Cover design by Jennifer Merrick.
NRBQ (New Rhythm & Blues Quartet) has been playing their poppy, twangy, rockabilly music for over 30 years now. How? With the help of a fiercely loyal fan base, including fellow musicians Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, the Replacements and R.E.M., an eclectic sound that never seems to go out of style and their ability to keep their show on the road, even well into their 40s. In fact, NRBQ has remained such a constant in pop culture that they’ve made several soundtrack appearances on The Simpsons, including an on-show appearance in animated form, and have been named the cartoon’s “unofficial house band.”
Because the band’s been performing so many years, they’ve included new and inventive aspects to their live act like the popular “magic box.” The magic box is a request box, where audience members write down non-NRBQ song requests before the show that are designed to stump the band’s ability to play them. NRBQ proudly declares that they were never been stumped.
NRBQ has been touring all summer, which included a stop in June at Maxwell’s in Hoboken to promote their latest self-titled album. The album has 15 tracks of NRBQ’s classic style of pop, with two particularly amusing tunes about hotel housekeepers and a song with the shrieking repetitive chorus “I Want My Mommy.” This Sunday, Sept. 24, NRBQ is back in town to headline at Hoboken’s Art & Music Festival at 5 p.m. The Current recently had a chat with the band’s dynamic drummer Tom Ardolino to find out what their audience should expect.
Tom Ardolino: How’s New Jersey? You’re in Hoboken. That’s Frank’s hometown isn’t it?
Louise Thach: Yeah, but you’ve been here a few times, haven’t you?
TA: Yeah, that’s right. I forget; I get everything all mixed up.
LT: We keep inviting you guys back. You just played Maxwell’s a few months ago.
TA: Yeah, for some reason. I don’t understand why. [Maxwell’s] seemed like it went good. I actually remember that one, because it’s Jersey; you never forget Jersey.
LT: Didn’t you guys move to New Jersey at one point?
TA: That’s right. That was before me, so I don’t know the thinking behind that.
LT: So anyway, a lot of critics like to say that your music has remained consistent. Do you guys mind that?
TA: Well, I think that’s a good thing. Consistent means not changing, which means always good. We’ve always just played what we love. We play all kinds of music, like real music. We see the fads come and go; we’ve seen the disco era and all the other eras, and it still comes back that we’re playing the real music – music with melody and a beat, real songs. That’s what we feel. We’ve never been one for the long, like drawn-out solo. That whole era of the long guitar solos is not our thing.
LT: After 30 years, is it harder or easier going on tour now?
TA: It seems the same. The travelling is the tough part. Being in airports can be a big drag, but when you’re playing, it’s all right. That part’s fine.
LT: But you guys have been doing it for so long.
TA: I know. Yeah, in fact, this is our last show we’re doing in New Jersey. We’re going into the ministry. It’s over. No more NRBQ. We’re through. We’re tired of it.
LT: You’re joking. You’re going to do this forever.
TA: Yeah, we’re stuck. We don’t know what else to do. We’ll get through to people yet, everyone.
LT: Who mostly comes to your shows?
TA: All types. We’ve seen all kinds. We’ve seen babies and grandfathers. We’ve seen it all. It’s always different.
LT: Is it true that you guys are the ‘unofficial house band’ of The Simpsons?
TA: Yeah, that’s true. The executive producer, whose name is Mike Scully, is am big fan, and we’re big fans of The Simpsons. It started out with them using some of our songs in some of the episodes. Then once they asked us to record a Beatles song; they needed a recording of it, so they asked us. And then from there, we got on it. They animated us, and then we got on in the end live doing the theme. So things worked out good, and they say that we’re the house band. We’ve been on it like six times I think.
LT: What was it like to see yourself as cartoon character?
TA: It was crazy. I couldn’t believe it. I loved it, because it’s really like my favorite show, that and Young and the Restless. Those are my two favorite shows.
LT: Young and the Restless?
TA: Do you watch it?
LT: Do you watch it?
TA: Oh yeah, Victor Newman’s great. I used to go to the conventions. I’ve been to three Young and the Restless conventions in Hollywood. I go there, and it’s mostly these old ladies, and I think the cast thinks I’m a nut. I’m like the only guy there. I tried to give them our CDs to show them that I’m okay. I’m trying to get through, but I haven’t been to one in like five years now, so I should go again. I was just starting to get through that third year. But we’re usually playing somewhere when it happens, because it’s always in the first week of August.
LT: Why are you so into the soap opera?
TA: I’m loyal. I stick with it. It’s been about 10 years for me now. I watch and tape them everyday. I have the tapes from the last ten years. I’m glad you reminded me. I have to set the timer for today.
LT: What is it about the show that you like?
TA: It’s got everything. It can be happy, it can be sad. It’s got great characters; Victor’s the greatest.
LT: How’s his daughter Victoria doing?
TA: Oh, she’s been through her troubles. She just dealt with a stalker, but that’s over. I’m glad; I don’t like that kind of plot.
LT: What happens when you’re on tour?
TA: When we’re out on the road I try to watch it, but it’s on different times everywhere. When we go to Louisville, it’s on at 4 p.m., and Canada is a day ahead, so if you go to Canada, you can see the next day’s.
LT: So your band mates don’t make fun of you?
TA: No. I’m trying to get them into it. I got Johnny watching it now. I got Joey liking Victor; everyone likes Victor. The first time I watched it, I saw Victor and that’s what got me hooked. There’s nothing like him.
