Offender

Posted Sep 04, 2010 @ 08:00 AM
Last update Sep 04, 2010 @ 08:31 AM
A few weeks back, I talked about the need for us grownups to get out there and start enjoying ourselves now and then, to remember that we’re not only mothers and fathers but individuals who need to do something to remind ourselves on occasion that it’s still OK to have fun, even when it doesn’t involve our kids.

And now that school is about to begin again, with its endless list of sports and activities to get to, taking a night off once in a while to relax and regroup may be just what the doctor ordered.

When a friend of mine told me about his band, I first thought…well there’s something I’ve never written about. And then I realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to make a suggestion to those who are still asking themselves, “What is there to do around here?”

The answer, of course, is plenty. You just have to know where to look. And the local music scene is overflowing with talent.

Local rock band Offender took its name from its first gig back in 1982, when they played for the Duxbury Policemen’s Ball (in addition to basing it on the Blues Brothers’ story in which Elwood picked up Jake when he got out of jail). Members of the group went their separate ways during college, but three of the original members decided to put the band back together in 2006.

Offender plays a wide range of rock music, from the past as well as current hits, and plays covers as well as originals written by its own members. Some of the playlist includes “Kryptonite,” by Three Doors Down; “Hey Jealousy,” by Gin Blossoms; “Break Even,” by The Script; and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” by The Animals. And that’s just a sampling.

With a few changes on drums and bass, as well as the addition of another member on sax and vocals, Offender has been slamming it at local summer gigs for the past two years. Its members include Phil Markella (lead vocals), Sheryl Strother (sax and vocals), Keith Quackenbush (bass), R. Taggart Carpenter (guitar) and Adam Pizzi (drums).

Each band member has a professional day-job. Carpenter and Quackenbush are IT executives, and Pizzi is the owner of a local landscaping business, APZ Enterprises. He’s also the former drummer for Trainwreck.

“We are seasoned musicians with talent and heart who know how to have fun on stage and put on a high-quality, entertaining show,” according to Carpenter. “We strike that critical balance between finding music that we enjoy and want to play, and that we also know our audience would love to hear.”

When asked what it is that makes the band “fit” together, Carpenter said, “I guess we all get the same ‘itch’ when we go out to a bar and see a band playing. We say to ourselves (and each other), ‘Hey, we can do that!’”

Offender will perform at the Manomet Moose Lodge Saturday, Sept. 4, in memory of Wayne Ruprecht.

For more information on Offender, look for and become a fan of “Mass Offender” on Facebook.

Then let the face melting commence.

Ann Luongo is the assistant editor of special sections/real estate – south division. She likes to read, write and blog, and she loves living and working in Plymouth. You can e-mail Ann at aluongo@cnc.com

Copyright 2010 Wicked Local Plymouth. Some rights reserved - By Ann Luongo - Gatehouse News Services