Rabble Rousers

Bio:In late 1998, the duo of Chris Rehm and Bruce Turkel had been playing actively for almost two years and about this time, Bruce started urging Chris to start a band to show case his writing abilities. After a year or so, Chris agreed and the Rabble Rousers started to take shape. The first members of course, were Chris & Bruce, however, the plans were for a full outfit of six pieces. The name came immediatly from a phrase almost on the cusp of extinction from a nearly by-gone era used by Chris’ father: “Rabble Rousers”. For the style of music this band would be playing, it would fit perfectly. We’re talking the “Blues” for this band and “Rabble Rousers” fit it to a “T”! Before long, the full band took shape.After a few rehearsals the band played it’s first gig at The Pelican Nest in the Perine area of southern Miami. That first line up had Chris Rehm on vocals and lead guitar, Bruce Turkel on harp, Deny Rowand on Bass, Josh Rowand on lead guitar, Jackson Bunn on keyboards, and Chris Muscarella on drums. The Rabble Rousers, who jammed the place both in music and crowd, were immediately asked back for a second gig.In between these two gigs something happened. Through out the years whenever Chris had been playing somewhere, he became astute of the fact that it always seemed to be Bikers who came up and complemented and thanked him for playing. As a writer it dawned on him one evening that he wanted to repay the complements and he wrote the song “Fat Boy”, named after the Harley-Davidson that a friend rode. “Fat Boy”. The song was without doubt, quite an innovative song and clearly progressive within the blues format. To begin with, it had a Chicago-style “chunk” to it however the lyric started on the 4 chord and then, smooth as velvet, when you expected it to go to the 5, it did a Texas-style minor walk up, slide back to the 4 then a quick 1-2 punch on the 5. Then when you assumed you had it all figured out, the song glides, smooth as a Fat Boy, into a Country & Western style call and answer between four, yeah, that’s right, four soloing instruments, yet somehow it never looses that original Blues feel throughout. Innovative?An understatement if there ever was one.To Be Continued.Mark Holden