March 14, 1991

Xtender having fun sticking to rock's roots

Rock 'n' roll is a lot of fun on the surface, but for groups trying to make a living at it, alligator wrestling is probably easier. The prospects for success are even slimmer these days, when rock is close to extinction in the face of lip-synced rappers dancing to computer-programmed beats. Still, if you look a little beyond MTV and the hot hits in Rolling Stone, you'll find plenty of bands turning the guitar volume up and using real-live drums.

Xtender is one such band committed to the roots of rock 'n' roll and trying to climb the ladder of success with it. The Peninsula-based group released its self-titled first album a few months ago featuring some rockabilly-inspired numbers and other 1950's and 1960's-oriented rock (with a nod to the 1990's occasional synthesizer). The band, like many others, plays a lot of established songs when it does the club scene. There are gigs at places like the Farm House in Redwood City and Route 66 in Burlingame. But the five-member group is crying out for its own voice.

Leaders/songwriters Dave Crimmen and Harry Mello stress the power of Xtender's original songs and the successful impact thus far with live audiences. "There's really a magic between the five of us," Crimmen said. "The (debut) album was written and recorded in five months." Crimmen, on vocals and guitar, is accompanied by Mello on keyboards, Tony "T-Bone" Ramos (bass), Sal D'Amato (drums) and Leif Carlson (guitar, vocals). Xtender has also been fast at getting itself known. With hustlers like Crimmen and Mello, the group has made itself known to rock greats like Fats Domino, Carl Perkins and "The Killer," Jerry Lee Lewis. Crimmen said Perkins agreed to record three of Xtenders songs when he approached Mr. Blue Suede Shoes last year. The outcome of those songs is still pending but Perkins' phone will probably keep ringing until he does record them.

The group's original music isn't particularly adventurous or innovative &endash; the theme here is standard party rock with titles like, "If You Said Yes (I Wouldn't Say No)," "The Man With The X-Ray Eyes," "When Your Lover Says Goodbye" and "Little Miss Management." But the group's goal is going back to rock's roots. Crimmen, an avid Elvis and Beatles fan, said he plays "the types of rock I grew up with, that I enjoy playing best. You don't hear enough bands today that have these kinds of roots." Mello, the keyboard player with the shaved head and the shades, said he adds the thought-provoking element to the band, with songs like "Little Miss Management," an ode to a former manager.

Mello and Crimmen remain enthusiastic about the fate of straight-ahead rock 'n' roll. "It's presence has always been there," Crimmen said. "It's never gone away - it's gotten more subtle." You can catch Xtender next at El Perico in Half Moon Bay this Sunday and Friday, March 22, before the group hits the road for Colorado.

-Bruce Batron