Steve Robinson kicked off the show with a solo acoustic set, just around the point that everyone had settled in and found seats on the many couches, around a number of tables, and at the bar. From that point on it would be standing room only. Steve Robinson is known for his special style of finger picking on guitar and he’s known by many acoustic musicians locally. His set consisted of melodic originals & covers with a few rockin’ ones mixed in. One of the melodic songs that stands out is “A Little Bit Of Heaven,” which is a simple yet beautiful song that was written for his young granddaughter. As to a rockin’ type song, Steve plays the hell out of a tune that I believe is called “Little Rock & Roller.” There are probably some folks in their 20’s that wish they could play guitar with the passion that Steve Robinson performs with. One of the darker pieces he performs is called “Lucinda,” which is tale about love gone very badly awry.

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Roger mentioned earlier in the evening and over the course of the night- all musicians that performed on the CD Release show were chosen since they have been a part of making the life experience of “Sketches & Footprints” come alive in his musical experiences over the years. String Alley (SA) was up next. They are comprised of 3 acoustic elements of 6 & 12 string guitars, mandolin, and violin.

The self-PA’d system turned out to be quite adequate for the venue that
evening. After a couple of adjustments to the system by Roger, SA’s stage levels were right by the second or third song. SA’s set featuring tunes mostly sung by Jeff Rubenstein and a couple sung by Spring Palser went over well with the audience. One of their specialties is trading solos back and forth between the instruments. Few bands contain a mandolin and a violin; and both Russell Rogers and Spring Palser show quite a mastery of their instruments respectively. Three standout songs of String Alley’s that this reviewer appreciates are: “Cobalt Sky,” sung by Palser; “I Know,” sung by Rubenstein with Palser on backing vocals; and “Taking The Risk,” which has quite an intro and melody.

Roger Silverberg took to the stage around 8:30PM with his acoustic guitar and good friend / long term band mate Steve Blatt on bass (from Roger’s previous band, Jericho Turnpike). The cheers were definitely pretty loud from family, friends, and an extended family of local musicians (many of whom are quite accomplished, and have enjoyed success on varying levels). Roger kicked if off with the song “Start Over Again,” the third song from his CD. Side note- please see the August, 2005 issue or AF archive at www.auralfix.com to see a CD Review of Roger’s “Sketches & Footprints.” (professionally reviewed by Hank Stone).

Now back to the show- the first song proved to be very melodic on guitar, was fun, and told a great genuine story that is nearly spoken during the verse and sung in the chorus, while Roger & Steve settled into a better groove nearly halfway through the song. The 2nd song performed was “No Trespassing” (not on the CD), which was a bit mellower plus featured smooth chord changes, with some lead guitar also combined in by Roger demonstrating his many years of experience. “Stone Breaking” was up next and then on the 4th song, “I Wait For April,” which is on the CD, Mike Nugent (producer of Roger’s CD) joined them on electric guitar and Cliff Hackford came up to play drums (both play on CD and are from another band called Cadillac Moon) . “I Wait For April” is a very catchy song as well as 3 of the other songs from the CD that were also performed live- “Feet Don’t Fry” (There’s A Train), “Banks Of The Ohio River,” and “On Jericho Turnpike” (the theme song of Roger’s former band), which is sung in a mischievous way. “Banks Of The Ohio River,” which String Alley joined
them on live that night (plus on CD), is a very powerful song. “Banks…” is
a true story that is about where Roger grew up and his Grandfather. Roger also performed a new original song called “Dream Of Bell” and the cover “I Only Want To Be With You,” which was specially dedicated to Roger’s wife Evelyn. The overall set went over well and many of us wanted to hear more.

Many of the songs that Roger performed as well as much of his between song commentary have very real culture and backbone to them. The CD demonstrates very much the same, just in a permanent form. (great way
to bottle this all up for a dreary day) Here is a piece of what Roger says in
the CD jacket, “ I’m proud of this collection whether or not it catches mass
attention. The point is to stay true and to leave a legacy of sketches and
footprints.” Many styles of music are represented on it. If you plan on
listening to Roger’s material live or on CD for the first time, be patient if
possible, it may take some time to appreciate it on higher levels. After all,
Roger has certainly given it time (several decades) and poured a large part of who he is into it.

Please see his new web site at www.rogersilverberg.com to hear song samples and to find out about upcoming tour dates supporting the new CD.

