This was our first outing here at Mulligan's. I played here once before with Mark Cook and the sound was very boomy. They have made some changes since then and it has made a big difference. The band still has to be very careful with the volume. I think we did a pretty good job of it tonight.

Mike called a great gig tonight. He started us off with a low-key version of "I Just Want to Fly" and he took a monster solo on accoustic guitar and, well, let's just say it set the tone for the rest of the night. Doug was also feeling it tonight, laying down some wondefully subtle yet funky grooves and even stretched out a bit on a couple of solos. Nice job Doug.

Thanks to all of you who came out tonight including, Susan and Edy Adams and gang (Edy, we missed you sitting in on harp tonight); Jan, Connie, Larry, Trish; Marla and her gang; and Frank.

We look forward to our next outing here on April 18th.

We had another fun gig at Twiggy's. We really enjoy playing this venue. Good food, good people, appreciative audience. We look forward to making this a regular stop in 2008.

Doug had some trouble with his bass tonight; however, he worked through it and made the best of it. Thanks to Jeannie for keeping him in line!

Thanks to all who came out to hear the band tonight. Your support is much appreciated.

It might have been the best crowd in the history of the MRB! We are often blessed with an "intimate" (i.e. small) crowd of close friends; but rarely do we play to a packed house!!! What a great turnout for the official return of the MRB after a 1 year hiatus. It was great to see so many friendly faces, some of whom we haven't seen in quite some time.

We received a lot of wonderful feedback about the band and especially about Doug. Many of you commented on his tone and feel and rock solid time and his musicality -- playing for the music. I would concur with all of these comments and add that I'm excited about what Doug brings to the MRB and I look forward to more of his playing and singing (he sings great and we will be featuring Doug on vocals more in the near future). Great job Doug!

I would also add that I thought Mike played great tonight. He took a couple of solos that really hit me; making me smile and wanting more....in fact I yelled over to Mike more than once to "take another one". There was some really nice stuff going on between Eddy Adams (who came up and sat in on harmonica) and Mike. Edy has sat in before; however, I thought the musical conversations between Edy and Mike, as well as Eddy's playing in general, was some of the best I've heard from them thus far!

Lastly, thanks to Greg of Twiggy's for having a non-smoking place where kids under 21 can come with their family. It was special to have Kelly, Drew, Deven, and Drew's friend Matt sit with our adult friends and listen and enjoy the music. It's a great experience for them, and for me too.

It was a memorable night and thanks to all of you who came out and spent your evening with us. We look forward to seeing you at our next gig.

It was another rocking night at Ambro’s. We had a blast as usual and had several requests for songs we’d played in the past. It’s always fun to play some of our past favorites. We had a good crowd and made some new friends. Thanks for coming out.

Jerome has a new toy for his bass and sounded great. Our friend Joe told me at one point that Jerome had stolen the show. I couldn’t agree more. John brought his cowbell foot peddle and demonstrated his prowess with keeping a constant cowbell click while soloing over the top. Cool man!

I even stepped out on a ledge. I contemplated it for days. Plotted, planned, drew up sketches, and ran a full risk/cost analysis. I envisioned myself standing there on the open range with my trusty six-shooters and my loyal steeds, (sorry guys, I’m on a roll) by my side. Facing the dangers of attempting to pull off a phrase I knew I couldn’t play in the first place. But I’d try it anyway, unabashed by the dangers. That’s just the way God made me. Sink or swim baby, sink or swim.

No, the risk was much greater than that and for those of you who know me it was quite the leap of faith. I ONLY TOOK ONE GUITAR!.......JUST ONE!.....THERE WAS ONLY ONE! Yes, it true, I only took one guitar. I turned around several times thinking I would reload, change to a different guitar, but NO…. I only had one! She's a trusty cool blue steel beauty, a six-shooter with a five-way selector and a whammy bar, simply known as “Blue”. The only thing that could make her better is if she had a compass in the stock.

(A Christmas Story) Yes, I took “Blue”, the Godin that I’ve owned for a few years and played her several times during rehearsal. She handled herself wonderfully, sounded great and didn’t leave me stranded one time. I was proud of “Blue”. You go Girl! "Blue” has several nice voices and does some other nice tricks too. Maybe she’ll share them her next time out. Who knows? Only “Blue” knows. (The Shadow) That was fun.

Anyway a great time was had by all and thanks for all the love and support.

This performance at the Coffee Break was one of the most enjoyable in recent memory for me. I knew it was going to be because John's parents were going to be there. I actually had to calm my nerves knowing the DiCenso's would be there. They are two of my favorite people in the world. And because I love to play the Coffee Break anyway, I knew the performance was going to be special. I had the privilege of performing with Mr. Dicenso which made my night. But besides that, we performed with Dr. John Spicknall from Indiana State University, and Pam and Jeff McNabb. Jeff and Pam own and operate the venue, and are accomplished musicians in their own right. It is a wonderful thing to perform beside such talented people. The audience seemed to enjoy the night as much as I did. As a group, we began to challenge ourselves to play quietly but keep our intensity. I felt we succeeded. We played longer than we usually do, and even got into an impromptu jam on George Benson's "Breezin" as we were tearing down. I don't believe we wanted the night to end.

Friday evening this week was a special treat. We played a mellow evening of music at the Coffee Break. Our friend Don Arney later referred to it as the Polite Mike Rolle Band. Not to be confused with the Rockin’ MRB. Pam and Jeff sat in and played several very nice songs. You couldn’t ask for two nicer people. John Spicknall stopped by and played piano on a few songs with us too. John is such a great talent and I still have a so much to learn. Great voicing Doc.

The really special treat of the evening was that John’s parents were in town from Boston. John’s dad, Dick, sat in and played a few songs with us. What a treat, great feel, great brush work, great listener. It was a joy and an honor to have the chance to perform with John’s father. He is wonderful musician and a great teacher. Thank you sir.

I’d like to thank all of our friends and family for coming out, Mom, Theresa and Gene, Kelly and the boy’s, Kevin and family, Luv and Cori. We missed you Miss B. Don and his lovely wife, Judy, Mark and his lovely wife, and everyone else. Thanks for being there. We hope we were entertaining and appreciate all your love and support.

Ambrosini's will be a regular stop for the MRB in 2006. We had an enthusiastic crowd tonight and had some fine musicians sit in with the band. For our second gig in a row, we had Lenny Mansell join us on congas. For those of you who have not heard him play congas, you owe it to yourselves to come check him out. We also had Dr. Brent McPike join us for a few tunes on guitar. What a treat as we played some cool tunes including one of Brent's originals entitled "Flying Down 41 with the MRB". Thanks to all who came out tonight. We'll be back at Ambrosini's on March 25th.

A great time was had by all at Twiggy's tonight. We had a great crowd, anchored by all of Kyle's family and friends, there to celebrate Kyle's 50th birthday. Much thanks to Jan and Kyle for throwing such a great bash and for inviting the Mike Rolle Band to provide the music.

Speaking of music, Mike was on another planet tonight. I've been playing with him since 2001 and I don't think I've ever heard him play with so much energy, creativity, skill, feel, and musicianship. It was a joy to watch. Another highlight was having our new friend, Lenny Mansell, sit in on congas. Man, can he play! Thanks Lenny. What you added to the music was just fantastic. Finally, thanks to Bill Foraker and Brent McPike for stopping by. Brent, thanks for the kind words about the band posted on our Guest Book page.

I had an absolutely wonderful experience participating, for the first time, in Indiana State University's Jazz Festival. What a fantastic opportunity it was to hear bands, from Indiana high schools, middle schools, and grade schools, made up of some very enthusiastic and talented musicians and led by some very committed and talented band directors. It warmed my heart to witness music, and Jazz no less, alive and well in our school systems. It was my first experience adjudicating an event like this and, not only did I enjoy listening to the bands, I appreciated the opportunity to provide some encouragement and feedback to some very fine young musicians. I learned a lot from the process, for which I am grateful.

I was also very fortunate to have the opportunity to play in the evening concert with Dr. John Spicknall (piano) and Joel Kelsey (bass) and, featuring, the great Bobby Shew on trumpet. Wow, what an experience! We performed some great tunes with some very fun latin rythms. Bobby was great to work with and was a warm and gracious person. And, oh yes, what a player! It was definitely a top 10 highlight of all the years I've been playing music.

For all those whom made this day possible...students, teachers, parents, and especially Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and the Indiana State University Department of Music, thank you for putting on such a wonderful event. A special thanks to John Spicknall for inviting me to participate.

We kicked off our 2006 gigging season at one of our favorite venues owned by two of our favorite people, Pam and Jeff. I very much enjoy playing at the Coffee Break because it forces me to play quietly. This helps me play more musically, I think because I find myself listening more to Jerome and Mike and focusing more on the music. There is less distractions than the typical club and it seems to be a place where it becomes more important to say something musically. Whatever the reason, I enjoy the challenge and I am grateful for the opportunity to perform in such a great environment.

We had a great audience with some familiar as well as new faces. Pam and Jeff, thanks for sitting in with the band. This is always one of my favorite parts of the evening when we play at the Coffee Break. Thanks to all of you who came out to hear us and who continue to support local live music. We appreciate it very much. A special thanks to Don Arney who posted a very nice message to our website's Guest Book. Don, thanks for the kind words and for your continued support of the band. We hope to get in the studio with you sometime very soon. Finally, a thanks to my son Deven for taking the photos and video.

