Show Preview: The Royales
- Apr 4, 2014
- 2 min read
Casa Cantina / April 5, 2014
By Colin Roose, Reviews Editor
Rhythm ‘n’ blues is a screwy term, huh? Depending on the era, those four syllables can refer to the electric blues of the pre-Beatles rock world, the soul train hits of the ‘70s or the big-voiced pop singers that have taken over the pop charts since the ‘80s. They’ve all got rhythm, they’ve all got blues, but all three have meant different things to different people at different times.
While most bands would side with their era of choice and scoff at the others, Casa’s Saturday showcase band The Royales have embraced that trichotomy. Albert King and Stevie Wonder are both fair game with this six-piece, who have been on the Athens scene since 1995. 1995! That means they’re like 280 years old in Athens band-years.
“I would say the members' affinity for old school R&B, blues, funk and rock ‘n’ roll is the starting point,” said guitarist John Borchard. “After that, the high energy of our shows and irresistible danceability of the material keeps people coming back.”
Their flexibility in genres also extends to their lineup. Normally, the band is a six-piece, with the usual guitar, bass, drums and vocals, along with a keyboard and saxophone player. If you think ska is the only genre where guitars and trumpets can go steady, think again, because the band’s “special guests” also include multiple players of the brass instrument.
“The band has increased and decreased in size;” said Borchard. “Everything from a power trio to a nine-piece lineup.”
Nine-piece?
“It once sported a four-piece horn section and two guitarists.”
It’s probably safe to say that only The Ridges can compete with that kind of sheer instrumental manpower.
The danceable nature of the music has led to many wedding bookings for the band. Up-and-coming Athens musicians, take note: you may sound good in a dive bar, but you won’t get the bridal money unless you have some swing.
“Weddings are pretty uneventful, usually, although Pat [Brown, vocals] got sucker-punched by a drunk at a wedding we did last summer,” Borchard said.
But despite the unconventional bookings, the band doesn’t travel too far outside of the city limits. As Borchard put it, “it's expensive to transport a six-piece band--much less an eight- or nine-piece.”
Along with writing original material, the band also performs covers, which is no mean feat considering its large size. Borchard estimates the ratio of cover material to self-written songs to be about five-to-one.
“It just sort of turned out that way,” he said. “A lot of our covers are not well known tunes and occasionally are mistaken for originals.”
If you’ve ever spent more than one weekend at Casa, you’re aware of its welcoming of just about any genre of music this city has to offer. And it’s fitting that The Royales are the only band on the bill, because with a group this large and far-reaching stylistically, everything a show needs is rolled into one king-sized package. Check them out this Saturday.
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