The Dirty Rooks are a six-piece rock and blues band that draws their influences from classic rock acts such as The Faces, The Black Crowes and Led Zeppelin. The band’s sophomore album Sugar Mama is filled with blues influenced classic rock tunes from start to finish. The album is a perfect combination of classic rock songs and some slower, more blues influenced ballads. On Sugar Mama, The Dirty Rooks take the often-played out genre of classic rock and give it a booze filled boost. Some highlights of the album include the amped up “Larry’s Blues”, which is complete with classic guitar riffs, catchy hooks and just the right amount of horns. The band turns it down a few notches on the slower and more soulful “Stranger These Days”, proving they can hold their own at a variety of tempos.
The Dirty Rook’s music is the kind best heard live and on stage. Luckily for me, on Friday, April 16th, the Rooks took to the stage at the Red Line Tap in Rogers Park. Roughly forty people packed into this small North side bar to hear the sounds of the Dirty Rooks. The band opened up their set with the lively tune “Old Mill Creek”, which instantly proved this music is best heard up close and personal. Next up was the bluesy “Skeleton Key”, with lead singer Dan Stalilonis singing“ 3 AM, find you crying on the bathroom floor. Don’t love you no more.” By the 3rd song of their set, the Dirty Rook’s enthusiastic and energetic stage presence had the crowd up and dancing. The Rook’s “I Don’t Mind” showcased the band’s ability to step outside the classic rock genre and add a nice touch of country influence to their sound. The band did their own take on Paul McCartney’ s “Maybe I’m Amazed”, adding their own unique sound to the classic song. The Dirty Rooks provide a breath of fresh air to a genre that often sounds old and outdated. Be sure to check out their website for free song downloads and tour dates. – Tim Mannion