Thanks to everyone! We had a great couple of gigs at Ambrosini’s. We played there Saturday Nov. 5th and Saturday Dec. 3rd. They were crazy nights. There was dancing and sing alongs and just general good times. We enjoyed seeing everyone there.

Special thanks go out to Jan and Kyle, Larry and Connie, Kelly, Mom, Theresa and Gene, Miss Sis, Rolo and the gang, Joobs, Sue and the girls, Don, Eric, Dennis, Mark, Parker, Joe and Cassie, and everyone else.

There were lots of people we hadn’t seen in a long time. We missed you. There were lots of new faces. We thank you and hope you had fun. We’d also like to thank Steve and the gang there at Ambrosini’s for making us feel welcome and look forward to our next gig. Thanks Steve.

We hope everyone has a great holiday season and we’ll see you in 2006.

After 3 weeks off, MRB performed at Ambrosini's tonight. To me it felt a lot like when we first performed at the Tap Room years ago. The quarters were close, it was hot, and a lot of the patrons did not know what to expect. I explained to those who asked me that we did a little of everything. I don't know if they believed me at that time. I think we made believers of them before they left.

The difference was the group of fans that have become our anchor of support. With our fan base showing their enthusiasm, and the regulars ready to enjoy our performance, we were energized and ready to put on a good show.

The crowd enjoyed the song selection. If there would have been room to dance, I believe the dance floor would have been full most of the night. As it was, the aisle was filled with dancers a lot of the time.

I felt that we had a very balanced performance. Each of us were pleased with our performance, and maybe we enjoyed each other a little more because we hadn't performed together for so long. It was very enjoyable for me.

Despite a chilly night, we had an excellent turnout at our last gig of 2005 in the Beer Garden at Mogger's Pub. Thanks, so much, to all of you who came out and braved the weather. It was great to see you and we hope you felt our gratitude in our playing.

A special thanks to Eddy Adams who sat in with the band on several songs, lifting the band and exciting the audience with his harmonica playing. Eddy sat in with us last year at the Bleemel Fest, but I remember that being a few songs too short, leaving me in want of more. Tonight, on the other hand, was great. Eddy came up and played to a Miles Davis tune called "All Blues". This was a pleasant surprise as I normally think of this song as more of a jazz tune, versus a blues tune, and not one particularly suited for harmonica. Well, Eddy made it sound great and I really enjoyed what it added to the song and feel. We played two more tunes with Eddy, a funky version of "Mustang Sally" and a slow funky version of "Long Train Running" by the Doobie Brothers. Thanks Eddy. Great job and please bring your harmonica to our next gig!

Thanks also to Levi for sitting in on drums on "Brick House". I always enjoy the chance to hear the band from the audience's perspective. Nice job grooving with Jerome and Mike.

Bill Goodrich, fresh from his 25th high school reunion, showed up just as we were finishing our last song. Well, needless to say we played one more for Bill and then convinced him to sit in and we played two more with him. Bill is an excellent bass player, currently playing with the great MacDaddy band, and I've had the pleasure of sitting in with them on several occasions. Bill, as always, it was great grooving with you. You are one fine player and I really enjoyed some of the breaks you took on "Steal My Kisses". It also gave me the opportunity to enjoy Jerome dancing with my wife in his way cool outfit.

One last note. Thanks to..., I won't mention any names, the wild and crazy group celebrating a birthday. I won't soon forget the lap dance given to the birthday girl (by her GIRL-friend)! Yikes!!

We had a standing-room-only-crowd tonight. Thanks so much to all of you who showed up to listen to the MRB. As always, we had a blast playing as we tried to mix it up quite a bit. It's fun playing to an audience that enjoys all kinds of music like we do.

During our second set we had a few guest musicians join us. They included Lana Holden (vocals), Brent McPike (guitar), and Jeff McNabb (keyboard). This was a lot of fun. I personally enjoy the jam session atmosphere that this can create. It spices things up a bit and it forces us all to be better listeners. My only disappointment of the evening was that Pam didn't sit in and sing with us. Next time, I hope.

Thanks, again, to all of you who came out to hear the band at this great venue.

Jeff and Pam McNabb coordinated and hosted a wonderful event this evening. The name of the event was "Exploring The Blues" and was designed, in part, to be a sort of "kick off" to the Blues Fest featuring some local musicians. It's primary focus, however, was to raise some money for three very important organizations. See editorial by Pam McNabb that was recently printed in the Tribune Star, which I've copied here (see below)

Brent McPike served as the master of ceremonies and did a terrific job playing, singing, and providing some very interesting and thoughtful information about the Blues. The Mike Rolle Band was honored to be the "house" band for the night, backing up a multitude of performers (also listed below). I know I speak for Mike and Jerome when I say we really enjoyed ourselves and it was a lot of fun backing up all of the different musicians that came out to share their talents. It seemed that the audience enjoyed the show as well. Much thanks to Jeff and Pam for hosting a special night and what we all hope will be an annual event.

John

"It took many people working together to make a successful fund-raiser on Friday, Sept. 9. When planning the event, the main focus was to help The WILL Center. After the South was hit by the hurricane, it was decided to make the fund-raiser open to include helping the Red Cross and Salvation Army".

"At Coffe Break, local musicians, singers and fans of blues music gathered with interests in helping three very much needed organizations, plus enjoying an evening of great music".

"Musicians and singers who performed were Jeff McNabb, Pam McNabb, Brent McPike, Mike Rolle, Jerome Cheatham, John DiCenso, Steve Kuykendall, Lana Holden, Richard Layton, Gary Ready, Dave Ledune, Marshall Rector, Jeff Mitchell, Jonathon Edwards, Adam Moraga, Jimmy Rinehart, and Joe Marciek" (Tribune Star, 10/5/05, p. A8).

Pam

This was our third outdoor gig at Mogger’s this year in the newly renovated Beer Garden and it was a wonderful evening. We had a great crowd of friends and loved ones once again and would like to thank everyone for coming out. Many thanks go out to Dave Hunt for sitting in and playing Congas and adding that little extra. Dave is always fun to have on stage. We moved this gig in a few weeks due to scheduling conflicts and still had a great turn out.

We played several new favorites including a Steele Dan tune ‘Reelin’ in the Years’ and a tune called ‘All Blues.’ John lit the place up with a solo on Hendrix’s ‘Fire.’ A fabulous tambourine solo from Dave Hunt just coming back from a tour with the Fab T’s. Jerome was great as always...the groove of the band.

We have another outdoor gig planned for Oct. 15th in the Beer Garden there at Mogger’s. Hope to see everyone there. And as always, Thanks for all the love and support.

Mike

Jerome was on it again tonight. He was grooving and moving and it was contagious. And Mike, well, he's just playing his butt off of late. Our good friend Connie, who has been a long-time friend of the MRB and has been to all of our Mogger-Beer Garden shows, said to me, "Mike's playing better than ever". I would have to agree. It seems he's been able to play what he feels and hears...not an easy thing to do for most of us...and it sounds great!!

I think the spark of the evening, however, goes to Mr. Dave Hunt. This man has more talent in his little finger than I have in my whole body. No musical education, no lessons, no formal practicing that I'm aware of...now or when he was younger. Yet, he shows up with two congas, two bongos, a harmonica, his voice, and a personality that is at once engaging, and he simply lights it up. He added so much groove and feel, musically fitting in perfectly and he had the band and the audience smiling all night. Thanks Dave. As Mike says, you have an open invitation to sit in anytime...and we can't wait for the next time.

John

We had another fun night in the Beer Garden at Mogger's Pub. It can really work when the weather cooperates and we have a good audience. Both were in play this evening.

We had an almost capacity crowd made up of good friends and some new faces. To the crowd's delight, our friend Steve Ellis joined us on stage playing a variety of percussion instruments adding a very nice flavor to our sound. Thanks Steve.

Thanks to all of you who came out tonight. You are a big part of the enjoyment we get from playing out. We look forward to another outing at this fun venue on September 3, Labor Day Weekend. Hope to see you then.

We had another great time playing at the Coffee Break. We had a small crowd at first; but, by the second set, we had a fair amount of the seats filled and we are grateful for all of you that showed up. We had a bit of a jam session, with Jeff McNabb sitting in with the band most of the night and Pam sitting in and singing a tune with us. We really need to work up a few more tunes so Pam can sit in for at least a couple of tunes each set. Next time, right Pam? I will say, the one tune she does with us I really like....Route 66!! It's always been a favorite of mine and Pam sings it great.

We added to our jam session at the end of the night when the Ellis family stopped by and Jim Ellis sat in on vocals and trumpet as we fooled around with a couple of Chicago tunes. We, Jeff and the MRB, have been fantasizing about putting a band together with a horn section playing tunes from Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, and others. So we played a couple (or at least attempted to). It brought back fond memories for me, playing drums to Chicago and Blood Sweat & Tears albums (yes, records, not CDs or even cassette tapes!!!) down in the cellar of my parent's house. I would do this for hours. I'd dream I was Danny Seraphine or Bobby Columbo (the drummers for Chicago and BS&T, respectively) and just enjoy their music and playing. Wouldn't it be cool to form such a band??? It's good to dream!!