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Kathy Fleischmann
returns to The Pisces Café, Babylon
Saturday, June 25th

by Vinny DiMarco
photo by Vinny DiMarco

So exactly who is Kathy Fleischmann (musically speaking)?? Well, first and foremost she is an original singer, songwriter, acoustic guitarist who has released 4 full length CD’s. Her discography consists of “Speaking Guillotine,” “Sympathetic Coffee,” “Ten Doors Down,” her most recent release “Unresolved,” and a cassette called “Anamorphosis.” Her many accomplishments in her music career are quite distinguished, please see her web site, kathyfleischmann.com, for her bio info. Secondly, Kathy is a writer / reviewer / critic for a number of print and online magazines including: Aural Fix Magazine for 2 years (which can also be viewed on the web at www.auralfix.com); GoodTimes Magazine for almost 1 year; and Long Island Music Scene.com, for around 18 months, covering topics ranging from stage fright to the death of Nina Simone. She has covered many diverse bands and shows locally, so this time its her turn to get the spotlight in a local Long Island magazine!

The latest with Kathy is that she recently finished a successful 2 week mini
tour of England slightly after mid-June. Within about a week of returning,
she stopped by the Pisces Café in Babylon (a very sophisticated coffee shop / restaurant run by Justine and Jeff) on Saturday, June 25th to perform 3 full sets of her original songs, with several covers mixed in for good measure. Some of the covers included were: “Look At Miss Ohio;” and “Orphan Girl,” by Gillian Welch; “Vincent;” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” performed for radio DJ Rob Leonard; and “Ladder To Mars” which is a song by her good friend Kevin McLeod, another local original artist that she supports. These covers were great choices for the evening, especially the Gillian Welch tunes that really got the audience going.

The real foundation for the evening and the reason for Kathy being there was her wide array of original music. Kathy names the following singer /
songwriters in this order as influences: (1) Joni Mitchell, (2) Nina Simone, and (3) Carly Simon. (the latter of the 3 being the most apparent to this reviewer). The noteworthy original songs that Kathy performed at The Pisces among many were: “Fourteenth Floor,” “Concrete Blankets,” “Figure Eights,” “Accomplishments,” “Bluer Than Chicago,” “Wingspan,” and 2 semi new songs for her- “There’s No One To Call Anymore,” and “Alistar.” Lets go on to explore, why these songs?

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Well, “Fourteenth Floor” because it was the first song of hers that caught
the personal attention of this reviewer in early ’03 when Kathy began visiting V.P. South Open Mic (where this writer was in the role of promoting & coordinating the week to week operation of the Acoustic Open Mic for the nightclub owner(s), host(s), and musicians from April 23rd, 2003 – January, 2004). For starters, “Fourteenth Floor” has a strong “hook” and melody to it; plus intriguing and often relatable lyrics that tell a short, yet deep story by weaving together both simple and complex (for example- “I see your face in every exit sign, I hear your voice in every telephone tower”); a beautiful rhythm guitar foundation (performed by Kathy) that oscillates from light to dark (and back) over the duration; and some awesome lead guitar melodies on the solos provided by Kevin McLeod (on the “Unresolved” CD). For those that wonder why the CD is called “Unresolved,” this song unravels at least part of the mystery.

“Fourteenth Floor” is a song that has enjoyed airplay from several local radio stations on Long Island. Perhaps others hear in the song some of what this reviewer does. Now, why has this song not become a nationwide hit for Kathy Fleischmann? While not an expert on this, the answer may reside in that “Fourteenth Floor” is 5 minutes and 19 seconds. Though the song currently has full artistic integrity, a post production conversation with co-producer Tom Cavanagh at Bent Pussycat Studios is recommended. The elimination of one of the verses / choruses or other miscellaneous tweaking may prove to be “the magic” in the post production side that could attract a wider audience to the song.

“Concrete Blankets” (‘you remind me of the Brooklyn Bridge…’) is a song that Kathy wrote for her sister, who is 1 year older and got married just recently. The song was influenced by a view overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge out a window as Kathy also stated before performing. This song was personally reminiscent to this reviewer of a poem by William Wordsworth called “Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3rd, 1802,” partly since both pieces have hidden and even cryptic meanings. Both pieces utilize metaphors and personification throughout, and while they are written for different purposes of course…Kathy’s song describes a view of a bridge mostly during the height of a busy day as well as ongoing changes / construction while “…Westminster Bridge” the view of a city from a bridge while its at rest / peace. “Concrete Blankets” also utilizes oxy morons to describe the strength, yet gentleness that Kathy
apparently sees in her sister. Much of the song SEEMS TO describe her sister’s consistency dealing with powerful people effectively and conflict by illustrating this in such ways as: “You surround yourself with concrete blankets, they never answer back,” “…always under my construction, closing all of your lanes…,” “…so dependable, always waiting… in between the water and the sky. Not like I am constantly changing.”

