With temperatures in the 30's, a steady stream filed into Ybor's New World Brewery for the release of Tampa-based alternative-country band Roppongis Ace's first CD, Into the Night.
The album was recorded this December at Steve Connonely's Zen studios while Drummer Max Norton and Singer/Guitarist Alex Spoto were on break from college. Spoto says the title simply stemmed from what their recording experience included. "Not much sleep and we went into the night," he said.
And last night's performance had the crowd there into the night as well. Many of them have watched the band grow since they were in high school, playing small shows around town.
They were joined by Max's older brother Jessie on bass and harmonica.
It would seem a salty blues man in his sixties has crawled into Spoto's vocal chords and made a happy home there. Spoto wrote all the songs on the album, but noted how vital collaboration from the Norton Bros. was to making the sound a complete package.
A new addition to the band was Rebekah Pulley's bassist, Rob Pastore holding down the steel pedal.
Right off the bat, Roppongi's Ace had the crowd pumped, but when the speakers filled with a 'thickfreakness' dense version of "So it goes", it seemed that even the most modest of attendees took to stompin' without a moments thought. That included Norton and Spoto's family, who can only beam with pride at the turnout and support for the young band's talent. More below the jump:
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2009.