Thanks Pam and Jeff for hosting us at your wonderful establishment. We always enjoy playing here and look forward to returning soon.

It was hot... Dang Hot.... How hot was it??? It was hot I told you...Dang! But it was fun to be back with Mike and John. Form wise, we were a bit rusty; we will have to practice recalling those pesky lyrics... but the music was there. It seems like forever since I heard Mike scat with his guitar on "Spooky" and surprisingly on "Long Train Running". Equally, I had missed John's display of power and musical versatility when given the opportunity to solo on "Fire". Being influenced by John's two sets, and Mike's multiple guitars, I now sport 3 basses. I enjoyed not having to bring the performance to a screeching halt when I broke a string, and to be able to change sounds and styles of playing as dictated by the music.

We performed before a good sized audience that seemed to appreciate our perfomance. Most of our most dedicated fans were there, with one glaring exception, Jan was there without KYLE! How can that be??? That's like Peanut Butter without Jelly, Lois without Clark, the Sun and the Moon..(well, not exactly, I mean we CAN survive without them and...oh you get my point). And while other's who shall remain nameless made light of the fact Kyle had to work (Larry, Terry), I was greived to the point that I almost was late getting on stage! (that and the fact I couldn't find the power cord to my amp.) Hopefully this wrong will be righted at our next performance.

MRB joined with Marshall Rector's "Easy Street Band" to perform with Brazilian guitarist Marcos Cavaleante. "Easy Street" performers included guitarist Brent McPike and percussionist Bill Foraker. Other guest performers included John Camp (Sax) and Jon Edwards (sax). Marshall plays trumpet.

If it sounds like a large group.... it was! I loved it! There is nothing better for a bass player than to have percussion on either side. The three horns worked together, and showed their individual talent. Mike and Brent took turns playing beside Marcos.

The night revolved around Marcos. Marcos was educated at IU and studied with the legendary David Baker, among others. I felt we all had to play at our highest level of performance to be on the stage with him. I was satisfied that we did so. As we performed, we fed of Marcos' excellence. During the breaks, we were treated to his stories about his experiences at IU, in Brazil, and around America. When the performance was over, we kept playing and conversing. Too bad it had to come to an end. It was a wonderfully inspiring night.

Boy, it was great to get out and play....and to a full-house to boot! Thanks to all who came out. We had a great time; however, perhaps noone had quite as much fun as Mike did. He let loose and played his heart out. It was great to see. It was a night that lived up to our motto of "Good Music, Good Friends, Good Fun". Let's try and do it again sometime soon!!

We did a somewhat impromptu performance above Mike's garage (same place where we rehearse) for a small group of Mike and Pam's family and friends. I say small; however, the running joke was we had as many people, if not more, than most of the MRB regular gigs! We again had a great time. Thanks Mike and Pam for hosting a fun party.

Wow, we had a great time tonight. We haven't played out in quite some time but that didn't stop us from having a lot of fun. Mike was in particularly rare form as it was obvious he has missed playing a lot. His joy was contagious and band and audience alike caught his wave!

We also had a rare and special treat as Mr. Hank Roberts was in town and was gracious enough to sit in with the band. For those of you don't know this world renowned cellist, visit his website for more information. There is a link to his site on our Links page.

Thanks to all of you who were able to make it out tonight. It was great to see you and, as always, we so much appreciate your participation in our fun.

This was our second gig at the Coffee Break. Though the complete opposite of our first gig here in terms of the number of folks who came out to hear the band (last time was standing room only), it was no less fun. It's a treat and challenge for us to play a night where we play a lot of jazz, mostly tunes right out of the Real Book. The MRB has been working at getting better at this and it's great to have a place in town where we can perform this style of music, something we very much enjoy.

Speaking of places, the Coffee Break is such a refreshing and unique place right downtown Terre Haute. If you haven't been here yet, please check it out. Pam and Jeff have built a wonderful, high-end little club that supports a wide variety of live music in a clean, quiet, up-scale atmosphere. You won't be disappointed and probably pleasantly surprised. On top of that, Pam and Jeff are wonderful people and talented to boot. They sat in with the MRB and it sounded great.

A heartfelt thanks to those MRB fans who made it out to the gig. It was a pleasure playing for you. A note of thanks to my two boys, Drew and Deven, for cooperating and behaving and hanging in there for the entire gig. A special thanks to Deven for managing the photography and video.

Once again, we are very much looking forward to a return outing. Watch our Dates page for upcoming bookings. See you soon. Peace.

Well, the weather held out. For a while there, we were afraid of a repeat of last year; however, the weather couldn't have been better by the time we began setting up...and it lasted all weekend. We started around 4:45 PM and took a short break at around 5:45 PM. We then played straight through till 8:00 PM. Think we were having fun?! It was exciting playing outside with a great sound system and some enthusiastic fans. We had a great time.

For the second time in as many months, our good friend Dave Hunt added his talents, energy, love, and mojo to our show. It was such a blast having him on stage with us, giving the band an added lift and great sound with his wonderful percussion, vocals, and feel. Thanks Dave. As Mike said, you have an open invitation to join us anytime!

Thanks also to Mike Rowe for putting on a great event and having us back for a second year. A special thanks to Al Banfield who did a great job on sound. We heard nothing but good things about the volume, balance, and presence. We shouldn't have been surprised. Al's also a drummer who obviously has some great ears!

Thanks most to all of you who came out to hear us. I laughed when Mike said, "the few, the proud, the MRB fans!". Well, we couldn't ask for a better group of people that come out and hear us regularly. We hope you know how much we appreciate your support for, not only the MRB, but for live music in Terre Haute. It was great to also see some new faces. We hope you liked what you heard. Please join our mailing list if you would like to be reminded of upcoming gigs.

The great Shoes & Strings band followed us. We enjoyed opening for them and enjoyed hanging out for a while and listening to them, as always. A group of MRB fans are also Shoes and Strings fans, including me. I've probably heard them a dozen times by now and enjoy them each and every time. Lance, Ed, Rick, and the rest of the gang have a great sound, a great selection of songs, and even do some originals. Check them out next time you get the chance.

We look forward to seeing you soon. Peace.

From John:
What a great time we had celebrating our good friend Larry Williams' 50th birthday. Many of Larry's friends made it out to help him celebrate and in the process fed the band with a great bunch of energy. After a few songs to ease into the night, Kyle started a tip jar and threw $20.00 in telling Jerome he was looking for some extra energy. Well before anyone knew it, Jerome was off the stage, playing his heart out and dancing up a storm, including a small stint standing on a chair!!! Well that certainly got the crowd going and we were off to a rockin' good time.

A few highlights for me this evening included the following: 1). Of course, Jerome's burst of energy to start off the night; 2). Listening to Mike play his butt off including a great solo on a blues number we did towards the end of the night. Jerome and I were intently listening and we did an arrangement off the top by adding some stop time in order to highlight Mike even more. Mike tore it up! I think we should keep that arrangement in the show; and 3). Also towards the end of the night, the band was doing an extended jam and many of you were sitting on the edge of the stage. Wow, that was really cool. It felt like we were all communicating through the music, feeding off each other. I know that sounds corny, but it really juiced me.

The MRB certainly doesn't have the biggest following in town; however, we couldn't ask for a more quality group of people that consistently come out and listen and dance to the band. We so much enjoy playing for you, our family and friends. You feed us with so much energy and enthusiasm that we can't help but want to give it our all. Thanks for making tonight an especially fun night.

Larry, from the MRB, a sincere happy 50th birthday. We hope you had as much fun as we did.

From Larry:
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my wonderful friends for joining me in a special night. Getting together with all of you would have made any night very special and listening to my favorite local band just topped it off as an incredibly memorable night. To my son Rob, my brother Gary and his wife Tina, Connie, John and Kelly, Daryl and Terry, Frank and Carlene, Kyle and Jan, Mark and Robyn, Gene and Theresa, Marilyn, Pam and Mike, Jerome, Mike and Kristie, (I hope I didn't miss anyone) thank you all for being there and thank you for the extra effort with the fun gifts and photo board! We certainly do have fun getting together and listening to great music.

A special thanks to The Mike Rolle Band. When I first approached them about doing this night, they not only agreed to it but I felt they were excited to do it as well. And they brought that enthusiasm with them from the very first song and carried it throughout the night. The Dawg House was full and you guys really gave everyone a great show. I had so much fun that I have decided to turn 50 every year from now on!

The Mike Rolle Band played to an estimated crowd of 7,500 folks on National Night Out. The event was held at Deming Park on one of the hottest evenings this summer. This event was Terre Haute’s fifth year as a participant in a community event which aims to improve relations and increase awareness between the community and local law enforcement and service agencies in our community.

The band was interviewed by WTWO and shown live on the 5 PM broadcast. The MRB was also mentioned in The Tribune Star on July 31, 2004, as one of the highlights of this event. 100.7 Mix FM was at the event and mentioned the Mike rolle Band during their live coverage.

The band played at a newly built shelter nearby the beautiful new Oakley playground at Deming Park. The band sounded fantastic and I observed many people of all ages “digging” the music. Of course the bands faithful families, fans, and friends were on hand to enjoy the musical talent of this trio. As always, their support is appreciated.

