Super bob

Fun also was key to the appeal of SuperBob, a leaping, hair-twirling, sweaty and – well, super – 4-piece band out of Washington D.C. Equipped with their own twin risers — for better choreographed leaping, of course — the band tore through its set for a modest crowd at BackBooth as if it were Ozzfest.

Apparently, until last year, the band was known merely as Bob. (True.) After watching them, I might suggest that they add an additional “Super” to the name. Yeah, it was that good. - Jim Abbott

if you're not having a one man mosh to Superbob by the end of what I have to say here, we're not friends anymore. It might be my love for 90's rap-rock, it might be my love for alternative and punk-flavored rock, or maybe it's my undeniable penchant for a damn good groove, but whatever it is, I can't shut Superbob off. I'm serious.

The boys in Superbob, side from having the most impressive dreadlocks I've ever seen, have so much energy and obvious passion for what they're doing that you can't not like them. Everything about their show was absolutely stunning, their recordings are professional, and... just, wow. If you're in the mood to jump up and down, bang your head, throw an elbow, and sing along until you can't speak anymore, then do I have the perfect band for you.

So what're you waiting for? Go! - Greg Kennelty - Pennlive.com

"bob blends a unique sound and ecclectic mix to create successful music. A favorite on the local scene, bob has a large following devoted to the songs and performances offered at various venues. While this band continues to rock the DC area, their motivation and talent will certainly take them beyond."

Greg Roche
Music Director-DC101 - Roche

Music That Should Be On Your iPod: bob
written by
Jason Cox
It might be a bit premature to say, but so far, childhood buddies Adam Smith and Matt Santoro are on their way to living the all-American rock ‘n’ roll dream.

Step one: Become pals in middle school (Franklin Farms Middle School in Fairfax County, specifically). Step two: Putz around with different sounds and instruments and track down a few good men to round out your fledgling band. Step three: play your brains out at area venues, drawing upwards of 800 people to a show. Step four: Get sponsored by Budweiser and get a producer who’s worked with Rage, Chevelle and Atreyu to help make your album. Step five: Become Guitar Heros.

All right, so four out of five ain’t bad, but the hard rockers of bob (yup, all lowercase) feel like they’re inches away from that last one.

“We’ve spread out really well in the last year,” guitarist Smith said. “It’s cool to be able to go to another market that’s two or three hours away in Harrisburg, Baltimore or southern Virginia and still be able to draw a crowd well. For me, that’s our biggest accomplishment.”

In the beginning, Santoro played bass and Smith sang, but the guys deemed Smith’s voice a little too “Pat McGee,” and “pretty” for what they were going for, according to current frontman Santoro.

“His voice is definitely the better between the two of us,” Santoro said. “So we switched, and I started singing because, well, I can’t really sing. We just went with it.”

Bob finally cohered into its sorta-hardcore-but-not-quite sound after literally years of Smith and Santoro trying out different arrangements and potential band mates, settling on Drew Recny on drums and Carl Schmeig on bass. Of course, like any good all-American rock ‘n’ roll band, things didn’t get off to the smoothest start. Or, as Smith put it, “we sucked really bad.” So the band took the one thing they did have early on, energy and charisma, and hurled it into their live shows.

“We try to bring the live show back to what it used to be,” Santoro said. “I know as far as live shows go, I respect a lot of those guys in Rage and Limp Bizkit, like when Fred [Durst] got the audience to tear down poles and light shit on fire at Woodstock... We’re energetic, we move a lot and we try to not hold anything back on stage.”

Music or stage show, something paid off and the band started getting noticed. First, it was a little help from Jeremy Gifford, owner of Fairfax bar and local music staple T.T. Reynolds. Then it was getting noticed by a Budweiser rep while competing in DC101’s Last Band Standing, which led to a corporate sponsorship. Then it was the guy who shaved his chest so that only the clearly visible word “bob” remained (check out their MySpace page if you dare).

But sometimes to get noticed you really have to throw yourself out there, so the guys took a leap of faith and reached out to producer Garth Richardson who has worked with some of the biggest names around such as Red Hot Chili Peppers. After recent talks with Richardson and saving up some major dough, the boys of bob are spending the month of January recording a full-length album with him.

The game plan after that? Hopefully a self-released LP early next year, and, well, hanging out.

“We have no lives,” Smith said, “And we basically suck at our day jobs... But we’re all best friends. The longer we play together, the more we’re a family. If we’re not playing a show or practicing, we’re probably still together.”

For more info, visit www.bobband.com - On Tap Magazine

Washington, DC. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? President Obama? The White House? Politics? Probably alot of negative stuff involving the government is the first thing that comes to alot of people’s minds. Yet, there is something refreshing coming out of DC that just may take the country by storm.

They go by the name of Super bob, although they played under the name bob for many years. That story will come later. I discovered these guys by accident one night when I went to a club in North Carolina to see another band and I happened to get there early. You know how sometimes you want to go late so that you don’t have to sit through some lame group while waiting for the good stuff to begin? Boy, was I about to be pimp slapped into paying attention to who this band was setting up their equipment.

