Roadsteamer... he's back baby

I went to see my of my favorite bands, (and certainly one of the most fun bands I've experienced in Boston) Saturday night, Robby Roadsteamer. Relief washed over me after the show. One thing was clear- the Steamer was BACK.

At the risk of getting into trouble with Steamer and some of local fans, many of whom are good friends of mine from the Boston Comedy scene, I have to say I wasn't expecting the kickass show that I got. After seeing Robby Roadsteamer for the first time in last year's "WBCN rock n roll rumble", my expectations were sky high.

I have seen Robby doing stand up around town, and he always cracked me up, but I had no idea his band could play so damn well. For those of you who don't know the band, they have a lot of silly songs with titles like "Naked Except for Socks" (a love ballad about trying to have sex with your girlfriend when you still live at home), "I'm Sorry your Cat has Ass Cancer" and the brilliant, but self-explanatory "I put a Baby in You"... a sweet ballad about clipping the wings of your girlfriend by, well, you get it.

He channels the stereotypical 80s metal front man and adds a dash of pro-wrestler to the mix and the result is hilarity, amigos. And, hey, Robby ain't for everybody- just people with a sense of humor that like to laugh at life- and themselves. What blew me away was how good his band was... I mean these guys can really play.

Anyway, after seeing them a few times after the rumble, I had begun to get a little disappointed. They didn't seem as sharp, as hungry, and committed the mortal sin of not playing my two favorite songs two sows in a row. I couldn't understand it- they are the best songs... it was like going to White Stripes last year and not hearing "Fell in Love with a Girl".

I was dazed. Combing this with the departute of Kat Kina from The Charms had devastated my enjoyment of local rock. The Charms had been my favorite band, by far, but taking Kat ff the keyboards just changed them into something mediocre. I love music so much, that when stuff like this happens, I feel some sort of tragic personal loss, dorky as that may sound.

Well, long story made painfully longer- Roadsteamer just plain kicked ass Saturday night. They were absolutely terrific. Celebrating the release of ther "new" cd (which means a cd with a few new tunes on it and a lot of old classics rearranged,) they were awesome.

It was the best show I'd seen them do since they blew the roof off the Middle East at the rumble. And man, the new cd is one of the best purchases I've ever made. It includes a DVD with almost every clip Robby has ever done, including the TV spots on channel 25 with Gene Lavanchy, lots of stand up, a live show, all three music videos AND tons of the hilarious shorts that the local comedy nuts like me have wet their pants over fr the last few years.

The Paradise was packed, buoyed by new fans collected from his hysterical regular appearances on WBCN Wednesdays and Fridays. It was great to see Robby back on top, kicking ass, and most importantly, really enjoying himself on stage. When he is in his element, he is just brilliant. He is the kind of performer that performers like to watch.

Strangely, he seemed to have mellowed a bit, embracing the "nerds, fat chicks and dorks" and "thanking them for leaving the house on a Saturday night", and for the first time I've heard, including himself among them, er... us. There, I said it.

You can check him out at Roadsteamer.com

Buy this cd if you haven't already.