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The following DRB article was written by Ellen Wilkowe and was in the Daily Record on 3/30/07... Thanx Ellen, your the best!!!
03/30/07 Posted from the Daily Record newsroom
DRB at the Fireside in Denville, NJ
D.R.B. band rocks Fireside patrons
Friday, March 30, 2007
Sometimes it's about the bar but this was all about the band.
While The Fireside in Denville lived up to its slogan "Saving rock and roll one night at a time," so did the D.R.B. band, which delivered three classic rock-worthy sets to an already stoked crowd Saturday.
(Leis and flashers, courtesy of the Jagermeister girls, added that much more to the merriment.)
"We come here for the bands," said Carolyn Schmidt of Denville. A self-proclaimed regular, Schmidt and her husband, Rich, nodded to familiar faces and warmed up to newcomers.
"We usually come early to get a seat but I guess not," said Carolyn.
Yep, the bar was fully loaded, leaving standing room only and excuses to dance.
D.R.B. even got Carolyn and others movin' and groovin'.
On the North Jersey music circuit since 2004, D.R.B., short for Dirty Rotten Bastid, is the brainchild of two longtime musicians, bassist Danny Agnone and lead vocalist Jim Villani, both of Pequannock.
The duo boast a resume of 25-30 years of musical experience, as do the other band members.
Bob Jenkins, a drummer with The Spiders, expanded his web to D.R.B. and brought along Spiders vocalist Nick DeStefano as manager.
(Now that's what we call good sharing.)
"The Spiders play more '80s pop like Poison, Rick Springfield and Billy Idol but D.R.B. is much more classic rock," said DeStefano.
And talk about band width -- as in Villani's flexible vocal range hitting the upper end of the pitch pendulum in "Talks to Angels" (Black Crowes) and "Hold on Loosely" (.38 Special) -- dead on.
Then there's guitarist Dean Wheelan. A one-man show in and of himself, Wheelan masters his guitars with an infectious enthusiasm that would bring Eddie Van Halen to his knees. (No offense.)
Day jobs? Yes, except for newbie Jeff Catania of Wayne, who spent the last five years sowing his wild Hall and Oates.
Catania has also performed with James "JT" Taylor of Kool and the Gang (Where are they now? Hello, VH-1?), Michael McDonald, Todd Rundgren, Kenny Loggins, Average White Band and Billy Preston.
The band name credit goes to Agnone's girlfriend, Michelle.
"We were trying to come up with a name and she said how about Dirty Rotten Bastids?" said Agnone. "Well we had to change the spelling and all."
An instrument inventory revealed a minimum of eight guitars and a faithful fan following, showering them with applause after each song or keeping time with their heads.
Let's just say if good times are measured in number of head-bobs per beat, then perhaps D.R.B. should amend their name to Downright Rockin' Bastids.
Catch them tonight at The Side Door in Pompton Lakes, Saturday at Grasshopper Too in Wayne, or April 7 at Dexter's in Riverdale.
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