Keep an ear out for local shows by Robby Roadsteamer, who is launching his return Saturday with a show at the Dodge Street Bar & Grill in Salem.
Roadsteamer, a hard rock parody once ubiquitous at area clubs, underground performance spaces such as Allston’s legendary Pan 9 and on WBCN radio, died earlier this year when the persona was abandoned by Rob Potylo. Roadsteamer was 9.
But while Potylo pursues a musical career based somewhat quixotically on that of outsider artist Daniel Johnston, in his comedy he has another hero: Andy Kaufman, who created an obnoxious lounge lizard persona named Tony Clifton and — apparently by passing it on to a second performer, Kaufman right-hand man Bob Zmuda — was outlived by him.
And so Potylo has handed off Roadsteamer to Brett J. McCabe, a musician, comedian and Roadsteamer fan and street-team member 2005, although he hated Roadsteamer when he saw him for the first time at a teen center while attending Newton North High School.
“I didn’t think that years later I’d be dressing up as that stupid character around Halloween,” McCabe said, “or eventually doing it for real.”
“Maybe I just got it,” he said of his evolution into a Roadsteamer fan.
McCabe and the Roadsteamer band, including the steadfast Nick D’Amico, have been preparing the return (including the uniquely rough Roadsteamer voice) for months; Potylo started talking about handing off the persona in January, around the time he was releasing his “Worried All the Time I’ll Make Mistakes” album.
“Pretty much since 2006 I’ve been trying to get back to being me,” Potylo said.
The new Roadsteamer gets unleashed in a multiband show starting at 8 p.m. Saturday at Dodge Street, 7 Dodge St., Salem. For information, call (978) 745-0139 or visit the event’s Facebook page.
A stronger
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
We are now a 501(c)3 nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
Please consider a recurring contribution.