West Windsor Arts Council continues its outdoor concert series with the high-octane rock-a-billy music of Barbecue Bob and the Spareribs, on Saturday, July 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Nassau Park Pavilion. Bring a chair and a picnic. The concert is free.
Barbecue Bob, also known as Robert Pomeroy, is a Cranbury resident — although he feels a strong connection to the Plainsboro Library. “I am playing close to home, and it will be the first time many of my friends in this area will see me play with the full ‘Sparerib’ lineup,” he says. “So it’s kind of like an introduction, and a strong chance that many will not look at me the same way after.”
The first show for Barbecue Bob & the Spareribs took place at the Furnald Folk Festival at Columbia University in 1981. Since then, the band has played rock and blues bars, mostly in and around New York City. Their home base since 1987 is the Rodeo Bar in New York City and they often open for national acts at the Lone Star Cafe.
The band’s discography includes the CDs “After School Special,” “Pass the Biscuits,” “The Sacred and the Propane,” and “Burning Sensation.” Their forthcoming collection, “Go Down South,” was recorded live at Excello Studios in Brooklyn. The 12 cuts include six original compositions.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Pomeroy was raised in East Liverpool, Ohio, between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Wheeling, West Virginia. His family is still in Ohio.
He does not consider his parents to be musical although his father played some piano in church when he was about 10 years old. Pomeroy has no formal musical training. He is completely self-taught on guitar, harmonica, and vocals.
A graduate of Columbia College, Class of 1979, where he majored in architecture, he has worked as an architectural and engineering draftsman and has done computer-aided designing. Right now he is a full-time musician.
“Music is a life-long pursuit and avocation, rather than merely a career,” he says.
— Lynn Miller
BBQ Bob and the Spareribs, West Windsor Arts Council, Nassau Park Pavilion, West Windsor. Saturday, July 23, 6 to 8 p.m. Rock-a-billy music presented by Robert Pomeroy of Cranbury. Bring chairs or blankets. Free. 609-919-1982. www.westwindsorarts.org.