A huge Thanks to Mike, John, and Jerome for sweating it out, providing wonderful music, and for giving back to the community.

This was the second gig of our "double header" this evening. Another new venue and another new musical adventure. Our good friend and very talented musician, Dave Hunt, joined the MRB on congas, vocals, and a variety of percussion instruments. Dave was fantastic and added a fresh new sound and energy to the gig. Dave fit in so well it was like we'd been rehearsing for weeks. Every time I think of the gig I chuckle, picturing Dave groovin and playing some great stuff, throwing the tamborine up into the air spinning around and catching it right on the beat, and adding his wonderful vocals to the music. He is truly one talented guy and we all enjoyed having him on the band stand.

Congratulations to Terry and Daryl on their engagement. They had a special dance tonight as Daryl showed off Terry's beautiful engagement ring. They were the happiest couple out this evening and we can't wait to attend the wedding in Hawaii.

We had a fun night of playing. Thanks to all of you who came out. We look forward to returning to WIMS once school is back in session.

Our first of two new venues this evening. For those of you who don't know, the Coffee Break is owned and managed by Jeff and Pam McNabb. They are quickly developing their establishment into the hottest place in town to hear a variety of music in a relaxed, easy listening environment.

It was a special night for the MRB. We got to play a lot of stuff we don't usually get to play. We played quite a bit of jazz and blues and we had the added challenge of keeping the volume down. We enjoy this challenge as it tends to force us to play more musically. I get to play brushes a lot more which I enjoy doing.

By the second set, the place was packed. It was fun playing to a full house. We so much appreciated all of you who came out to our first night at the Coffee Break. And thank you so much for the standing ovation after our last song. Needless to say, we look forward to returning to the Coffee Break soon.

By the way, because the Coffee Break is smoke and alcohol free, children are welcome. It's a great opportunity for them to see and hear music live and it was great to see so many of you with your children...Kevin, Dave, Patti and Eric, Rod and Sheila, and Greg and Beth. Did I miss anyone? And speaking of kids, much thanks to Deven DiCenso for taking all of the photos this evening. And one last note. Dave Hunt shared with us that Alison, Dave's oldest daughter, leaned over to him as she was watching and listening to Jerome and said, "He's really feeling it!". Amen!

We played a very nice wedding up at St. Mary of the Woods last night. Congratulations to Sarah and Martin. It was kind of a slow night tonight. A lot of our regular MRB fans couldn't make it out for one reason or another; however, we had some fun with the great folks who were able to make it out. We saw some friends we hadn't seen in a while and a couple of friends who saw the MRB for the first time. Thanks to all who came out. We hope to see you again soon.

Though pretty tired from our gig last night, we got up for playing. We had a pretty good crowd early. Mike was on fire tonight. He played probably as musically and creatively and with emotion and dynamics as I've ever heard him. He set the tone for the evening and we had a blast playing. We stretched out quite a bit and most things worked, some didn't, but no one could say we were just sitting back playing safely. It was the MRB tonight for sure!

Our first gig since March! We were very much looking forward to playing with some added motivation from: just coming back from our road trip to Boston where we heard some great music (see Other Events page), having some new toys (drums, cymbals, etc.), and playing outside. We had a good crowd on a sweltering Summer night. We played Captain Fingers for the first time live. It was a bit rough but we made it through. We received some mixed reviews but the classic feedback came from our friend Virgil who said something to the effect of, "Man, in the time it took you to learn that tune you could have learned 3 or 4 Styx tunes!". Styx is one of Virgil's favorite bands.

Thanks to all of you who came out. Special thanks to Larry for taking many of the pictures. Thanks to Mike for bringing the big sound system. As usual, we had a lot of fun. It was great to play!

Though a bit rusty from not playing out in almost 2 months, we managed to have a lot of fun playing music again. We were at the Tap Room, upstairs. The night began with a surprise 40th birthday party for Pat Mace. Congrats Pat and nice job Kris for throwing a great get-together for your husband. From what I could gather Pat was surprised and very happy to be around friends and family, including some long-time friends he hadn't seen in a while.

At 10:00 PM the room was opened up to the public and it was great to see some close friends of the MRB as well as a few new faces. As Mike often says, it's a good thing we have family and friends or there wouldn't be much of an audience for the MRB. Thank you all for continuing to come out and listen to us. We hope we were able to entertain you despite some lapses in memory and execution.

Thanks to Dave Hunt for singing a song with the band. A special thanks to Kelly DiCenso for her inspitration and expert instruction on how to play La Grange by ZZ Top (see two photos of Mike and Kelly reviewing the tune before we performed it).

We look forward to playing out again soon and hope you all will come back out and join us. Till next time.

Well we had a great time at the Quail Creek Country Club on New Year's Eve. We had such an enthusiastic, fun loving, and great dancing group of people. The atmosphere was terrific with a beautifully decorated room in an intimate setting for about 80 people. The hospitality shown by Sean Medsker and his staff made everyone feel special and happy to be celebrating the New Year here. And the food was fantastic as we were all served a top notch 5 course meal that made our pallets sing.

The band played a bit before the main meal and we knew immediately that this was going to be a fun crowd. After eating we enjoyed a night of playing to a crowd that appreciated good music and loved to dance. We kicked in the New Year at midnight and continued to play till after 1:00 AM.

A special thanks to our close friends of the MRB including Jan, Kyle, Larry, Terry, Carlene (who we very much missed tonight), Pam, and Kelly...and to the gang that provided a home-cooked breakfast after the gig. A special thanks also to Jane Hudson and Sean Medsker for taking a chance on the band (they had never heard the MRB before) and for their exceptional hospitality. We hope to be back with you next New Year's Eve.

Our best wishes for a happy, healthy, and successful 2004.

We had some fun tonight. It was good to see Jan and Kyle. We missed them Saturday night at Stu's. Our good friend Kevin Beel came by with his two beautiful children. Kevin sat in with the band for a few songs and also took some pictures of the band. See the Photo Link above. We'll be back at Mogger's soon.

Tonight was a lot of fun. Due to an injury that Dave Hunt suffered to his leg, I filled in with the MacDaddy's at the Verve last night. I had such a good time I was afraid tonight would be a let down. Well, to my delight, tonight was a great night of playing. Mike brought a bass amp just for the bass drum and it made a big difference in the sound which helped my playing. And, of course, Mike and Jerome kicked it up a notch or two and just played great. We had some cookin' grooves going on tonight and it helped to have a crowd that seemed to appreciate what they were hearing.

We had a pretty good size turnout along with some family and friends including Pam, Gene, Theresa, Larry, Carlene, Terry, Kelly, and others. Thanks to all who came out tonight. We hope to be back at Stu's soon.

Well, tonight definitely will go down as the night we played the biggest venue for the fewest number of people. The Brewhause holds about 300 people, maybe more, and Mike had brought the big system, and we even had costumes in case we had a big crowd that still wanted to dress up for the night after Halloween. Well, all tolled, including those that arrived very late in the evening and those that came early and left early, we had 18 people. Ouch! However, what could have been a very bad night turned out, in a funny kind of way, to be kind of a special night, thanks to the following folks who laughed and shared in our misery/ comical situation: Theresa and Gene (Mike's aunt and uncle), Marilyn (Mike's Mom), Kristi (Jerome's wife), Kelly (John's wife)....(see why we are always thanking family).... Jan and Kyle, Martin and Paul, Dennis and Terri, Tony and Barb, Lucille and Lucy, Bobby and Julie, and David (a.k.a. Richard Simmons).....(and thanking friends).

Well, we can't thank this group enough for their support and enthusiasm on what could have otherwise been a very dismal evening. As bad as this group felt for us, I can assure you the band felt just as bad for you who came out to have a good time. The band bought pizza for this fun little party and tried to buy as many drinks as folks would let us. And we tried to play with all the enthusiasm we could muster. We hope we sounded okay and provided you some good listening entertainment.

Besides a great big thanks to each of you who came out Saturday night, a special thanks to Kelly and Kyle, for their efforts in enticing folks to come join us. They actually had a little contest going, recruiting folks from neighboring bars (Tap Room, The Dawg House) as well as right off the street. You guys ROCK! I don't know the final score; however, thank you both for being such huge supporters of the MRB. Thanks also to Gene and Kelly, for dressing up in the fun spirit of Halloween. They were hillarious and made us all laugh, something the band needed very badly. Check out the photos.

Sincerly, a heart-felt thanks to all of you who came out tonight. You being there tonight, with your what-the-heck-we-are-going-to-have-a-good-time-anyway attidue, made the night a success. We are one lucky band!

Wow, it sure was great to play again after a 4 week break. We had a pretty good crowd early on thanks to our family and friends. We also had some folks sit in. Our good friend Kevin Beel sat in for several songs and sounded great as usual. Drew DiCenso sat in on cow bell and did a great job keeping with the groove. He was thrilled.

Mike and Jerome came ready to play and it showed. They played great and it was very enjoyable to play and and listen to them. The audience, as well, seemed to appreciate the energy and enthusiasm and musicianship they displayed tonight.

All in all, a fun night. Thanks to all of you who came out to see us.

