Wahlberg in the band.
Though the group has only been together for two years, some of the members have played together for upwards of 30 years, said Mr. Lubarsky.
Playing a mixture of cover songs and originals, the high energy band brought the crowd to its feet, ending on Tom Petty’s 1989 hit “Running Down A Dream” to a standing ovation.
“That song is really about him,” said Mr. Reynolds about Mr. Wahlberg. “He is doing just that, chasing his dreams.”
The band, which impressed the managers of the venue, has been asked to come back to the Cutting Room for future Friday night shows.
“Next time we’re going to arrange for them to remove some of the tables because people just want to get up and dance when they hear Doug play,” said Mr. Lubarsky.
He is planning future bus trips for those interested in seeing the Doug Wahlberg Band play at The Cutting Room. The next gig is tentatively set for Friday, Nov. 16. Spots are open to anyone interested. The cost is $50 for the round-trip ride to and from Georgetown. Contact Mr. Lubarsky at 451-3090 or Bob Sheridan at 512-2770 for more information.
Doug Wahlberg Band songs are available on iTunes. The group’s Web site is www.DougWahlberg.com.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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