With temperatures in the 30's, a steady stream filed into Ybor's New World Brewery for the release of local 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." There to support Roppongi's Ace were local favorites Have Gun will Travel and Will Quinlan and the Diviners. Quirky Miami singer/songwriter Rachel Goodrich opened as well, new to many who came that evening but brought an interesting flavor of indian style instrumentation and feisty lyrics in gentle tones. All of the evenings performers only amassed the high energy audience RA was greeted with when they got onstage. And last night's performance had the crowd there into the night, many of whom have watched the band grow since they were in high school and playing small shows around town, which was only a few years ago. Max and Alex are also joined by Max's older brother Jessie on bass, and when a song calls for it, a mean harmonica man as well.
It would seem that a salty blues man in his sixties crawled into Spoto's vocal chords, and has 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. New addition to the band was Rebekah Pulley's bassist, Rob Pastore holding down the steel pedal fort for RA. 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.
The music is thick with blues and americana influences, but strong southern rock roots as well. "White Walls" and "1955"'s lyrics "It's just so hard to love someone who won't love you back," Roppongi's Ace sounds more like something that would come out of a hole in the wall blues bar on Bourbon Street from a pack old men, rather than four young fellas, two of which are fresh out of their teens. Their age is irrelevant to the music, because in essense it is just good and last night was one of those rare instances of energy equilibrium between musician and audience which resulted in a night to remember.
This album only adds evidence to the changing ways of producing a record. Into the night was funded entirely by Roppongi's Ace, with artwork done in house by their very own Max Norton and is being sold in local independent record stores as well. But do not expect a rash of album promotion, last night was a one time deal for the time being. College is back in gear and Spoto will head back to Brown University, and Max to USF, Jessie and Rob to their daily lives here in Tampa. However Spoto and the Norton Bros. are expecting to pack in a few dates during spring break.
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2009.
