Soul Rebel to Perform
By Shelley koppel, Entertainment Writer for Hometown News
When you find out that the lead singer for the band Soul Rebel is named Desi Kane and discover that he lives in Port St. Lucie, you can't help but think of a comedy duo with Lucy and Desi in their names.
However, Desi Kane chose his stage name from a character named Dez in the movie, "Desperately Seeking Susan," not from the Cuban bandleader.
If that weren't confusing enough, the band's name comes from a Bob Marley song, "Soul Rebel," but the band doesn't specialize in island music.
"I'm a big fan of Bob Marley," he said. "We honeymooned in Jamaica in the late 1970s and I saw him perform in Pittsburgh. I felt a real connection and he was a real influence."
The band, in its current incarnation for three years, consists of Kevin Peck on guitar, Garry Nutt on bass, Jimmy Autin on keyboard, and of course, Desi Kane on drums, vocals and harmonica.
"It's all about having a rebel attitude with your soul music," Mr. Kane said. "It's rockabilly with soul, James Brown Wilson Pickett. It's southern rock and rebel soul music. Soul Rebel is all about dancing. It's about people asking for a song to dance to or a song for their girlfriend. Women are the first ones to get up and it's totally acceptable for them to dance with each other. Then the guys can't help it and before you know it, everybody's up and they're having a great time."
While Soul Rebel covers popular songs like "Brown-Eyed Girl," that is only a small part of Desi Kane's passion.
"There are only so many hours in a week, and I spend a few hours on stage," he said. "It's much less time than I spend writing and recording. To me, unless you write and compose, you're missing a big chunk of what it is to be an artist."
Mr. Kane also performs as a duo with keyboardist Jimmy Autin, and the two got together over a medical problem.
"I had a paralyzed vocal chord and Jimmy is an ear, nose and throat surgeon," Mr. Kane says. "That's' how I met him. He's a doctor, but he loves to play."
The band will be performing at the first Friday Fest of the new year, at Main Street Fort Pierce on Jan. 4, 2008*.
They'll be performing songs from the CD "Waveland," a blues-based album that Desi Kane wrote from 2000-2002 and which was recorded with his Pittsburgh band at Duquesne University. The musicians of Soul Rebel have added several cuts to make it their own, Mr. Kane says, and there is a new song, as well.
"It's as pertinent today as it was then," he said. "I'm very proud of it."
The Soul Rebel Duo appears at the Osceola Street Cafe, 25 S.W. Osceola Street, Stuart, on Dec. 31, from 7-11 p.m. Call (772) 283-6116.
The band will appear at Friday Fest in downtown Fort Piece on *Jan. 4, 2008 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
*Edit: Rescheduled due to Rain. Now Jan. 11th at the same time.
From the Hometown News on December 28, 2007. Original Aricle found here.
