The Way-Back Machine

Artist Information

Biography

What sets The Way-Back Machine apart from other cover bands? The sound is real 60's & 70's. Many of their songs contain the three part harmony that made the 60's sound. The 12 - String Rickenbacker electric guitar really brings out that sound too. And they look the part. From their button down shirts and thin ties, to their Beatle boots. And the crowds love it all. They can play up tempo for faster dancing (it's great to see some of the crowd doing the original 60's dances), as well as easier tunes for slow dancing. Whatever the mood of the crowd.

Musical talent runs deep in this band. The members have been playing live since the 60's and 70's. They played with multiple local bands over the years, opened for acts like The Troggs, Gary U.S. Bonds and Leslie West, and even played with the likes of Eddie Money. Most recently they've opened for Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, Creedence Clearwater Revisited and twice for Eric Burdon and The Animals. Where ever they play, standing ovations and calls for an encore are the norm.

So where do these guys prefer to play? They are equally at home in a small club or on a big stage, at a corporate event or a public show. Wherever they go, the stares of amazement at the set list is what they live for. Well, that and playing some of the best music ever written.

Instrumentation

Paul Fredricks - Bass Guitar and Lead vocals
Tom Scheckler - Guitar, Harmonica and Lead vocals
Bobby Russel - Guitar and Lead Vocals
Rob Scheckler - Percussion

Discography

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Links

• Facebook

Audio

• Love Potion #9
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• Kicks
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• Can't Do That
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• Live For Today
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• Seven Nights to Rock
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• Draggin The Line
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• Bad To Me
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• An Amazing Band [+ Show ]
  

  "BTW- just so you know, one of the only openers to get a standing ovation and do an encore. They'r..."BTW- just so you know, one of the only openers to get a standing ovation and do an encore. They're an amazing band."

• The people went Bonkers! [+ Show ]
  

  With the professional lighting and sound system, combined with how well it sounded, the band was cal...With the professional lighting and sound system, combined with how well it sounded, the band was called back for an encore after their 30-minute set � unheard of for an opening band. They were opening for Felix Cavalier�s Rascals.
  
  �The people went bonkers, they told us it was the first time it had ever happened. We got to do an extra song,�
  
  They may not be the Beatles, but Fredricks said after the show at the Ridgefield Playhouse, he overheard some technicians talking backstage.
  
  �He said, �Wow, these guys blow away that Beatlemania band we had in here.��

• "The sound is pure 60's" [+ Show ]
  

  "The sound is pure 60's, right down to Tom Scheckler's 12-string electric guitar." "...the band e..."The sound is pure 60's, right down to Tom Scheckler's 12-string electric guitar."
  
  "...the band even looks the part, from their button down white shirts and thin black ties, to the Beatle boots."

• Loved it! [+ Show ]
  

  I so loved your show Saturday and smiled all the way through it! Your music brought back lots of mem...I so loved your show Saturday and smiled all the way through it! Your music brought back lots of memories. - Pat Oakes

• What am awesome concert!
  

  What an awesome concert! I had a blast. You guys were great!!!!

• Time travelers go back to the '60s [+ Show ]
  

  You have to love a band that gets its name from a cartoon. Paul Fredricks of the Bethel- and Norw...You have to love a band that gets its name from a cartoon.
  
  Paul Fredricks of the Bethel- and Norwalk-based classic rock cover band the Way-Back machine explained that the group's name comes from "Peabody's Improbable History," a show within a show that aired as part of the "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show."
  
  " `Peabody's Improbable History' (is) the story of a very smart dog, Mr. Peabody, and his boy, Sherman. They used the `WABAC' (pronounced way back) time machine to go back in time and interact with famous events from the past. We thought the name appropriate for the music we wanted to play, but changed the spelling to make it more understandable," Fredricks said.
  
  Fredricks and his band mates' live shows take audience members back in time as the band recreates the music of the '60s and '70s with soul and a zest for detail. The band has opened for Eric Burdon and the Animals and Creedence Clearwater and will be performing on Saturday, March 26, at the One Eyed Pig in Newtown at 9 p.m. The band will also be performing on Friday, April 8, when they open for Herman's Hermits at the Ridgefield Playhouse at 8 p.m.
  
  Fredricks, of Bethel, plays bass and guitar and sings. He's joined by Bobby Russell, guitar and vocals; Rob Scheckler, drums; and his brother Tom Scheckler, guitar and vocals.
  
  The band doesn't just play the music of the '60s and '70s, they dress the part, wearing clothing, including Beatles boots, that will remind fans of the era.
  
  "This is the music we grew up with, and it is still as significant today as it was 40 or 50 years ago. Our love of this music has helped us to focus on staying true to the song," Fredricks said. "Helping us along is the use of a 12-string Rickenbacker guitar that Tom Scheckler plays. It gives the music that real '60s sound that can be heard in the music of The Beatles, Byrds, Animals and many other bands. Rob Scheckler plays on a set of Ludwig drums, the same model and color that Ringo Starr played with The Beatles, giving the drums that authentic sound."
  
