Retro Spectro Brings Classic Songs to the Local Stages

Music really does bring people together.

This definitely stands true for four guys from Hasbrouck Heights who make up the band Retro Spectro.

Band members Ray Hohnecker on guitar and vocals, Nick Bowman on bass and vocals, Mike Messeri on drums and Garret Van Curen on lead vocals have been playing together for years as friends and students at both the in Heights and at the School of Rock in South Hackensack.

These days the four attend different colleges but when they return home for breaks they get together to jam and perform area gigs. The band just performed at the Hasbrouck Heights street fair and has plans to perform at the upcoming borough’s Fourth of July fireworks festivities.  

Hohnecker explained that at the end of their freshmen year in college they realized they were no  longer involved in any organized music programs so they decided to get together and start their own project and that was when Retro Spectro was born.

The band mostly plays covers songs as they don't have the time to work together on  original songs, Messeri explained adding that playing covers is fun and it's also what people want to hear.

“We cover all decades from the 50s to today, from Chuck Berry to Maroon 5,” explained Bowman.  Messeri added they do a lot of classic rock songs too.  Songs like “Twist and Shout” which Hohnecker said is the first one they remember people really getting into and dancing. He loves to do songs with triple harmonies. Some of Messeri's favorites are “American Band” by Grand Funk Railroad and “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen.

The name says it all as they wanted to capture the idea of retro. Hohnecker explained the just basically took the idea of retrospect and put a twist on it.

The 2010 Hasbrouck Heights street fair was their first gig, the band mates explained.  Over the holiday break this past year the band played a gig at the Park Tavern in East Rutherford the night before New Year’s Eve. Tons of friends came out to see them as they had all returned from school and they really packed the place for a Thursday night. 

Bowman said there may be some original songs in the future as they have been writing on their own over the last semester and may have some time to work together this summer on material.

This summer the band will have a chance to play local frequently as they also have plans to play the Relay for Life event the weekend of June 11 and June 12 and they are gearing up to play the Park Tavern again on July 22 and again Aug. 19.