On Feb. 9, 1962, a quartet from Liverpool made its first American appearance as a guest on the Ed Sullivan Show, igniting Beatlemania in the U.S.
Sixty years to the day later, at the venerable Rusty Nail tavern in Havertown, Off the Reserve served as the fulcrum of a five-band bill and tore through a 10-song set that was as eclectic as those in attendance. The audience included gray-haired patrons, semi-Goth music fans and a five-year old girl who was either the world’s youngest music critic or just a child being raised the right way.
Off The Reserve is comprised of four Villanova seniors: Michael Castelli (drums, guitar, vocals), Michael Simeone (vocals, guitar), Dominic Veltri (bass, synthesizer, vocals) and Brendan King (guitar, drums and vocals). The band entertained the assembled music fans with a collection of originals, covers and a tribute to the Beatles, who are clearly an influence on the group.
The set began with a driving rendition of the Killers’ “When You Were Young” and transitioned into a pair of originals, “Damned Ambitions,” which Castelli described as being about his “raging gambling addiction” (no doubt an exaggeration) and “Take Me With You,” a hard rocker with music by Veltri and words by Simeone, who has a honed the guitar hero motif perfectly. Veltri was content to hang back from the microphone while providing a titanium bass spine that veered occasionally into funkier grooves. Castelli played both guitar and drums during the gig and continues to bring an energetic spark to the band.
Following “Valerie,” which was written and originally performed by The Zutons, another Liverpool outfit, and later covered by Mark Ronson with legendary Amy Winehouse on the vocals, King’s bouncy “Run With Me” concluded the original portion of the program. It featured King on guitar (after he opened the show behind the drum kit). King plays horns in Villanova’s pep and jazz bands, yet still seems most content making a six-string roar.
The bow to the Fab ones featured “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and was followed by a somewhat incongruous version of Pink Floyd’s “Time,” that cheered the older heads in the audience. King channeled his inner Bono during “Vertigo,” and the band rambled through a rowdy version of Luke Bryan’s “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” that closed the proceedings.
It was a triumph by a group that is transitioning from solely playing classic-rock covers and is approaching its craft with a maturing eye. Near the end of “Time,” King sang, “The time is gone, the song is over/Thought I’d something more to say.”
Off The Reserve absolutely has more for us, and we would be wise to pay attention.