Between the Bleemel Fest activities and The Dawg House activities, this small spot (Poplar, 9th, and Oak) on planet Earth was a happening place to be this weekend. The MRB was happy to be part of it. We wrapped up the weekend entertainment at The Dawg House tonight, which had included: The great MacDaddys band on Friday night, the Dave DiCenso Drum Clinic on Saturday afternoon, and an exceptionally funny night of comedy earlier this evening. We went on around 10:30pm to a full house and, though there was a lot of turnover, the Dawg House stayed cookin' all night.

Fresh from the Drum Clinic and Dave's talk about the outer and inner game, The MRB got on stage and reminded ourselves of some of the things Dave stressed in his clinic, particularly some of the elements of the inner game...listening, eliminating intellect and ego, giving your soul to the music and to your fellow band members, etc. And off we went. We had a blast playing tonight. In addition to the inner game motivation, we had a great sound system, thanks to Dave Hunt. Dave, who worked tirelessly all weekend, gave us his time, energy, caring, and expertise to make sure the sound was perfect. Dave, it was exceptional and the MRB sends love and thanks for your gift to us tonight.

Dave DiCenso was in the house, and though tired from his performance and presentation at the clinic, he was ready, willing, and able to play. And play he did. He sat in for a few tunes and, once again, lit up the place. As exciting as are his clinics, it's even more enjoyable to see Dave play with a band. Thanks Dave for sitting in, for the clinic, and for an all-around great weekend.

In fact, it was such a good weekend, we didn't want it to end. We played till, gosh, I think it was after 2:30am. And even then we didn't want it to end. Somewhere around 3:30am we finished packing up and went out to breakfast. Even Jerome came out with us (Mike, Larry Williams, and me)! I must admit, I hit the wall somewhere between my chocolate milk shake and half way through my omelette. Mike had to keep splashing water on me to keep me awake.

Playing at The Dawg House tonight was a great way to end a great weekend. Though I don't like to mention names as I will undoubtedly leave someone out, these are some of the folks that helped make it a special weekend for me.....Dave D., Laurie, Kelly, Drew, Deven, Patti, Bobby, Bryan, Erin, Emily, Dave H., Rob, Larry, Steve, Pat, Jim, Kyle, Jan, Terry, Carlene, Patti, Eric, Sheila, Rod, Brad, Adam, Mark, Bill, Johnny, John, Gershwin, and a host of other musicians, drummers, and music lovers. Thanks for helping to keep good music happening in Terre Haute, with specific thanks to all of you who come out and support the MRB.

Peace.

What a fantastic clinic Dave gave this afternoon. It exceeded expectations in some surprising and some not so surprising ways. Click DRUM CLINIC for a complete recap of a fantastic event!

Friday we were supposed to play outside at the Bleemel Fest being held at 9th and Poplar. We were looking forward to it because playing outside is different, and because it was supposed to be a family oriented event. We were looking forward to performing in front of our children, as well as playing in front of friends who seldom get to see performances such as ours because they have to tend to the kids. Many of these friends were turned away. We apologize, but Mother Nature forced us to play indoors and, unfortunately, there was no way we could create a family situation.

Once it was decided that we would perform inside, the sound technician had to adjust. Steve was spread pretty thin (thanks Steve for working so hard to get us set up), so we performed jazz standards without the aid of a sound system. This was at the urging of the faithful, die-hard table of Kyle, Jan, Larry, Terry, Carlene, Ruth, and company. As we played, Steve started working on getting the sound set up and the audience grew. Somewhere between 7:00 and 8:00pm we were full power playing to a full house. The rain that threatened all afternoon finally came down by the buckets, but by that time it only added ambiance to the evening.

Despite the change of venue, slow start, and our disappoitment (and theirs) that some of our family and friends were not able to get in to see us, we had a great time playing to those of you who weathered the storm and provided much encouragement and enthusiasm. We also enjoyed opening up for the great Cook-N-Blues band of Mark Cook, Adam Moraga, and Brad Dart. Guys, thanks for your encouragement and positive feedback about the band tonight. It was much appreciated. We'd love to tag team again the next time you are in town. And, as always, we enjoyed listening to you. We thought you sounded especially great tonight.

Thanks,again, to all of you who came out tonight. We are very grateful for your continued support of the MRB.

A good time was had by all at Ms. Xtreme's Back to School party. Good turnout with plenty of entertainment. The band Kallopolis opened the night. They played some great tunes, including some surprise classics that I didn't expect to hear from a band made up of members a good 20 years younger than those of the MRB. Nice job guys. I enjoyed listening to you.

The MRB got started just around 10:00pm. We were caught up in the excitement of having a good crowd and I thought we played pretty well and definitely with enthusiasm. We took a couple of short breaks, just enough to stop and mingle a bit. Thanks to all that came out tonight. Mark Cook and Adam Moraga from the Cook 'N Blues band dropped by and sat in to end the night around 2:00am. Thank you, Sean and Penny, for another enjoyable outing at Ms. Xtreme's. We look forward to returning again soon.

What a fun time we had at Mogger's tonight. It seems that every time we don't get to play for a couple of weeks, we just have that much more fun when we get back together. Tonight was no exception. We had a very enthusiastic crowd with quite a few new faces. Thanks to you all for your kind words of encouragement and for sticking around late on a Wednesday night. Jan and Kyle, thanks for the Guestbook entry regarding tonight.

As much as Jerome and I came to play, Mike was the one who really lit it up tonight. He played some solos early on that really caught people's attention. However, one solo in particular, that caught both mine and Jerome's ears (as well as everyone else's in the room) was on Spooky. I don't think I've heard Mike ever play such a great solo --- so musical, with great dynamics, mixed with scatting, as well as a display of some fine chops. Jerome and I found ourselves hootin' and hollerin' and saying "Wish we had that one on tape".

We'll be back at Mogger's at the end of next month....October 28th. As always, we are looking forward to it.

Had another good time at Mogger's Pub. We had an enthusiastic crowd, with some folks getting up and dancing for a bit. We love that. We also had a guest artist, Jena, sit in and sing a tune with the band. She did a great job. It was a nice change of pace to hear a female vocalist with the MRB. Thanks to Mogger's for their wonderful hospitality, as usual. We look forward to returning to Mogger's on Wednesday, September 10th. Come out and join us for some good food, good drink, and good music.

This is a review that comes from a different perspective than one of the MRB guys. This comes from someone sitting in the audience and also a big fan. First of all, the Dawg House is such a great venue for any band to play. The sound system is awesome; the bar itself is clean and well lit; the food is always good; the help there always friendly and the service top notch. The Dawg House is a pleasure to visit whether listening to music or just sitting down for a cold one. (And yes, their beer is always cold!)

Saturday night was no exception either. When the band started playing, the room still had some filling up to do. And that it did in pretty short order. Mike Rolle Band got to rocking and the crowd certainly enjoyed and appreciated those efforts. The dance floor was often full which always makes for a lot of fun. I don't think I have ever seen a band enjoy playing music more than these three guys. And that energy spills over into the crowd. The more fun they have, the more fun we have, which makes them have more fun, etc, etc. It is always a hoot when Jerome so gets into the music he doesn't even realize someone is trying to talk to him!!!

There were lots of friends and many new faces which hopefully will become familiar. Saturday night was a very good night as the band rocked, the beer was cold, and the place was full. If you haven't had a chance to see MRB in this venue, The Dawg House, you owe it to yourself to check this out. A good time will be had by all.

By the way, Mike Rolle Band t-shirts are still on sale. And when you wear one, you may not be any smarter, but you will always be "bright".

What a fun night I had listening to the band and hanging out with the small group of friends which the band has turned into followers. Fresh from “drum camp” John played with spirit and soul. Not too hard to do when Jerome is grooving and smiling! The crowd appeared to be small in number, but very vocal with their applause. It appeared that people had a great time listening and experiencing the unique talent that this band has when it comes to creating music together.

Thanks to Kevin Beel for sitting in while John was away on vacation. We had a great gig. Everyone had a lot of fun. Thanks to all who came out to see us.

What a great gig we had at our second outing at The Dawg House. We had an exceptional crowd that danced and laughed and gave the band a lot of energy. By the way, who was that chic who really got things going? I think her first name is Kelly! Let's make sure she's invited to all of our gigs!!!

Thanks to all who came out tonight. It is such a pleasure playing when the audience becomes such a big part of what the band is doing. Your enthusiasm, friendship, and willingness to let it hang out gives the band such a boost that we can't help but play better and have a good time. For me, tonight was definitely a night that lived up to the MRB motto of "Good Music, Good Friends, and Good Fun".

Be sure to check out the Photos link for pictures from this fun night.

We had a great gig tonight. The Elk's Lodge had their annual Margaritaville/ Jimmy Buffett night and they took a chance on a new band, the MRB. They have had some great bands in the past, such as The MacDaddys and Don Morris. The pressure was on. We learned a bunch of Jimmy Buffett tunes and we all dressed the part ---- shorts, flowered shirts, hats, etc. Good thing we did because Geoff, Robbine, and gang had the hall looking and feeling very festive complete with parrotts, sea shells, flowers...not to mention jello shots, and, of course, plenty of margaritas.

Well, the best we can tell, the night was a success. We had a great crowd, a full dance floor, and even when the crowd thinned later in the evening, those that stayed were living large, having a great time and digging the music. We felt very appreciated and look forward to playing another gig at the Elk's Lodge in Brazil sometime soon.

