bobjustbob
Proud member of FreeOnes Hall Of Fame. Retired to
Not a band that most of you have heard of but for those that do let's share.
RIP Pepi Marchello of The Good Rats.
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bobjustbob
Proud member of FreeOnes Hall Of Fame. Retired to
Thanks 2. Last saw them 5 months ago. I'll tell when I first heard of them later.
It was in a bar in Union, NJ. They moved tables and gave them space. An old man's bar. No cover and this was on a Friday night. They serve food and I guess that crowd stayed for some of the show. They got on a little late but Union is not just down the block from where they come from.
It was not the same show from I first saw The Good Rats. Peppi was old. He did shows on his 70th birthday weekend and that was before this show. I looked for him to shake his hand. Thank him for music that he wrote 40+ years ago.
So on they go. Nearly an hour of their songs and covers. More covers. Remember, they started in '64 and it was covers that got them jobs back then. Thinking they were going to take a break, Peppi too the mike. Bluesy Rat songs were next. No break from the music. More of their album stuff. The band comes back full for another hour plus.
Peppi never took a break. The band plays on and Peppi takes a seat at the bar. The mike never leaves his hand. He is singing at the bar and taking requests. He wants to jump the crowd and I ask him to sing "Advertisement in the Voice". He gives me this no look. I say sing it and he does. The place becomes silent except for his voice singing that song. No talking, no glasses clinging. Just him and that song. From silence to a cheer that Peppi didn't expect. He flashed that look over to me and I just threw my hand towards him. It was his song and he just sang it. At his age he is still touched by his audience.
It was over 3 hours for me in a bar without having a cigarette. I'm waiting for a break. Nothing happening. Peppi continues taking requests at the bar and his son comes around with CDs. I grabbed the new one from him. I ask when there is a break and he tells me that there are no intermissions. Peppi won't have it. He comes to provide music for X number of hours and every minute will have sound. Another shake of Peppi's hand and it was time for me to turn in. That old fuck outlasted me.
It was in a bar in Union, NJ. They moved tables and gave them space. An old man's bar. No cover and this was on a Friday night. They serve food and I guess that crowd stayed for some of the show. They got on a little late but Union is not just down the block from where they come from.
It was not the same show from I first saw The Good Rats. Peppi was old. He did shows on his 70th birthday weekend and that was before this show. I looked for him to shake his hand. Thank him for music that he wrote 40+ years ago.
So on they go. Nearly an hour of their songs and covers. More covers. Remember, they started in '64 and it was covers that got them jobs back then. Thinking they were going to take a break, Peppi too the mike. Bluesy Rat songs were next. No break from the music. More of their album stuff. The band comes back full for another hour plus.
Peppi never took a break. The band plays on and Peppi takes a seat at the bar. The mike never leaves his hand. He is singing at the bar and taking requests. He wants to jump the crowd and I ask him to sing "Advertisement in the Voice". He gives me this no look. I say sing it and he does. The place becomes silent except for his voice singing that song. No talking, no glasses clinging. Just him and that song. From silence to a cheer that Peppi didn't expect. He flashed that look over to me and I just threw my hand towards him. It was his song and he just sang it. At his age he is still touched by his audience.
It was over 3 hours for me in a bar without having a cigarette. I'm waiting for a break. Nothing happening. Peppi continues taking requests at the bar and his son comes around with CDs. I grabbed the new one from him. I ask when there is a break and he tells me that there are no intermissions. Peppi won't have it. He comes to provide music for X number of hours and every minute will have sound. Another shake of Peppi's hand and it was time for me to turn in. That old fuck outlasted me.
Thanks for sharing Bob.
I grew up on Long Island and saw Good Rats and Peppi several times over the years.
RIP Peppi
I grew up on Long Island and saw Good Rats and Peppi several times over the years.
RIP Peppi
