NRBQ. Photo by Norm DeMoura
Maybe you’re among the oddball outliers who have long been captivated by the madcap musical adventures of NRBQ. Perhaps you caught their name while watching episodes of The Simpsons, on which they appeared for a time in human and animated form, providing original music. More likely, though, you haven’t a clue about the ’Q. If so, you’ll need a quick primer before your opportunity to see a brand-new ’Q passes you by: they’ll be making a stop this Saturday night, Oct. 25, at the superbly renovated and audio-equipped Franklin Theatre.
NRBQ—short for the New Rhythm and Blues Quartet (initially Quintet)—maintained a unique and much-admired presence on the smaller-venue scene from the late 1960s until 2004, shifting its membership only minimally throughout those 35 or so years. Those who saw the quartet perform between 1974 and 1994 caught what is generally considered to be the classic lineup, but there has been no version of NRBQ that failed to deliver stunning musical chops, unrelenting energy, screwball humor and stage antics, and an impossibly broad range of material, all in a manner as unpretentious as it was entertaining. Those key ’Q elements would never have come together in quite the same fashion had it not been for the significant influence of co-founder Terry Adams.
Adams, an extraordinarily talented and tasteful pianist who knows no stylistic bounds, plays with a madman’s intensity and combines an advanced jazz vocabulary a la Thelonious Monk with Jerry Lee Lewis’ old-school ivory bashing, adding a dash of Chico Marx-style novelty to his bizarre performance routine. Though he often displays dexterity that dazzles, he’ll then turn around and tinkle out a beautifully conceived solo with breathtaking simplicity and charm. His biting hybrid guitar/keyboard sound, conjured from an overdriven clavinet (the quacking vintage keyboard most commonly recognized from the intro of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”), is Adams’ sonic signature, a compelling texture essential to much of NRBQ’s repertoire. In short, Adams is an American musical treasure, however under-recognized or unorthodox he may be. While many contend that NRBQ’s glory days ended years ago (and indeed, the loss of its longtime lineup is one to lament), the truth is that as long as Adams remains at the helm, magic can still happen.
(“Want You to Feel Good Too,” from a 1989 performance on NBC’s Night Music)
Adams requested a band hiatus in 2004 due to tendinitis and, far more urgently, a then-unannounced diagnosis of throat cancer; the remaining members, who had pressed on as a trio while he recovered, opted not to rejoin him for reasons still not fully clear. Adams retired the NRBQ moniker for a time but has since assembled a new lineup of young musicians he felt were worthy to justify the revival of the name that has come to be revered by appreciators of authentic and delightfully offbeat fare (including the likes of Elvis Costello).
Rather than locating sound-alike ringers for previous core members, as such legacy acts as Journey, Yes and Boston have done in order to keep the gravy train rolling, Adams cannily sought musicians who resonate on his freaky frequency, possessing the requisite versatility and wacky sensibilities to bring the spirit of vintage NRBQ back to life once again. Only the longtime ’Q faithful can fully appreciate this feat, though curious newcomers might also want to take note of the band’s current album, Brass Tacks (and by all means also dig up old videos online and check out the band’s back catalog, most of which is available on Spotify.)
Brass Tacks is a lively and mostly lighthearted affair, at times summoning the melodic pop ebullience of prime-era NRBQ as well as taking the looney-tune detours that devotees have come to expect. The album’s sole cover tune, “Getting to Know You” (from the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I) is classic ’Q, epitomizing the unexpectedly sweet and sentimental side of Adams’ inscrutable musical personality. The track works on multiple levels, seemingly alluding to the still-young relationships between himself and his current cohorts as well as the possibility of attracting new fans some 40-odd years after NRBQ first emerged. It also makes a bold statement in a pop/rock scene that feeds on fashion and irony, taking the risk of appearing eminently uncool. If such a stance is one you consider to be coolest of all, then this is your cue to catch the ’Q, and start getting to know what you’ve been missing.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: NRBQ
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m.
WHERE: The Franklin Theatre, 419 Main St., Franklin, TN
PRICE: $22–$35
ONLINE: franklintheatre.com
