Pop Music Reviews : Garage Band Backs Into a No-Win Situation

The Broadcasters were trapped in a no-win situation in their local debut at the Palomino on Monday night.

Playing before maybe 75 people, most of them invited record company guests, created the strained atmosphere of a “performance” for career advancement. The New York quartet really needs to feed off a crowd’s energy in a packed, sweaty club for its neo-’60s rock pastiche to have a fair shot.

The Broadcasters’ uneven 75-minute set fell on the poppier side of the ‘60s garage-rock sound, but the group failed to fashion a focus for its myriad period influences. Billy Roues’ and Blackie Pagano’s lead vocals were rarely more than serviceable.

The lack of fine tuning didn’t detract from the well-honed craftsmanship--Roues’ guitar solos drew on more sources than just recycled Chuck Berry riffs and stock rock cliches--and the repertoire covered a broader range of the ‘60s spectrum than the material offered by most bands of this ilk.

The most telling segment came in mid-set when guitarist Pagano took over the bass duties from Steve Roues, who concentrated on harmonica during “Black Water” (not the Doobie Brothers song) and a version of the Yardbirds’ “Lost Woman.” Pagano, who looked out of his element on guitar all evening, seemed completely at ease playing bass, and the Broadcasters jelled more as a unit than at any other point during the show.