The Royales will once again be radiating their infectious rock and soul sound Friday night at Casa Nueva.
“We have probably played at Casa a hundred times in the past 15 years,” said Roman Warmke, the band’s bassist.
Warmke’s band-mate and guitar player, John Borchard, seems to agree after visiting the venue for a number of years.
“Casa is a great venue — nice staff, friendly casual atmosphere and a spot that our audience seems to like a lot,” Borchard said. “I’ve played at Casa with many other bands over the years for the same reasons.”
After joining forces in 1995, the crew decided to name the band after a conversation between actors in the movie, Pulp Fiction.
“The band is a big royale, with cheese,” Warmke said. “So much cheese in fact, that a local pizza shop (Avalanche Pizza) named a pizza after us.”
Originally starting out as a three-piece funk and jazz band similar to the styling of Medeski Martin & Wood, the group decided to expand their horizons with vocalist and bassist Pat Brown.
As a result, the seven-man band is currently celebrating 17 years of their high-energy dance music, in addition to their recently acquired status as “Best Local Band in Athens.”
“I think we have a very loyal following that is very diverse,” Borchard said. “The quality of our shows is quite consistent. People know that they can depend on us to deliver a night of high quality, high-octane fun.”
Some of the group’s more popular cover’s include Otis Redding’s “Shake”, “Pack It Up” by Freddie King, Joe Cocker’s “The Letter” and Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish.”
“Well, we are a dance band so that’s what our audience expects and responds to,” Borchard said. “…It has a killer dance groove, a great arrangement and inspired playing. What’s not to like?”
The band continues to create new material and meanwhile has made two additions to the line-up: Bernie Nau on the keys and Dick Garretson on the trumpet.
“The best accomplishments from this past year that come to mind are the addition of two new band members,” Warmke said. “Nau because he is uber talented and brings a producers hear to our music and Garretson as he can blow that horn just like a ringin’ bell.”
Tim Peacock, Casa Nueva’s booking agent, said the audience at the venue has continued to favor the band and its dance-inspired numbers.
“The Royales have been playing at Casa for years,” Peacock said. “They are always a favorite for our audience. We are excited to have them back.”
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