Caldwell's Old-Time Rock 'N' Roll

If you didn't have a chance to swing by the beer garden behind The Cloverleaf Tavern on Sunday, you missed a rockin' good time. Local band, The Kootz, treated fans to classic rock covers from the 50s to the 80s in a tradition that's going on 18 years.

When The Kootz (formerly called OMJ for Old Man Jam) first formed, they played one big gig each year: the Rotary/Kiwanis Caldwell Street Fair. That was back in the early 90s when the main stage was on Bloomfield Avenue.

The original group, consisting of Glenn Taylor, Chris Bolger, Ben Asher, Tony Dente and the late Dr. David Frisch, has grown over the years from five guys playing within five square miles to a collective of 13 musicians who switch off to cover a grueling schedule all over the tri-state.

The Kootz will play "unplugged" at Rockn' Joe in Caldwell, on Tuesday, Oct. 19, from 7 to 10 p.m.

The Caldwells Patch spoke with "chief Koot and bottle washer" Glenn Taylor (guitar, keyboards, vocals), of North Caldwell, about the band's success.

This is not a typical cover band … how does the band work with so many members?

We started as a basement band, but once we decided to make it a more professional endeavor, the band quickly started to build momentum. I was able to book frequent gigs—I think, partly because I listened to my mother and took business courses in school—and as the band's popularity grew, we couldn't keep up with demand. We now have a rotating group of performers, 13 core members and seven occasional "guest artists," that can play in any configuration. Jazz musicians have done this for years. It's just not as common in rock 'n' roll. The musicians vary for each performance. It's like the Forrest Gump quote: Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know which Kootz you're going to get.

The band played 260 shows last year … does this ever get old?

This is one thing The Kootz members agree on: At this age, we have tings and pings, but the minute the beat starts we're lifted out of any pain we're feeling. It's like an out-of-body experience. I don't know if it's the music, the friendship, the camaraderie or the audience. All aches and pains just disappear.

What's your biggest challenge in booking gigs?

Trying to please everyone. Sometimes it feels like I'm standing in the middle of Route 46: The club owners are coming at me from one direction and the guys in the band are coming from the other direction. It's a dance between pleasing the band and the people who hire you.

What's your favorite part about playing in your hometown?

It's as comfortable as an old shoe. Take the street fair, for example: Playing with—and for—some of the same people I grew up with really brings you back. It feels no different than it did back in the day. To quote co-Kootz Chris Bolger, "It has a slenderizing effect on the mind."

Do you have a day job? 

Everybody in The Kootz has a day job. I'm lucky enough to be in music and sound full-time. I own a recording studio in Caldwell—Taylor Made Productions (taylormadeprod.com). It's a different side of the music industry, but it's all connected. I make a lot of contacts for both businesses. Another benefit for The Kootz: We recorded two CDs at no cost.

How do you balance both pursuits?

Writing, producing, playing … it's like working in the toy department of life. I don't take myself seriously. Any gig, any song I produce won't matter much five years from now. It's very much in the moment. It's not brain surgery, though I do "precision schedule surgery" to allot time for shows.

You'll never pay your mortgage off being a member of The Kootz, but I enjoy what I do. The way I look at it? They pay me to move my equipment—the performance is free. And I'm well aware that there are a thousand people in line behind me that wish they were doing what I'm doing. I'm thankful every day that I can do what I do. When you're a "sensitive artist," you never forget how lucky you are.

Five Facts About the Artist
Age: Old enough to be "cool" in the eyes of (at least) my daughter's friends.

Medium: No medium…XL!!!

Professional or Amateur: P-R-O

Training: B.A., Communications from University of Hartford, 1976; 35 years of pro recording experience; a lifetime of musical experience.

Influences: I am a child of the 60s, approaching MY sixties!