Diva and the Dirty Boys – Interview – Thanks for Asking

Diva and the Dirty Boys – Interview – Thanks for Asking – by Liam Sweeny.

We connected with Rob Piorkowski of Diva & the Dirty Boys to get the very latest. Join us.

RRX: Who are you? Not, like, philosophically, but you know, who are the members of the band, who plays what? Describe yourself in one sentence (it can be a long sentence.)

RP: Diva & The Dirty Boys is a 5-piece band led by Lisa Gordon (vocals/harmonica) and Rob Piorkowski (guitar/vocals), flanked by veteran musicians Joe Montarello (Plus 24, Bob Etoll Band) on bass, Peter Iselin (Metroland founder, Back Bay Brew, Bob Etoll Band) on keys/vocals, and Johnny Easy on drums and vocals.

RRX: What do you have right now that people can enjoy, and what’s the best way for them to get it?

RP: We not only capture the great tunes of the 60’s and 70’s, we play with passion, groove and precision. We love vocal harmonies and giving all our members room to shine.  We are a musical family of sorts, together in this iteration of the band for 10+ years now.  We enjoy each other’s company on stage and off.  All that joy is present on stage with us, and we hear about it from the crowds we play for.  The best way to experience it with us is to come to a show.

RRX: First impressions are nerve-wracking for a band. Someone has to hear it first. What was the very first reaction to your music, from the first person to ever hear so much as a practice jam or the demo of your first song?

RP: “She’s great (referring to Lisa Gordon)!” and she is. For the past 20 years, my musical mission has been to share and grow her talent with audiences here in the capital region. Another memorable impression from our early days … Buck Malen (iconic bass player for many area bands) once said “Robbie, I love how I never know what your next song will be, and I’m always pleasantly surprised.” (High praise from Buck.)

RRX: Part of learning to be musicians is to fall in love with songs, an album, and hammering away at their instrument until you they play that whole thing. What was that song or album for you (one member of the band)? Was there a hardest part?

RP: Mine was The Allman Brothers at Fillmore East.  I learned all the tunes and most of the solos off the vinyl.  The hardest part of that was getting the right guitar tone…sweet and aggressive at the same time.  For Lisa, it was Linda Ronstadt’s album Heart Like a Wheel. Learning tunes that you love can be challenging, but it’s a labor of love.

RRX: Bands have to play somewhere, and sometimes those places have more going for them than a stage and a power outlet. What is a memorable place you played, and bonus points if it’s not a well-known place.

RP: Since there are very few places we haven’t played over the last 20 years, this is a hard one.  Perhaps the most memorable gig we played was at The Pruyn House (in a barn of sorts) in Loudonville.  It was a performance for one of our fans, Walter, requested by him in advance, to play at his own memorial service.  “Keep it upbeat,” he told us. It was so meaningful to us, we named our record company Walter Records.

RRX: The amazing thing about music is that it’s been with us since the beginning. There was a “first band.” What historical era would you visit for the sole purpose of putting on a great show there? How would you set it up?

RP: All of us in the band have an affinity for the Swing Era.  I’d love to do an “electric” version of Sing, Sing, Sing. We would kill that one.  I would pitch it as (Cabaret meets Dirty Boy Rock).  Lisa came up through musical theater and her own cabaret act in NYC. Diva & The Dirty Boys at The Savoy, or the Rainbow Room. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

RRX: How can people keep up with you? What’s coming up, soon or eventually?

RP: Our main promo vehicle is Facebook and that’s where you can always find listings and announcements of our upcoming shows.  On March 23rd, we will be at The Bunker in North Greenbush. That show has been really fun lately, with lots of stellar musicians (Bert Pergano, Leo Kachidurian, Dave McCarthy, Tommy Love) playing and singing some tunes with us as special guests. On March 30th, we play another one of our favorite rooms, The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA. The mojo in that room for us is really satisfying … they dance, they sing!! We light up that place and bring it to a frenzy almost every time we play there.

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