Cats on a Smooth Surface
Encyclopedia
Cats on a Smooth Surface is an American rock group, that starting in 1978 and throughout the 1980s was the house band
at The Stone Pony
in Asbury Park, New Jersey
In the years 1981 and 1982 , the band's lineup consisted of Bobby Bandiera
on lead guitar
and vocals
, Harry Filkin on rhythm guitar
and vocals, Peter Schulle on keyboards
and vocals, John Micco on bass guitar
and vocals, Pete Gagen on drums
, and Ray Planet on saxophone
. Other band members through the years have included Glen Burtnick, Vincent Danielle, and Mike Bovenzi, Steff "Stiff Reed" Munter, Rich Ruggiero and Joel Krausse. The band is still in existence and performs regularly in New Jersey.
In 1971, prior to founding "Cats", Harry Filkin and Bobby Bandiera
were the key players in the Jersey shore band called Holme in Belmar
NJ. Harry still plays as current member of Holme and with "Harry and Billy". Bobby Bandiera is now a 5 year member of the internationally famous Bon Jovi
band as a vocalist and guitarist. He was also lead guitar with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and still makes occasional appearances with them.
Starting in the spring of 1982 Bruce Springsteen
often performed with the band, particularly on Sunday nights when he would appear unannounced at the Stone Pony and jump up on stage with them. He often claimed to the press that they were his favorite band to jam with Recently Rachel Copeland has also began to sing with the band.
House band
For the British band that existed from 1984-2001, see The House BandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to...
at The Stone Pony
The Stone Pony
The Stone Pony, located in Asbury Park, New Jersey, is one of the world's best known music venues. It is known as a starting point for many musicians, first and foremost for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, who were the house-band for much of the mid-seventies, but also for New Jersey natives...
in Asbury Park, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
In the years 1981 and 1982 , the band's lineup consisted of Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera is an American rock guitarist and singer known in the Jersey Shore sound world.- Biography :Bandiera was originally in a band called Holme from Orange, New Jersey...
on lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, Harry Filkin on rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
and vocals, Peter Schulle on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and vocals, John Micco on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and vocals, Pete Gagen on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, and Ray Planet on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. Other band members through the years have included Glen Burtnick, Vincent Danielle, and Mike Bovenzi, Steff "Stiff Reed" Munter, Rich Ruggiero and Joel Krausse. The band is still in existence and performs regularly in New Jersey.
In 1971, prior to founding "Cats", Harry Filkin and Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera
Bobby Bandiera is an American rock guitarist and singer known in the Jersey Shore sound world.- Biography :Bandiera was originally in a band called Holme from Orange, New Jersey...
were the key players in the Jersey shore band called Holme in Belmar
Belmar, New Jersey
Belmar is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,794. The Borough of Belmar is governed under the Faulkner Act system of municipal government....
NJ. Harry still plays as current member of Holme and with "Harry and Billy". Bobby Bandiera is now a 5 year member of the internationally famous Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
band as a vocalist and guitarist. He was also lead guitar with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and still makes occasional appearances with them.
Starting in the spring of 1982 Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
often performed with the band, particularly on Sunday nights when he would appear unannounced at the Stone Pony and jump up on stage with them. He often claimed to the press that they were his favorite band to jam with Recently Rachel Copeland has also began to sing with the band.