Four young guys were up there and two were pretty average looking while the other two consisted of a guy with very long dreads and another with shorter, multi-colored dreads and tats. Ok, that did catch my attention a little bit. Then, the sampled music began to play over the PA system and their first song began. It was shaking up a hot soda and then letting the lid off. The guys just erupted on the stage and began jumping all around and slinging instruments and totally killed it. They grabbed your attention and refused to let you go. Their sound is like a hybrid of Korn and Rage Against The Machine and early Red Hot Chili Peppers, yet they do it in a way that makes it their own, not like they are imitating another.

That was over a year ago and I finally caught up with these guys shortly after the release of their new CD “Rock n Roll” at a small venue in VA before their show.

JP: “Hey guys, first off thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I saw you last year at the Somewhere Else Tavern in North Carolina and you totally blew my mind. I had never heard of you guys before, but you won me over that night. You were amazing. I was trying to find some stuff online about you and how things got started. Can you catch me up to speed?”

Adam: “Well, Matt and I have been friends since we were really little and we always knew that this was what we wanted to do. In our first band, Matt played bass and I sang. I didn’t like the sound of my voice for what we were attempting to do so we switched.”

Matt: “Yea, I didn’t really think that I had a great voice but it just worked. Drew, he used to be our sound guy, but he sucked at it. He was the world’s worst sound guy! So, we needed a drummer and he learned the set in like a week and a half. Then Carl came in and this lineup has been together since 2004.”

JP: “The name bob, which of course is now Super bob, how did you guys decide on that for a name?”

Matt: “Well, we just wanted something simple. You know, a name that everybody would get. You see the name and you have no idea what we will sound like but after hearing us, you always associate our sound when you see that name.”

Adam: “Yea, kinda like Korn, plus we wanted it to look good on a sticker. As far as the name goes, it was something that we decided to do because another artist had a similar name and we just went ahead and instead of waiting, we decided to change it. We wanted to keep our logo and just add an adjective. So far, it has been a smooth transition.”

JP: “So, tell us about the early days of the band.”

Adam: “Oh, we sucked! Well, musically we did. We went to see Korn and we knew that’s what we wanted to do. I high energy type show, not just stand around.”

Matt: “Yea, the fans were always commenting on how great we were on stage and how they loved the show. We are always pushing each other on stage to be better.”

JP: “With the way you guys are always jumping around on stage, there have got to be alot of accidents.”

Adam: “About every month and a half, we usually have some sort of accident. Carl has gone through several stages. Matt’s back has been sliced open with a guitar before.”

Matt: “Six seconds before a sold-out show at the 9:30 Club in DC, I blew my ankle out. I tore the tendon off the bone and proceeded to do the rest of the show on one foot.”

JP: “I am amazed that nothing worse has happened to you guys with the energy that you bring to the stage. Let’s hope tonight’s show is accident free.”

The guys are touring no win support of their second CD entitled “Rock n Roll”. The stage to them is their ring and they dare you to step in. They are on a crusade to save rock and roll and they will not take no for an answer. Powered by a diet of crack and steroids, they let you know who they are and that they mean business from the start. Just listen to track one of their new CD. The song, “Pleasure To Meet You”, lets the listener know that they are not just “another played out radio song”. Carl’s pounding bass and Adam’s crunching guitar riffs combined with Drew’s amazing back beat has created am amped up sound for them that is very contagious. One listen and you cannot help but to bob, no pun intended, your head long with it.

“Push” is an awesome song that is more in the vein of one of their influences Korn. One of my favorite songs on the CD is entitled “Coffee and Guns” and is both lyrically and musically one of the standout tracks on the disc.

The guys told me that they tried different things on this CD because they wouldn’t have to be performing them in their live set. They experimented with acoustic guitars, like on “Lonely as It Takes” and “El Chupacabra” as well as some new electronic tricks of their own.

Their set that night in Roanoke had the crowd in that tiny club on their feet the entire time. No matter the size of the venue, these guys bring it 110% each and every performance. They tour up and down the East coast doing 120 dates last year and looking to surpass 150 this year. It’s that old school mentality of bringing it to the people live and proving themselves that is making believers out of people. Check them out on Facebook or at www.myspace.com/bobband or www.superbobmusic.com.

If these guys hit a club anywhere near you, then drop what you are doing and take the time to check them out. If you are a fan of Rage Against The Machine or Korn, then their sound will be right for you. It is an addictive combination that they have put together. Carl lets his bass do the talking as he pounces around on stage. Adam is very energetic and likes to snarl out at the audience and get the crowd involved and feel like part of the show. Drew, hide behind his drums is always working up a sweat providing the back beat for these guys. Matt, what can we say about Matt that hasn’t already been said. A guy who is more energetic than a daycare class on a fieldtrip to the zoo! His unique multi-colored dreads make him stand out and his unique voice is insane. These boys are old school believers in hard work, blood, sweat and tears...well, not sure about the tears part. Check out their crusade to keep rock and roll alive. - Johnny Price