By Scott Hayes
MERIDEN, CT -- Dave Brunette is becoming somewhat of a regular onstage at Rosie's Cafe, where live music is front and center every Friday and Saturday night.
Brunette has several iterations of his music: db3 his trio consisting of himself on guitar and vocals, Dave Donahue on bass, vocals and 12-string guitar, and Gary Johnson on drums; and db2, a duo consisting of Brunette and Donahue. The band has been journeying down into central Connecticut from the Springfield/Agawam, Mass. area and building a following at the Camp Street cafe where quality music and food is served.
The band will return Friday, December 16 to Rosie's, and plays a few times a month at the venue where there is never a cover charge for the live music presented, unless it's a fundraiser or benefit show. Brunette and db3 recently performed and entertained with mix of rock, pop, blues, classics, originals and even jazz.
The group opened a second set of their recent appearance at Rosie's with a cover of Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" before breaking into the Eagles' popular "Hotel California." Brunette kept the set moving with Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty," followed by the Rolling Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman" and "Can't Get No Satisfaction."
Brunette kept the joint swinging with "Louie, Louie, Loo-I...," the Beatles' "Saw Her Standing There and Steve Winwood's "Gimme, Gimme Some Lovin'," followed by the Stones' "Paint It Black," then Tito Puente's "Oye Come Va."
Brunette, who also is a songwriter and producer, spends most of his time with db3 and the AKA band. He occasionally will strip it down to duo and solo gigs, but little on-stage presence is lost. Brunette's musical style is a combination of his edgy, raw, rock 'n' roll roots sprinkled with pop, blues, jazz and classical influences. Inspired by the likes of Jeff Beck, Leslie West, Jimi Hendrix, Jonathan Sebastian Bach, Larry Carlton and Pat Metheny, Brunette shares his enthusiasm for music and entertainment with his audience.
"One thing that I am passionate about is the need for people to see and hear music as it is created right there on that stage," Brunette said. "I don't care if the guy got the horn lines right. Did he invent something that brought the music to a different level? Did he pull something out of his soul? Did the person singing the song make me believe his dog just died? I could dislike the music and still get goose bumps from the performance. That's the beauty of live music."
Rosie's owner Helen Cortes is dedicated to providing live music on a consistent basis at her three-year old establishment to Meriden residents and those of surrounding towns.
What Brunette brings to the stage is musical diversity -- another set starting with Marshall Tucker's "Can't You See?", morphing into John Mellencamp's "Hurts So Good," then the blues standard "Mustang Sally." Before the set is complete, the band is playing an original tune that bridges to the Georgia Satellites' "Change in my Pocket" then the Police's "Message in a Bottle," before amping up for a Steely Dan composition.
Brunette will be peforming in the central Connecticut area as part of the band Skyway on Friday, November 25, at Billy Tee's, 150 Sebethe Drive in Cromwell before the next db3 gig at Rosie's in Meriden, December 16 from 7:30-11:30 p.m.
For more information about Rosie's Cafe and other live bands, contact Cortes at (203) 235-2412. Brunette's web site is www.davebrunette.com.
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