The Boomers
Not Quite Dead Yet
AmeriComica, original classic rock laced with humorous libretto that paints an aural illustration of what life has become for middle aged Americans.
Lead singer, saxophonist and songwriter Joe Grillo is the creative and conceptual founder of The Boomers and chief bottle washer. He has been a professional musician longer than most people have been alive, starting his career playing Polish weddings at local Elks Clubs and backing up animal acts for the traveling circus de jour. Mr. Grillo dropped out of art school in the 70’s and became a full time non-working musician, performing at a plethora of well known venues such as the Hamilton Lanes, the Tin Lizzie Garage, Madison Square Garden and Frank’s Chicken House. After several rock band successes and disasters, Joe decided to move to Atlantic City in the early 80s. There he met Dennis Carmella, a well-known drummer/comedian and house painter.
Joe & Dennis toured all over the continent of Greenland in 1984 with Sam the Band, playing music and painting igloo basements. When the work dried up (no pun intended) they returned to the US. Joe started a Bar Mitzvah band and Dennis became the lead singer of the Party Animals. During this period, Joe invented a new style of Klezmer clarinet technique while Dennis spent most of his days dressed in a banana costume and handing out free candy to underprivileged college students.
The next 10 years nobody really remembers. In 2003 Joe met keyboardist Bobby Brescia playing accordion at a mob wedding that shall remain nameless to protect the guilty. Joe instantly fell in love with Bob’s fluid approach to Tango and modern Guito and immediately asked him to join his Klezmer band. Recently when a local newspaper asked Joe to comment on Bob’s playing, he remarked, “He’s good… Very good.” When the Klezmer band’s drummer died from swine flu, Joe asked Dennis to fill in. This trio of accomplished virtuosos have been playing together ever since. One night after coming home from an unusually annoying gig, Dennis suggested to Joe that we put together a new band and do nothing but complain about everything. Joe thought, “That’s a really stupid idea… I like it.” The Boomers were born
Dennis called his friend Joey La and asked him to leave his lawn care day job and join the band. Joey refused to give up the benefits but joined the band part time anyway. Joey plays fabulous rock & roll guitar and it’s such a pleasure to have a talented musician like him who can play great licks and give you valuable lawn care tips. It says on Joey’s MySpace page that he played with Steven Tyler but we think that it’s probably BS.
Dennis called another old friend, Guy Peterson, and asked him to play bass. We really don’t know much about Guy because he is a very private person and rarely answers his phone. We don’t know his work experience, medical history, favorite color, sexual preference or his marital status. We do know that he’s one smoking musician and a great singer.
Collectively, the Boomers sing original songs about matters that pertain to people born between 1948 and 1964. Actually, older people like this music even though they are technically not Boomers. The lyrics are comical but introspective and the music is a collection of styles that the Boomer generation grew up on. We’re “too young for MediCare, too old for chicks to care. We're Boomers… and we’re not quite dead yet!”
Rock: Adult Contemporary