LT: We’re getting off track. I read a quote that said ‘The band gets better the more we stayed together.’ Do you guys still feel that way?
TA: I don’t know. That’s a weird thing to think of. Maybe it does. I don’t know.
LT: I think Terry said it.
TA: Then it must be true. Terry always speaks the truth.
LT: So what’s your deal with hotel housekeeping?
TA: We get tired of getting woke up every morning when we’re at a hotel, so Terry wrote a song about it. It’s terrible everywhere we go. You know, a lot of times we don’t get in ’til like late at night from playing, and by the time we get to sleep, it’s really late. So we just want to be able to sleep a little longer. But they don’t seem to care. And they don’t read the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. They just keep knocking. They don’t care.
LT: Why didn’t you name the album ‘Housekeeping’?
TA: Maybe we should have. Maybe that would get the point further across. Maybe you should be our manager.
LT: No. There must have been a reason why you didn’t call it Housekeeping, and chose NRBQ again.
TA: Yeah, we couldn’t think of a title. That’s the reason. ‘Housekeeping’ would have been a good title. Where were you a year ago?
LT: Your bio says that you chose NRBQ, because the songs are like the ones from your first album.
TA: Oh, you can never believe any of that. I never heard of that in my life.
LT: So how did you go from your concert classics like ‘I Want You Bad’ to songs on your new album like ‘I Want My Mommy’?
TA: It’s just a natural progression. That’s where we’re at now. It’s just time’s disassociation of ideas. It would be nice to have someone take care of your problems, like it used to be. We’re going back. We just want the peanut butter on toasted bread.
LT: Are you guys still with Rounder Records?
TA: I think so. I never know. We come and go. Rounder seems to keep having us back.
LT: But I read that Rounder might be taken over by a major.
TA: Are they really? They’re one of the few [independent labels] left. The majors are taking over everything. There seems like there are only two companies now; they’re all being bought into one big thing. Maybe that would be the end of us, and we’ll have to go into the ministry.
LT: What’s with the ministry thing
TA: It’s the only way out. Then we’ll be safe in the eyes of God. This is a wild interview.
LT: You guys have been on a ton of majors. How come they’ve never worked out?
TA: They don’t know what to do with us every time we get on one. A lot of times the person that signs us is a big fan and we make an album. By the time the album comes out, that person’s moved on from the label, so the label doesn’t know what to do with us, so they let it die. They don’t know how to promote us. We’re waiting for the label that can do it. Then we’ll stay. We’re loyal. We can be Young and the Restless and stay for 10 years.
LT: Why do you think bands like yours, that are well respected by critics, don’t get widespread recognition with radio play?
TA: ‘Cause the labels can’t figure out how to do it. The whole music business is a mess. I guess we haven’t gotten the right guys to pay off. But we don’t know much about the business end. We just make the music. We don’t bother with that end. We figure our thing is to just make the best music we can.
LT: Everyone who seems to get angry about the business doesn’t seem to do very well.
TA: Well, they’ll keep you out.
LT: Do you like any new bands?
TA: What I’ve been listening to is all from Japan. It’s the best thing going. There’s such beautiful music coming out of there. There are so many bands that you have to go through a lot to catch the best ones, but there’s really good bands going on there. It’s really nice music, and it’s from the heart. I like it so much more than what I hear going on here. I don’t give up on our music, but I don’t hear much happening here. Japanese people are so much smarter about music.
LT: So I read that you were scared the first time the band asked you play with them?
TA: Yeah, that’s true. I’d never played in a band in my life, never mind being on a stage with a band in front of a bunch of people. I learned to play in my basement playing with records. And I became friends with the band over the years, and one night the old drummer was sick or something and didn’t come back for an encore, and they told me to come on up because they knew I played drums. So I got up there and played, and it worked out okay. So when the drummer left, they asked me. And I’m still there, and that was like 26 years ago. I guess I’m in.
LT: Who came up with the idea of the magic box?
TA: We all did. That happened like one night a long time ago like 20 years ago, I guess we got bored because we weren’t getting a response from the audience, and Terry said, ‘Whatever you want to hear, put it in this box.’ But that’s kind of faded, because it always got to be the same things. Every night it would be like ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ but it could come back, you never know. Anything’s possible. It was always fun to do them; you never know what will happen. But we never got stumped. It went all the way from Velvet Underground to Barnacle Bill the Sailor. But one of us always knew [the song].
LT: So is that’s why you don’t do it anymore, because you have a prefect record?
TA: No, we’re not chicken. It just got to be the same songs.
LT: Yeah, but what would happen now if someone put an ‘N Sync song in the box?
TA: We might be in trouble, but that really wasn’t the reason. We stopped it way before that era. But you’re right though.
LT: Did you know that Yo La Tengo ripped that off from you guys at a couple of shows?
TA: They did? Well, they’re nice people.
LT: They gave you the credit though.
TA: See, they’re nice. I knew it. It’s okay if they give credit where credit’s due. We like them.
LT: So I guess the Hoboken festival isn’t going to be a magic box show.
TA: It might be. Anything’s possible. You’ll just have to come and see.
LT: Alright.
TA: Meow.
LT: What?
TA: Just, meow. Meow, meow, meow, meow, come to festival, meow, Hoboken, meow.
LT: You’re doing a Mr. Rodgers thing on me.
TA: That’s it. Henrietta Pussycat. I love that cat.
On the cover, the band is (from left) Tom Ardolino, Joey Spampinato, Johnny Spampinato and Terry Adams.