The Kenny Rogers Experience is the “audio equivalent of an exploding school bus.” At least that’s what they claim, and audiences will be able to verify for themselves at the Al Maly’s Ball Ball at Dante’s tomorrow night. You read that right, “Al Maly’s Ball Ball.” Al Maly, a local musician, who during these hard times has experienced some medical issues concerning … well, you can figure it out for yourself given the suggestive title of the ball. Proceeds from the show will go to help cover Maly’s medical costs.
Fried chicken and botox
The Kenny Rogers Experience is the “audio equivalent of an exploding school bus.” At least that’s what they claim, and audiences will be able to verify for themselves at the Al Maly’s Ball Ball at Dante’s tomorrow night.
You read that right, “Al Maly’s Ball Ball.” Al Maly, a local musician, who during these hard times has experienced some medical issues concerning … well, you can figure it out for yourself given the suggestive title of the ball. Proceeds from the show will go to help cover Maly’s medical costs.
Swede Rogers, singer and guitarist for the Kenny Rogers Experience, was only too excited to help out with this cause, as he offered to bring his group’s audio bedlam away from its gin-soaked roots and into the ring for Maly.
“I’ve always been suspicious of lead singers and am only technically considered one due to microphone stand placement on stage,” Swede Rogers says of his role in the band. “I consider myself more of an ’embarassinger,’ or a ‘hollesinger.'”
The Kenny Rogers Experience is comprised of Rogers of no relation: Swede, Sam, Jimmy and Mike. Jim and Mike immigrated to Portland from southern California at different points in the ’90s. However, they firmly contest that they are native to Canada to sidestep the Californian persecution commonly found in the Northwest.
“Most of them come up here loudly blathering on their cell-phone headsets in public and bring their aggressive driving, shallow materialism and pretentious hipster bullshit with them,” Swede Rogers says. “Just to be clear, we’re not with those people. We eat them for breakfast.”
After moving up to the Portland area, Swede started to go stir crazy not knowing too many folks to play music with. He soon grabbed up Mike and another friend and started to play in a band called Dodge Dart. Tragically, Swede’s “friend” took it upon himself to “get loaded and start ripping people off again,” causing the band’s demise.
“I won’t mention any names, but his name’s Nick, and he still owes me a couple hundred bucks. I hope he’s still alive and reads this,” Swede Rogers said.
Grabbing up Mike again, and the rest of the KRE lineup, they set out to become what is now the Kenny Rogers Experience, establishing the simple mission of having as much fun as possible. With tunes such as “Dead Boyles” and the “Stripper Song,” combined with their caustic attitude, it’s not hard to see how KRE manages to inject a certain humor into their sound.
“While we’re serious about having fun and playing music, we definitely try to have a sense of humor about the whole thing and try not to over think things too much,” Swede Rogers says. “Shit, we sing songs about strippers and Vietnam, and pretty much anything that isn’t nailed down is fair game … we’re not above wearing ridiculous costumes or ‘acting out’ when we play.”
Originally they were called the Swedes, but due to another East Coast band having “squatter’s rights” to the name they were forced to change it. Within the confusion of the name change, drummer Mike Rogers got them a last-minute gig and was forced to give the venue a name for the group.
The Kenny Rogers Experience was the first thing that came to his mind, and they have been playing under that title ever since.
“We’re really in it just to make a racket, live a little piece of our rock ‘n’ roll fantasies and crack each other up while getting free-drink tickets,” Swede Rogers said.
Amen brother, amen.
Al Maly’s Ball BallFeaturing: The Punk Group, The Moxy Love Crux and the Kenny Rogers ExperienceDante’sOct. 10, 9:30 p.m.21-plus