Thank you Geoff and the rest of the Elk's Lodge members and guests for your hospitality and support (I believe we sold a half dozen MRB t-shirts). Thanks also to Jan and Kyle for making the trip from Terre Haute.

We had another fun gig at Mogger's tonight. We had quite a few friends of the MRB stop by. It was great to see so many familiar faces as well as some new ones. Our good friend Kevin Beel came by and sat in for a couple of tunes. He sounded great as always. Kevin will be sitting in for me on Tuesday, July 29th at Mogger's. Come check him out and enjoy a nice Tuesday night of good food, drink, and music.

We were inspired tonight by a young band that was playing at The Tap Room (outside in the Beer Garden). They were a trio (guitar, bass, and drums). They were all about 18 years of age and were on the road. Their next stop was South Dakota, if my memory is correct. These guys were good and courageous, playing some tunes as a trio that are normally played by bands with horn sections and lots of percussion. For example, they played Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Sir Duke, by Stevie Wonder. We got to speak briefly with them and they seemed like a great bunch having a great time. Well, as I said, we were inspired and set plans to learn a bunch of new tunes, soon.

We hope to see you soon at another MRB outing. Peace

We played our first gig outside in the Beer Garden at The Tap Room. We hired a sound guy and, apparently, it sure made a difference. We got a lot of compliments on how good the band sounded. It was a lot of fun playing through a big system. Thanks Chris. Thanks Brian.

We had a good crowd. Quite a bit of turnover with lots of new faces and some familiar ones as well. We thank you all for coming out. There was a lot going on around town, so we especially appreciate those of you who chose to spend some time with us on this hot Summer night

We wore our new band t-shirts. They are a neon green/yellow. They're pretty cool. We are selling them for $10.00 if you're interested. We sold at least two tonight.

We look forward to playing outside at The Beer Garden again soon.

We had a blast kicking off the first night of Summer at Stu's 19th Hole. This was our first time at this venue and, I must say, we enjoyed ourselves very much. We had a great crowd. The room was pretty full. Certainly one of the largest crowds we've had since we started playing out as the MRB. We had a lot of family and friends show up as well as plenty of new faces.

We hadn't played together in two weeks; but, for some reason, it felt like a lot longer than that. Regardless, we were really looking forward to playing and we had a great time. It was a "good music, good friends, good time" kind of night. Just how we like them.

Sorry, but we don't have any pictures as of yet. I understand; however, that some pictures were taken. We may have to scan them (don't think they were digital); but, once we get them, we'll be sure to post them to the MRB web site. Also, Pam Rolle surprised us with band t-shirts on our first break. They're pretty cool. We'll try and get a picture and put it on the web. Email the band if you are interested in purchasing one. We had several folks inquire about buying them.

Thanks to everyone who came out to see us tonight. We really appreciate your support of the band as well as hanging out with you. Thanks also to the staff at Stu's for their hospitality and to my breakfast friends that helped us pack up at the end of the night. We hope to be back at Stu's sometime soon.

This was our first gig at The Dawg House and we had a great time. Though we had hoped that the crowd would be larger, those that were there were enthusiastic and seemed to enjoy themselves. I can confidently say that there were more people dancing at this gig than at any other MRB gig we've done since we began playing out in public back in late October, 2002. There may have been more dancing tonight than at all previous MRB gigs combined! To all of you who came out to our first gig at The Dawg House, thanks. We really appreciated you being there.

We had a lot of fun playing tonight. We had an extra big sound thanks to The Dawg House sound system. We also had some talent join us on stage. Rob Steidel, co-owner of The Dawg House and keyboard and vocalist for The MacDaddy band, sat in with the MRB several times throughout the evening. We had a lot of fun jamming with Rob and we hope to do more of it in the future, with Rob and other guest players.

The evening flew by. We were having so much fun we didn't realize that we played 5 full hours with just 2 short breaks. We got some very nice feedback from many of the folks that attended and, as always, we sure appreciate that. Thanks to Rob and Pat for their wonderful hospitality and we look forward to next month when we are back at The Dawg House on July 25th.

Another fun gig at Mogger's. We had a good little crowd with some surprise enthusiasm. We witnessed some fantastic dancing from Jim and another gentleman whom I know by face but not by name. They were really good and had the place jumping. Jeff had a gang in, Jan and Kyle stopped in for dinner and music, Milt and Frank also stopped in, Mike's Mom came by for a set, and there were quite a few new faces as well. We had a surprise visit from Dave and Rob from the McDaddy's who came over to say hi. They were playing over at The Dawg House which they will be doing every Tuesday night. Check it out.

Thanks to all who came out. As always, we really appreciate it and hope we are being successful in sharing with you our love of playing music.

We tried to mix it up tonight, even more than usual. We stretched out many a tune, exploring improvisationally, listening, trying new things. We've added a couple of blues tunes to our repertoire including one from Johnny A. I thought the band played well tonight, especially Mike and Jerome. Mike has been on fire the past two gigs. He has played extremely well and has raised the bar for me and Jerome. Jerome, who always plays with an amazing amount of joy and energy really lit it up tonight. At one point he left the stage area and was dancing (and playing) all over the dance floor. He was unbelievable and it makes me smile as I'm writing and thinking about it. It is such a joy playing with these two guys.

All in all it was another fun gig at Ms. Xtremes. Penny, Sean, and Mark's hospitality was great as usual. Though the crowd was not large, it was enthusiastic with a mix of new and familiar faces. We sincerely thank you all for supporting the band and for the wonderful feedback you give us. We look forward to playing here again soon.

We were hoping to perform outside, but the weather was threatening rain, so we performed inside. Because there was a private party upstairs, we had to perform in the corner downstairs. Although it is a little cramped, it always reminds me of the first time we performed in public together. That moment was such a powerful memory, that the excitement of it still affects me.

We had a good crowd, which included “Cookin’ Blues” featuring Mark Cook (guitar), Adam Moraga (bass & vocals), & Brad Dart (drums). Mark and Adam joined John on stage to end the night. Mike and I enjoyed the performance.

We thank our fans for coming out and supporting us once again.

Playing live with Mike and Jerome is just so much fun! We had an up and down night from a playing perspective but, all in all, it was a blast as usual. We had some fun improvising and tried quite a few things just off the cuff. It's almost always fun just seeing if we can come up with something new, really listening to each other, and being musical. Sometimes stuff works and sometimes it doesn't but sometimes you just have to stretch a little.

We had probably our best crowd on a weeknight with much thanks to Nicola McConville for coordinating an AET get-together. I think we had 17 or more folks just from AET. Thank you all for coming out. It was great to see you. We were pretty active with the camera this night and we tried to get most of our guests, so check out the photo link and see if you are there. Thanks also to Sean Mason for sitting in with the band. He sounded great. By the way, Sean's band, along with two other bands, is playing Friday night, May 2 at the Brewhause. Check it out.

This was only my 2nd time seeing the Mike Rolle Band play, but both times I LOVED them. What I like most about the band is that they have so much fun playing together. You can tell they love to play together and that's why they sound great. Mike's voice sounds so good with the songs they pick out and Jerome makes the bass look easy and the band wouldn't be the same without John. They really are great!! I really enjoyed them. Emily.

My Dad was the best. Mike is cool. I want to go again. Dad was smacking the drums. Mike was so happy. Jerome played the bass. My Mom and aunt Patti were crazy. They danced and yelled till the cows came home. We had a good time. Drew.

Hey......the band was great!!! I really like their style and how they played a great mixture of music and the fact that they didn't blast the windows out of the place......a person could actually carry on a conversation at the table, and still enjoy the music. My compliments! Catch ya later!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The "Bustin' A Move" Kid, Tom.

Well, it was a bit difficult getting up for this gig after last night. However, once we got set up we all wanted to play and see if we could apply some of the things we learned from listening and playing with Dave. Unfortunately, we didn't have much of a crowd, though, for the most part, the crowd that was there was appreciative. A bit of a funny thing happened when someone over at one of the pool tables yelled..."You guys suck!"...to which Mike replied..."Thank you.....don't let the door hit you in the ass". Well, we didn't get in a fight, thank goodness and we got to quit a little earlier than usual (i.e. we weren't responding to a crowd yelling one more, one more!). They can't all be good gigs.

Friday, March 28th, Rob, Troy, me, Curt from CLH Sound, and our good drumming friends Kevin Beel and Steve Ellis all got to witness one of the most inspiring nights of music we have seen in a long, long time. We were at Ms. Extreme's Bar and Grill to see the Mike Rolle Band. You all may know 2/3 of the band since Mike played guitar for us before Troy joined The MacDaddys Band, and John DiCenso has played drums with us on numerous occasions. John's family was in from Boston to visit...and what a musical family he comes from! His father is an accomplished drummer, teacher, and drum shop owner. His brother Joseph is a great piano player. His brother Dave is literally a "world class" drummer with a resume that would knock your socks off!

The night started out with the band jamming different styles of music and getting the vibe going. Then Dave took to the stage on drums and put on the most awe-inspiring performance I have ever seen. He ignited the whole room, and more importantly the entire band. Especially the bass player, Jerome Cheatham!!! By the end of the night, even people who don't know much about music realized they were witnessing something special. A goup of people even sat on the floor just feet away from the band and were totally drawn in by the performance. It was like we were in the DiCenso's living room! The camaraderie, musicianship, and John's wonderful family made it a night to remember for all of us.

