Charlie Chesterman and the Legendary Motorbikes
at T.T. the Bear’s
by Stephen Zerdelian
Ten years can be quite a stretch of time for much in this world. Fads arrive and die, marriages consummate and deteriorate, people come and go. It seems that anything with a shelf life of a decade becomes stale and dated by the time the latter years roll around. But some things not only survive, they adapt and flourish. Today’s example of the latter? Charlie Chesterman.
When last seen by much of the Boston viewing public, Charlie was part of Scruffy the Cat, a successful band which rose and fell in the ’80s. After the breakup of STC, Chesterman lent his talents to a variety of projects, including the Harmony Rockets and his own solo efforts. Minor success came his way, as it likely will with his latest incarnation, Charlie Chesterman and the Legendary Motorbikes.
If a recent performance at T.T. the Bear’s is any indication, Charlie hasn’t lost a thing. His vocal range and stylings are as crisp as ever, and the acoustic support is its equal. Backed by two-thirds of the former Harmony Rockets (drummer John Clarke was in fine fiddle), Chesterman is at ease with old and new material alike. The band offered a few vintage nuggets, such as STC tunes “Kissing Galaxy” (from their last album, Moons of Jupiter) and “Time Never Forgets” (from original EP, High Octane Revival) along with Rockets tunes like “Kid Gloves.” Their ability to speed up or slow down a song a notch or two makes even the most weather-beaten tracks seem fresh and enticing. The band’s original selections are interesting and not easily categorized; with dollops of rockabilly, pop, and ballads integrated, this is a band with fairly considerable potential.
Despite the fact that the Motorbikes (and Charlie) may never find a wide audience, even by local standards, this is a worthy act to check out. Charlie, Elvisian shimmy, Rickenbacker and all, finds a way to put a smile on all but the most hard-bitten of visages. Look for a local release sometime in the fall and continued shows around town.