  In addition, Fredricks said what separates The Way-Back Machine from other cover bands is the diversity of the band's repertoire. "There are a lot of classic rock bands out there, but we've found that many play the same old songs. Don't get me wrong, these are great songs and very popular. And while we do play a few of the crowd favorites, we pride ourselves on playing great songs that everyone knows, but no one plays out," Fredricks said. "We just love to see the heads turn when we start to play one of those. And the people tell us, `Wow, I love that song, but I've never heard anyone play it before.' We get a lot of that."
  
  Read more: http://www.newstimes.com/default/article/Time-travelers-go-back-to-the-60s-1293419.php#ixzz1IqSsRrns
  

• Norwalk Band Rocks 60's - 70's [+ Show ]
  

  Norwalk band rocks '60s-'70s BY LAURIE LAWLESS...Norwalk band rocks '60s-'70s
  
  BY LAURIE LAWLESS
  
  Hour Correspondent
  
  It's time to go back a few decades to when pants had flairs, belts were fashionable, the Beatles were on top of the world and Woodstock was the place to be. The generation that said it all, from the civil rights movement to the anti-war protests, is now represented locally, at least in the form of music. The Way-Back Machine is a Norwalk-area 1960s to 1970s cover band that brings the fun and energy of those crazy times to 2008 and into 2009.
  
  "We are trying to bring people back a little bit and remind them of the hay day," said Paul Fredricks, the bassist of The Way-Back Machine.
  
  This band recreates to sound of the '60s and dresses the part as well. When on stage The Way-Back Machine plays three part harmonies within the four-man group, uses a 12 string Rickenbacker guitar and dresses in black pants, white shirts and black ties. To complete the outfit, the band also wears Beatle boots to really bring to life their musical influences.
  
  "We try to be a little more uniform in our look...give people the feel of the era," explained Fredricks.
  
  Much like famous bands of the selected era, The Way-Back Machine has been cheered back on to the stage for an encore, twice. Both times were at the Ridgefield Playhouse and happened when they were opening for Felix Cavaliere's Rascals and The Animals.
  
  "It's a great thrill just to be on the stage," said Tom Scheckler, one of the guitarists. He described the situation as "great" and "rewarding" to be called back to play more, especially since they were just the opening act.
  
  One of the reasons they may have gotten called back on stage is because The Way-Back Machine does not just play the common song. They Way-Back Machine digs up the music that really made the 1960s and '70s come alive.
  
  "We play at lot of hit songs but some of the songs we play are off the beaten path," said Scheckler.
  
  "We play a lot of stuff that regular cover bands don't play," said Fredricks. "You see the [audience] turn around and go 'wow.'"
  
  The songs, of course, aren't tunes written by unheard artists; they might just be songs that have been left by the wayside over the passing years.
  
  "A lot of stuff we play, people will say, 'Who's that?' But they know the song," explained Fredricks.
  
  "We try to keep the original sound...keep it close to the original song," said Scheckler.
  
  Everyone in the band has been playing music since high school. Some of their credentials include performing with or opening for The Troggs, Gary U.S. Bands, Leslie West and Eddie Money.
  
  Fredricks, Scheckler, Rob Scheckler and Bobby Russell have been playing and performing in The Way-Back Machine for the last two and half years and don't plan on stopping any time soon.
  
  Scheckler explained that it's "very hard to get your foot in the door" when performing as a musical group but the band itself feels comfortable where they are. "The clubs we play at are great. They're really good people there," he said.
  
  
  The Way-Back Machine will be playing at the Black Duck on Riverside Drive in Westport on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 9:30 p.m.
  
  
  On the Net
  
  www.sonicbids.com/waybackmachine

• Outstanding performance [+ Show ]
  

  Paul - Outstanding performance and very good reading of the group ! Lots of good comments on music. ...Paul - Outstanding performance and very good reading of the group ! Lots of good comments on music. I will keep my eyes peeled for more gigs. Thanks for a great evening.

Setlist

Typically the sets last about an hour, depending on the needs of the venue. A typical set may have songs like:

Devil With The Blue Dress - Mitch Rider
Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers
Gloria - Them
Draggin' The Line - Tommy James and the Shondels
Tales Of Brave Ulysses - Cream
A Hard Days Night - The Beatles
Last Time - Rolling Stones
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Kicks - Paul Revere and the Raiders
Love Potion #9 - The Searchers
Dirty Water - The Standells
Statesboro Blues - The Allman Brothers Band
It's My Life - The Animals
Tobacco Road - The Nashville Teens
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly
Oh, Pretty Woman - Gary Moore
Let It Rain - Eric Clapton


This is just a sample. The Way-Back Machine does everything from Pop to Motown, Blues to Surf music.

Basic Requirements

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