Dave

A Night to Remember! A warm, garrulous welcome from Mike and Jerome, who already seemed like family, ushered us into the unpretentious, smoky sports bar. We’d barely settled around our vinyl-topped 8-foot folding table when a chair went over across the room and a blurry-eyed, grayish man picked himself stiffly off the floor. The bar went silent for a minute or two while the two contenders jockeyed verbally for their dignity and the one-up position without escalating the scene.

Laughing nervously, I said, “Y’all sure no how to party out here!”

Mike’s mom came over and introduced herself, I ordered a pitcher of Newcastle and we settled in to enjoy the show.

What stays with me:

• Jerome’s flashing smile and joy-filled smooth moves;
• Talking with Jerome after the first set--his warmth and affection; him saying he wanted to become an honorary DiCenso family member;
• John’s friends Rob, Steve, Dave and Kevin letting us know, in words and with their eyes how much esteem and respect they had for John, how excited they were to hear the brother who somehow played even better than John—which they found hard to fathom, how much they appreciated the vibe they were picking up from our family;
• Mom and Dad’s moist eyes as they watched John solo, watched me watching John play, watched their sons interact with the growing groupie clatch;
• Hearing the immediate difference in the sound when Dave sat in—authoritative, groove, power, energy—before he even began pulling out stops; like a 700 horsepower engine idling;
• Watching Dave unfurl, and begin blowing minds right and left; watching Rob and Kevin and Steve and Dave (the sound man) stare in amazement and shake their heads—later, hearing them talk about either wanting to go home and play for hours or wanting to quit playing altogether. By the end of the third number, even the rowdy boys at the bar glued to the college B-ball game had turned around on their stools and were now glued to Dave;
• Seeing John’s beaming face as he watched and recorded Dave—captivated, proud, giddy;
• John’s “hardest thing I’ve ever done”—getting back behind the set after Dave sat in; and playing well –not trying too hard, just giving us his all; I don’t remember a time I was more proud of him;
• Around 1:30 or so, Dave jumping up and backing up vocals on Mustang Sally—hamming it up, loose and funny and playful;
• Mike saying to Dave, “You gonna play another tune?” and Dave saying, “I might as well.” After some thinking, they went back to Superstitious, their signature tune. A line of chairs materialized on the dance floor, front and center as Rob, Steve and Kevin and others turned the bar into a clinic, eager to absorb as much as possible of this phenom’s mastery and gift. Dave the soundman, meanwhile positioned himself against the wall behind the speakers where he could take in Dave alone. The expression on his face was like someone watching a new-born, a sunrise, a loved one dying, a starry night sky—on the verge of tears and a beaming smile at the same time;
• Someone said at one point--I can’t recall when--how much love Dave had brought into the room. It was palpable. It was a love-in. People said things like, “I’m so glad I’m here,” and “I feel inspired” and “25 people took in an event like this—so many people missed out;” people wanted to touch each other, to somehow share in the wonder, the beauty, their amazement. People didn’t want to leave; I imagine they wanted to bask in the glow that Dave and Mike and Jerome and John had created.

Joseph

My Dad was in town visiting from Boston and he and I went to see Mike Rolle playing at Mogger's Pub. Jerome was out of town so Mike was doing a duo with Kenny Hayes. Well,we only stayed for one set but it was a treat. Mike and Kenny really played well together. It was a great night for listening to accoustic guitars played by two excellent players. Kenny is a terrific player who plays very musically with fluidity and with an obvious command of his instrument. Both Mike's playing and singing sounded great and it was nice to see him in a bit of a different setting where I could really sit back and just listen. There were obviously many guitar players in the audience and they seemed to be enjoying the show. Nice going going guys. Kenny, hope you can come by and sit in with the full band sometime.

We would like to thank everyone for coming out to the Tap Room Saturday night. We had a great time. We decided to play upstairs where there is more room. This was a good thing as we had a packed house. It was a little work carrying everything upstairs but I think it was well worth it. No cold breeze coming in from the door every time someone opened it. We really enjoyed the room...nice acoustics, great crowd, plenty of space. We could have probably squeezed in a few more tables and still had room for dancing. Everyone seemed to have a great time and we had a good little dancing crowd thanks to Milt and his gang, Sheila and her friends, Nicola, Claire, and others.

Thanks to everyone who signed our mailing list. We are starting to develop a good following and a great mailing list. We’re kind of excited about that since we’ve been playing out less than 6 months. We promise to keep email to a minimum. We all get enough junk mail.

I hope everyone that comes out has as much fun as we do. We have several new tunes to add to our song list and we look forward to playing them for you. Our next gig is Friday, March 28 at Ms. Xtreme’s which is located at the corner of Fruitridge and Wabash (the old B & J Sports Bar/ Papa Joe's). They have the best breaded tenderloin in the area and home made chips to die for.

Again, thanks for coming out. We look forward to seeing you again.

We played a new club for us on Friday night. It was the Hollywood Sports Pub in Robinson, IL. Though it is a bit of a ride from Terre Haute, it's worth it. The club is a great place to play with plenty of room for dancing, good acoustics, and very nice people. Unfortunately we had a small turnout due to a Mardi Gras party elswhere in town as well as the local basketball team having a state tournament game. We understand they lost a close one in the final minutes. Great season regardless.

We met quite a few very nice folks and want to thank the club management and staff for their hospitality. A special thanks to Mike Smith who we enjoyed meeting and talking with along with his lovely wife, Laurie (I hope my memory and spelling is correct). We especially enjoyed dedicating one of our favorite tunes, Silly Puddy by Stanley Clark to Mike. We were thrilled to find another Stanley Clark fan in the crowd.

We had a great time despite the low turnout. The crowd that was their was enthusiastic and we have been asked to come back again. We look forward to returning to the Hollywood Sports Pub sometime soon.

It was a cold, snowy, miserable evening outside, and most chose to stay home rather than brave the elements. But, a few hearty souls came out to have a good time at Ms. Xtreme's to enjoy their wonderful tenderloins among other things, and the band. Among the folks who ventured out that night was an ex-associate and current friend of mine, Miss Leslie Kackley, who celebrated her 21st birthday that evening with a group of her friends. I was honored to be a part of that celebration by singing happy birthday to her.

John was in Atlanta, GA on business, so for the first time we had a substitute. Mr. Travis Morris was kind enough to help out. I enjoyed Travis very much. I look forward to playing with him again on a night when we have a larger audience.

We are back at Ms. Xtreme's on Friday, March 28, 2003. We'd love to see you.

We had an unexpected gig at Mogger's. The band that was supposed to play couldn't make it and we got a call last minute. We had a very enjoyable time. We had an enthusiastic crowd which included some members of our family. Kelly (my wife) brought our two sons, Drew and Deven. We played one of Deven's new favorite tunes, "Hound Dog". It made his night! Thanks Mike for pulling yet another tune out of your hat.

In addition to having great fun playing, we had a couple of surprise guests show up and sit in with the band. Dan Lauby, a fine player and drum teacher at the Conservatory of Music, came by and sat in with the band for a few tunes and a great drum solo. Travis Morris also stopped by and sat in for a couple of tunes and showed some of his talent and skill as well. Hope you guys had as much fun as I do playing with Mike and Jerome.

As always, thanks to Mogger's for their hospitality. We are getting to be a regular band there with quite a few dates over the next couple of months. Check our Dates Page for specific dates and times. Please stop by and see us.

We had a great time on Valentine’s night at Ms. Extremes. With the weather being as bad as it was, I was not expecting much of a crowd, but we had a good turn out for the grand opening. Everyone had a good time. The owner’s gave away a lot of door prizes and we celebrated a birthday.

Once again, we had a dance floor. We enjoy performing more when we have a large area to perform in, and when people dance…a lot. Both requirements were met Friday night.

We thank those who braved the weather and shared their evening with us. We also thank Ms. Xtreme's for their hospitality and we look forward to playing their again soon....in fact we are there Saturday, February 22nd so please come by and see us.

We played the Highway 36 Saloon in Rockville for the first time last night. We had a lot of fun. It was nice to finally play a venue with a dance floor. And despite our somewhat limited country repertoire, quite a few people were up and dancing away! Mike did a great job pulling some tunes out of thin air.

Thanks to all who came out on such a cold winter's night. Thank you Adam for making the trip out to see us and for sitting in with the band and helping us deliver some blues music to the crowd. Lastly, thanks very much to the people of Highway 36 Saloon for their hospitality.

We had another fun gig at the Tap Room. Despite being disappointed about not playing the Verve on Friday night and a pretty rought start to this gig (problems with equipment), we managed to put it behind us and have a good time playing and singing and grooving to the music with our friends. Kudos to Mike for keeping such a great attitude about the whole thing. He was my hero Saturday night.

There was a lot of activity on this cold night. It was Mandy's (Mike and Pam's daughter) birthday....happy birthday Mandy, Kevin and Beth (good friends of the band) were upstairs with family and friends, and across the street, Erin and Rob (of the great MacDaddys band) were having their wedding reception at the Brewhause. Erin and Rob, congratulations and best wishes for a long and happy life together. We saw a lot of familiar and some new faces. We had a great crowd, including the rowdy bunch who insisted on us playing some White Snake. We hope we satisfied their musical appetite with some Hendrix and Zeplin and one of Kelly's favorite songs, Low Rider. Also, the MacDaddys band stopped by for a quick hello.