Many of Kathy’s originals performed that night could be described in general as relaxing, melodic, peaceful, with many of those featured having a similar pace. “Figure Eights” from “Ten Doors Down” easily fits this description. For you guitarists, this tune is played with a capo on the 2nd fret. One of the often repeated lines in the song is “Skating figure eights around your heart.” It seems to be a song about providing stable support to a challenging love interest that may be cold at times, and hoping for a thaw. The guitar landscapes and voice inflections really provide quite a visual imagery for this song (especially on the CD with a full band behind it).

“Accomplishments” is also a very interesting song. A live version of this song was made available for online listening on a 25 song Flash music player residing on VPSouth.com for around a year to help gain exposure, etc. Kathy performed this song with quite an intensity, passion, and diverse vocal expressiveness back in ’03 on this live version just after it was first written. Pisces is a smaller club, thus maybe why the energy of it was toned down. “Accomplishments” features a style of lyrics that could not be crafted by many out there; its loaded with metaphors and double entendres, while it stays faithful to her strong poetry background by rhyming throughout (which is the tougher road in songwriting). All I’ll quote is the main part of the chorus, “Though my world is far from empty, I’ve got plenty to do…the only thing I want to accomplish is you.”

If you have read this far, then go out of your way to give a listen to the songs that have been mentioned and described, possibly even the rest of her work (by purchasing one or more of her CD’s), and then even visit Kathy Fleischmann at one of her live performances. Keep in mind that the majority of Kathy’s songs utilize advanced finger picking on guitar as Kathy does not use a pick and she strums with her open hand. There are simply not many solo musicians as sincerely original as she is between her creative songwriting, music, and live performance presentation.
For more info, please visit www.kathyfleischmann.com.

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Won’t You Let Los Straitjackets
Take You On A Cruise?

by Kate Donohue

Los Straitjackets, decked out in Mexican wrestling masks, black sneakers, jeans, and t-shirts, may have hid their true identities from the audience but not their love and talent for playing great surf music. And what better way was there to enjoy hearing them than on board the Half Moon cruising around lower Manhattan?

As the boat rock ‘n’ rolled down the East River in the 4th Annual Rocks Off Concert Cruise series, Los Straitjackets stood on the top aft deck amidst a surf-hungry crowd of two-hundred fans and gave them a ninety minutes plus powerhouse set of great music. As we passed under the Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn Bridges on our way to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, we jumped and jittered on board the Half Moon to the reverb of Los Straitjackets.

Their set, eighty-percent of which was written by the band, summoned up many moods: happy, poignant, hopeful, and romantic. There were the fast, fun, frenetic car and surf songs like “Calhoun Surf,” “Gatecrasher,” “Outta Gear,” “Tempest,” “Kawanga!” and “Tailspin”; novelty songs like “Itchy Chicken” (that made you want to scratch); guitar fests like “The Casbah”; and happy songs like “State Fair.” There was something for everyone.

My favorites were the romantic sweeping guitar symphonies like “Close to Champaign,” “Pacifica,” and “University Boulevard.” While Angel and Amis built layer upon layer of guitar chords, the reverb left remnants of notes hanging in the air. It started to sound like an orchestra of guitars. It’s hard to explain, but being on board the Half Moon with Los Straitjackets playing right before us like this, the music washed over us and took us on a journey to places we hadn’t been and places we hoped to go.

The audience loved it as Angel, Amis, and Curry performed their synchronized, caveman-like dance steps. They jutted their guitars towards the audience, got down on their knees, and Amis spoke frenzied Spanish between songs. The guitar styles of Angel and Amis and Curry’s bass complemented one another well. At times they were playful with each other, while at other times they were like expert surfers riding the waves.

Two other memorable songs were the Big Band era’s swing-along, “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and the bombastic-sounding “Time Bomb.” Both highlighted the ace drumming technique of Jason Smay who is touring with Los Straitjackets this summer. I especially liked the way he hit the cymbal with the broadside of the stick on the way down and then from the underside on the way back up.

