Music

December 25, 2009

The Badlees are home for the holidays

JOSEPH HUDAK For The Times Leader

From the Buoys in 1971 to Breaking Benjamin today, a select few bands with Northeastern Pennsylvania ties have succeeded in achieving national success.

But perhaps none has worn its coal-country roots as proudly as the Badlees, who amassed an impressive fan base with the acclaimed 1995 record “River Songs” and the radio hits “Fear of Falling” and “Angeline Is Coming Home.”

Writing about hard-luck souls, anthracite and even 1972’s Tropical Storm Agnes, the Selinsgrove roots-rock band was born as much from the muddy Susquehanna as from its members’ shared love of groups such as the Band and the Beatles.

On Saturday, the Badlees return to Wilkes-Barre for their first area gig in more than five years, headlining a day-after-Christmas showcase inside the Woodlands’ Grand Ballroom (Tickets are still available and are $10 each.) Pan.a.ce.a, Lemongelli and Underground Saints also are on the bill.

But make no mistake, the concert is far from a one-off, money-minded “reunion.” In October, the Badlees released “Love Is Rain,” their first CD of new material in seven years.

“A ‘reunion’ has a connotation of a bunch of old guys who aren’t doing anything new getting back together and milking it for one last go-round. And none of us wanted to do that,” says Badlees vocalist Pete Palladino, who reconvened with drummer Ron Simasek, bassist Paul Smith and guitarist and principal songwriter Bret Alexander to record the 13 songs on “Love Is Rain.” (Guitarist Jeff Feltenberger, who left the group in 2004, contributes backing vocals.)

“We never actually broke up, per se. We just took a break. I’ve been playing music with these guys for 20 years now. Sometimes you’re incredibly prolific, while other times life throws different things at you,” Palladino says. “We’re not calling it a ‘reunion.’ To us, it’s a continuation.”

“We (recorded) when everyone’s schedules lined up,” Simasek recalls. “We’d do a song or two, then break for a while, then another song or two. I think that helped with the variety of moods and styles that is evident on the CD.”

Produced by Alexander and recorded at his Saturation Acres studio, the new record — and the Badlees’ regrouping itself — was spurred by a longtime friend of the group, Chris Gardner, who asked the band to re-form and helped fund the project.

“It’s because of him that we’re doing this,” Palladino says. “As much as I love these guys and we’re brothers, we weren’t necessarily on the same page. Everyone was doing different things. We all got together because of Chris.”

Still, it didn’t take long for the Badlees to settle into that familiar groove. Two November gigs in Harrisburg and Pottsville convinced Palladino the decision to reunite was a solid one — done, he says, for the sake of the art.

“We played those two shows, and every single one of us was playing like we had to earn it. And I wasn’t sure that was going to be the case. But there were musical moments that were by far the best I’ve had in my life,” he says. “We believe that this is still a viable band.”

So much so that Palladino says the group is eyeing further gigs this spring, welcome news for fans of the Badlees’ thrilling live act.

“Our idea of a show was never standing in front of people and just reciting lines,” he stresses. “I remember reading an interview with Meat Loaf, who said the show he puts on is the same whether it’s for four people or 40,000. To me, that’s utter bullsh-t. For us, the show is the exchange of energy between the people and the band. I want them to feel part of it.”

And according to the charismatic singer — who, when not wooing a crowd with his stage presence, is wooing guests as manager of the Daddy O hotel and restaurant on the Jersey Shore — Saturday’s audience can expect a particularly electric set, reminiscent of the progressive sound of “Love Is Rain.”

“We’ve definitely pushed the boundaries of what people think of as the Badlees,” Palladino explains, citing U2’s desire to push themselves artistically as an inspiration. “I want to amass a large following because we’re still great at what we do, not because we’re on autopilot. We have to be better than anybody else out there. And if we’re not, then we should get the hell out of the way.”

To that end, the band has enlisted Breaking Benjamin guitarist Aaron Fink for this recent string of shows. It’s yet another tale of a Badlees fan becoming a Badlees friend.

“We’ve known Aaron almost as long as we’ve known each other. He started coming to see the band when he was 13 years old,” Palladino says. “And Bret produced some of the early Breaking Benjamin stuff, which went on to get them a record deal.”

Despite the huge success of his own band, the chance to play with the Badlees must no doubt be thrilling for Fink — similar perhaps to how it felt for Palladino to join some of his idols on stage during those heady “River Songs” days.

“I got to sing ‘Stormy Monday’ with Gregg Allman in Atlanta. We also played with the Band and hung out with Levon Helm, all of us out of our minds, just ecstatic. But when I tell these stories to my wife, (I find) that some of the best moments occurred on stage,” Palladino recalls, pausing. “That,” he says, “is as good as it gets.”

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