We played till almost 2:00am. We keep saying we are too old to do that but somehow, when we are playing, it doesn't seem to matter. Of course, when we stop playing....that's a whole different story. All in all a very enjoyable evening and, as always, we look forward to playing The Tap Room again next month.

We had the pleasure of hearing the Mike Rolle Band again last Tuesday night at Mogger’s Pub. There wasn’t a seat left on the floor, so we were in the balcony. We even arrived early so that our son could “sit in” with them for the warm up. It’s testament to the fact that the band has really developed a following. It’s no wonder they have. The music that they make draws you in and makes you want be a part of it. The smiles are infectious and the crowd of all ages is compelled to move to their sound. We laughed as our son, 11 months, couldn’t help but bounce and really “groove” to the music. It just goes to show that it doesn’t take a music critic to know good music. It’s great music and always fun.

If you haven’t seen the Mike Rolle Band, we highly recommend you make a point to come out and see them soon. Just remember, get there early, so that you can get a good seat.

Hello Everyone. We played the Tap Room Saturday night and had a ball. Great sound, great music, great crowd. I would like to thank you all for making this so much fun this year.

Thanks to all our friends, family, and fans that have come out to see our little group and have heard the music. Thanks to Mike, Mike, Rob, and Denis who invited us out to play at their establishments this year and have asked us to come back next year. Thanks to all of our new friends who have invited us out to play next year and to all who have experienced the sheer fun it is to be a part of the music.

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year.

Mike, John, and Jerome

Tuesday night was very laid back. Several friends of the band were there including Hope Phillips my co-worker from Sears. I believe she has been to more of our performances than any other Sears associate, and I thank her for her support.

Many of the folks in the audience were musicians. There was an older gentleman that I met who happened to be a bassist from South Bend who stayed to hear us before hitting the road. Then there was a young guitarist who was in his prime. He shared with us his experiences on the road, and with musical groups on the verge of recording contracts. Oh to be young again.

Finally, the drummers. Mr Keven Beal sat in with us for a couple of songs. I enjoyed his playing very much. Then there was this other drummer who delighted in everything. With a little help from John, his time and groove was great. He had the biggest smile on his face... and he was only around 9....months...old! BOY was he mad when his daddy took him off of John's lap! Where's a camera when you need it???....well actually, I think we got a couple of shots (see the Photo Link for this review).

Thanks to all of you who came out to see us on Thanksgiving weekend. It was an enthusiastic crowd full of family and friends. And yes, we even had dancing thanks to the talented sister trio of Patti Munroe, Karen Paradis, and Kelly DiCenso who were joined (in the early evening) by Kelly's nieces Erin (14), Emily (14), Alison (6) and Caitlin (3). We'd like to also thank Deven DiCenso (6) who generated some enthusiasm himself through his pursuit of the perfect photograph. Deven took many of the photos that you will find linked to this page.

True to form, the band had as much fun, if not more, as anyone. We took one 10 minute break the entire night!! Good thing we are only gigging a couple times per month. We seem to forget we aren't 18 anymore. We got to mix it up quite a bit, playing around with our set list, performing a couple of new tunes, and stretching out on others. We really had a great time. Thanks again, to all of you who were able to come out and have some fun with us.

As the opening crescendo rose over the crowd, the anticipatory excitement was palpable. Not since, Jack, Chrissy, and Janet have a trio displayed more joy in a performance while maintaining the ability to spread and share the spotlight equally among the group. From lead guitarist/vocalist Mike Rolle's upbeat, lively lyrics and comical interplay with the crowd, to Jerome Cheatham's infectious smile and bass play, the crowd tapped, danced and sang along as if choreographed by the Band itself. Frampton, Beatles, Goo Goo Dolls, Wonder and more, highlighted the play list, which wove in and out of genres as deftly as a frontier-quilting bee.

Given more solo time than Celine Dion, drummer John DiCenso took full advantage and thundered out tempo changing licks not seen since the owl tried to reach the center of a tootsie roll pop. The night grew long, but not the energy, and the small confines of the Tap Room seemed to grow right along with the crowd. This is not your average department store band and there is nothing discount about its stage presence. You'll recognize old songs, old friends and old feelings as you spend a more than enjoyable night with the Mike Rolle Band, a trio worthy of four stars.

The Mike Rolle Band was the entertainment at Sears' 2002 annual family, friends, and associates after-hours sale at the Honey Creek mall. Much thanks to Denis Hodge and the rest of the Sears family for their hospitality and for the wonderful store-wide intercom plugs for the band. According to Denis there was a banner turnout and a good time had by all. It was a great opportunity for some young folks to hear the band. Thanks to all of the kids who made us feel like stars by asking for our autographs. That was a hoot! And thanks to all of our families and friends who came out to hear the band. Your support is much appreciated. A special thanks to Virgil for the excellent roady work. Check out the pictures and movie clips by clicking on the Photo Link above. We hope to see you at the Tap Room this Saturday, 11/23/02. We start about 8:00pm.

This was my first time hearing the band, and all I can say is WOW!!! This band ROCKS! Mike Rolle has a great voice and wonderful "presence" on stage, not to mention his talent musically. Jerome has an absolutely infectious smile. His smile and groove while playing is amazing and the result is that listeners can't help but smile right back. It was a true delight to watch Jerome. I admit to some bias when it comes to the drummer, John- but man, this guy can play drums. As I watched others watching him play drums, I knew that I was not alone in my state of awe.

Although the crowd was small, the response to The Mike Rolle Band was great. The band is "tight" yet "loose" all at the same time. They seem to have fun playing and this shines through. They play an array of music which appeals to all ages. From top 40 (Goo-Goo Dolls, Counting Crows, Dave Matthews) to funk/jazz (Stanley Clark) to Rock (Jimi Hendrix) This band has it all! It was a real treat to hear The Mike Rolle Band. I encourage everyone to come out and experience the gift that these guys have to offer. Look on their website for upcoming dates.

Hello, We played at Frog's on Friday Nov. 8th. The place was packed! I had no idea we would have such a great response from all of you. Thank you, we enjoyed your company. We would also like to apologize for any inconvenience to those of you who couldn't get in upstairs. We missed you and your presence would have made the night even better. It's only the 2nd time out for us and your response was tremendous. I think we're ready for bigger venues. Who knew?

Everybody had a good time. We started out quiet during dinner and picked it up in the second set. It was a small challenge for us to keep it low but we handled it well. It's hard to keep the energy up when you're playing that soft. Of course my mother said she really enjoyed it at this level. Sounds like Mom.

Love you Mom.

We'd also like to thank Rob LaVanne for having us at Frog's. We enjoyed our experience. Rob would also like to apologize for the inconvenience and the lack of space. He has some great ideas for opening up the area upstairs and creating a more open atmosphere. We are looking forward to the changes and working with Rob again. This could turn into a regular thing. Frog's has a wonderful atmosphere and great food.

I hope everyone will come out again to see us. If you couldn't get in the other night come see me at our next gig and I'll buy you a drink.

Thanks, Mike

Well, we did our first gig as "The Mike Rolle Band" on Saturday night, October 26th at the Tap Room. The Band was pretty nervous about playing well, about the venue, and about the turnout. Well, the venue was great. The Tap Room is initimate enough to really feel the crowd yet big enough that we could let loose a bit. Thanks to Mike Rowe and the whole gang at the Tap Room for their hospitality and making us feel very welcome. We are really looking forward to playing there again soon. In fact, we are scheduled to play there Saturday night, November 23rd and Saturday night, December 14th. We can hardly wait!

The crowd was equally great. We had a lot of friends show up and we received a lot of wonderful feedback. We thank each and everyone of you for coming out and making the night something special. We look forward to seeing you all soon. See our Dates page for our most recent bookings and tell a friend about us.

As far as the playing goes, I guess we did okay. We have at least a few tunes we need to polish up; but, based on the feedback we received, we must have pleased at least some of you. One thing is for sure, we had an absolutely great time playing! We'll have had a couple more rehearsals before we play our next gig at Frog's on Friday November 8th, so we should be a little tighter and a little looser at the same time. Hope to see you there.

For those of you who couldn't make it out to our first gig, I'd like to share a quick story that Mike shared with the crowd. We have been rehearsing off and on since the early part of the year and we were beginning to get the itch to play out. So, Mike began making the rounds to different places to see if he could book us a few gigs. Well, Mike soon discovered that the Managers of these establishments wanted to hear a demo tape before they would hire the band. We have never gotten around to making a demo tape and Mike knew we probably wouldn't anytime soon. And even if we did, they typically don't come out very well unless you go into a studio. So, Mike decided to bring our song list and his guitar along his next time out. When the Manager asked Mike if he had a demo tape Mike replied, no but I have this (and pulled out his guitar and song list) and asked, "What would you like to hear". Now those of you who know Mike, this was a bit out of character for him. But he refused to come to the next rehearsal without a gig for the band. Using this effective, if not out-of-desperation-method, Mike booked us our first few gigs. Thanks Mike. A great example to us all of what good things can happen if we are sometimes willing to step out of our comfort zone!