The Mexican wrestling masks were hot too and I do mean hot! I don’t know how they stood the heat of mid-August under those masks but the mysterious look was a good fit with the music. Pete Curry’s multi-colored mask with wings made him look like a large, ferocious insect. Jason Smay’s orange-red mask was the most colorful. Eddie Angel’s black-gold one was menacing to look at, and Danny Amis’s blue-silver mask made his large eyes look wild!

Their encore included “Cry for a Shadow,” the Lennon/Harrison chestnut and “Sleepwalk,” the classic Santo & Johnny song. With a stripped-down setup comprised of drums, two guitars, bass, floor amps, and a no-nonsense approach, Los Straitjackets gave the crowd a night of fun and great music. To quote a young fan, “They are the best modern surf-rock band today.”

The next New York appearance of Los Straitjackets will be on October 21st at Southpaw located at 125 5th Ave. in Park Slope, Brooklyn. For ticket information call (718) 230-0236 or visit www.spsounds.com. You can purchase any of the great Los Straitjackets CDs at your local record store, on-line, or at their official web site at http://www.los.straitjackets.com.

For twenty bucks a pop, this was a super great show. Rocks Off, a concert promotion company, books and promotes shows at a variety of venues including the Rocks Off Concert Cruise series which runs through September. The cruise departs from the 23rd Street Marina and includes a three-hour tour of Manhattan harbor complete with full bar, dance floor, and live music. The staff was friendly and courteous. For tickets & information on the next Rocks Off Cruise, visit their web site at www.rocksoff.com or call (212) 571-3304.


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Slightly Imperfect
hits the studio to record "Sick Machine"

by Vinny DiMarco

Slightly Imperfect (SI) has been together for 3 years now, through several lineup changes. SI first debuted at Port Jeff Village Pub (a show that this writer was present for) as a 4 piece rock band, featuring core members Artie Aldarondo on vocals and Mike Herr on lead guitar. Paul Bubelnik replaced their original bassist around 8 months later and has been an integral part of their lineup till this day. SI eventually evolved into a 5 piece band and their biggest challenge has been keeping a rhythm guitarist on the roster consistently.

In fact, as of early July, 2005, SI bid farewell to M.T. (for the second time) on rhythm guitar and welcomed Rob Siriani to the role. The band managed to undergo this change without missing a beat in the process as they continued their live shows schedule on July 15th at Amityville’s VP South on a 4 band bill.

Siriani had a good first showing, yet it will take some time for his presence to make a significant difference in the band.

Recent performances for SI included gigs at the Aqua Lounge, Patty + Jonny's, and two Vinny DiMarco presents shows at Munchaba Lounge on "Underground II" and at The Finish Line.

So perhaps you’re wondering, what exactly does Slightly Imperfect sound like currently?? Well, SI has quite a variety of influences... several of them include: Deftones, Sevendust, Breaking Benjamin, Tool, Killswitch Engage, Incubus, and Stain'd.

As a 5 piece band, SI has featured a more progressive rock / metal sound with elements of rap sprinkled in. They are backed by a driving double bass beat at times by J.R. Fury (also from The Grand Fury), blazing fast guitar licks featuring Mike Herr, and vocals by Aldarondo which vary from melodic to intense at times. Of course, the only way to experience their full range of style is to see and hear them live. (which is well worth it)

SI currently finds themselves with a very wide amount of material to perform live, much of which is not recorded presently. Several of the songs they are currently performing live are "Sky Falls Down," "Broken Wall," "Breathe," and "Gracias Para Nada," (which is actually sung in Spanish).

SI hit the studio a couple days after their well attended July 15th show to record their new CD, "Sick Machine." All 4 songs named above are slated to be on the CD as well as many others. Check out www.myspace.com/slightlyimperfect to listen the current MP3 of "Where The Fault Lies," which will be on "Sick Machine."SI has around 3 demo CD's to date; this upcoming full length CD has been long awaited and will be sure to put this driven band on an even faster track. "Sick Machine" is on target to come out in late September, 2005. For more info on the band, please see www.slightlyimperfect.tv. Their web site features a number of video clips and really shows off the band's sense of humor / ability to really have a lot of fun, while in the midst of producing some unique and entertaining music that many people on Long Island have already come to appreciate.



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