SARATOGA SPRINGS – New Rhythm and Blues Quartet, known as NRBQ, will be headlining First Night on the main stage this New Year’s Eve. NRBQ will be performing at the Saratoga Springs City Center in the main hall, with shows at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.
“New Year’s Eve means a lot,” said Terry Adams, vocalist, keyboardist and founding member of the band. “Nothing stays the same and you just have to roll with the changes. We’ve been changing and getting ready for the New Year, so it makes sense for us to perform. It’s also a beautiful place to be for New Year’s.”
NRBQ was formed in 1967, and since then, has attracted fans far and wide, including some famous admirers such as Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and Penn and Teller. After hearing NRBQ’s 2014 album, “Brass Tacks,” Bonnie Raitt said, “What a killer record. Right up there with the Q’s best! Production, arrangements, performances and songs … just knocks me out!” NRBQ has also been known for their quirky and eccentric antics on stage, such as performing in pajamas or blowing up Cabbage Patch Dolls.
It’s difficult to put NRBQ into any genre, simply because of how eclectic their music is. NRBQ has been described as a blend of rockabilly, jazz, pop, rock and blues, but even those genres don’t pinpoint the band completely.
“We have an original sound and everything is done in the moment based on what inspires us. There’s not a particular style that we fit into.” said Adams.
NRBQ has had a hand in many aspects of pop culture, including being the unofficial “house band” for two seasons of The Simpsons. The band also collaborated with other artists, such as Brian Wilson and Tommy Ramone, for a SpongeBob SquarePants album titled, “The Best Day Ever.”
NRBQ went on to release the albums, “Keep This Love Goin’” in 2011, “We Travel the Spaceways” in 2012 and “Brass Tacks” in 2014. Adams released his own album a few weeks ago called, “Talk Thelonious,” which covers arrangements from renowned jazz musician, Thelonious Monk.
“We have a high creative output. I’ve done more projects since 2004 than I have in all the years before,” said Adams. “We have had five albums in the last eight years. It’s been moving at a faster pace than ever before because everyone is tuned in when music is your passion. When it’s every player’s priority, it makes for a more creative band. In this case, all of the players are just natural born musicians who think about nothing else.”
Today, NRBQ consists of Terry Adams on vocals and keyboard, Scott Ligon on vocals and guitar, Casey McDonough on vocals and bass, and Conrad Choucroun on drums. The band will be playing alongside the Whole Wheat Horns, with Klem Klimek on saxophone and Carl Q on trombone.
As for First Night, even the most dedicated NRBQ fans cannot even predict what they will play because the band prefers spontaneity and doesn’t even work with a set list.
“I like to work with the unexpected,” said Adams. “I even like the mistakes, because when they land, you can create something off that. It’s like wind blowing the seeds of a plant. Wherever they land, something grows.”
When asked how he managed to keep NRBQ relevant and popular after all these years, Adams replied, “Once someone hears us, they stick with it. That just seems to be the way it is. It’s about keeping the music fresh. We don’t make music for nostalgia purposes. Even if we play something in the style of a previous era, we’re not playing it for nostalgia. It’s in the moment; it applies to where we are. You have to make it mean something now.”
Currently, NRBQ is working on their next album, which is set to be released in late 2016.
“It’s a big departure from where we’ve been and I don’t know why. It’s a spiritual thing that’s hard to describe,” reflected adams. “I’m really happy with what we’re working on now.”
In order to catch NRBQ’s performance at First Night, get your First Night button at any of the locations listed at saratoga-arts.org/firstnight/buttons. For more information about NRBQ, visit their official website at nrbq.com.
