The Saloonatics

The Saloonatics are based out of Huntley, Illinois.    

The band formed a few years ago with a rockabilly interest. We've changed personnel a few times and that has influenced the evolution in our music selections.

We've added styles such as surf, classic country, vintage rock and traditional folk. We currently play our own arrangements of songs from Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Buddy Holly, Beatles, Stones, Eagles, CCR, Tom Petty, Travelling Wilburys, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam and many more.

We define our band as "vintage rock & roll with a country twist"

You can also check us out at our sister site on Band Mix www.bandmix.com/nacho-mama/

Thanks for visiting!

Roger Bennett - Guitars 

Roger was born in London England in the mid 1950s. He immigrated to Chicago IL in November 1962, along with the "British Invasion"

He started learning guitar in 1965 and played in a number of garage bands throughout the 60s and early 70s.

He picked up the acoustic guitar in the mid 70s and was influenced by Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke, Mark Knopfler, James Taylor and all the great guitar instructors at The Old Town School of Folk Music.

He also started getting into some jazz, classical and Flamenco in the 80s listening to artists like Joe Pass, John Williams, Andres Segovia, Christopher Parkening, Paco Pena etc...
 

He returned to light rock and blues in the 90s with bands like the Eagles, Older Moody Blues, the Climax Blues Band etc...

He got back into vintage rock, surf music, rockabilly, and country in the 21st century.

His greatest influences are: Eric Clapton, Pete Townsend, George Harrison, Justin Hayward,
and all the other rocking guitarists you can think of from that era.

Bill Daszkowski - Bass Guitar & Vocals

In a recent interview with local beat reporter Mr. Les Nasally, Billy states - " I was born in Chicago where the good guys wear black leather" ( referring to Chicagos finest... )

Currently on electric bass guitar in the Saloonatics, he plays with all the grace of a Clydesdale horse, ( which is totally appropriate considering his beverage of choice! )

He has been in and out of bands with many "colorful" musicians from the Fox River Valley area in Northern Kane County for " what seems like a couple of decades now"

He is also very active in the music program at his local church but he is not your average choir boy. He and current Saloonatics drummer Rick share the vocal duties in the group but they do a lot of songs that have multiple vocals so they often have to cover two vocal parts in the same song. ( not an easy task! )

Billy states - "Rick and I crossed paths in late 2007 while playing together in a classic rock power trio. That’s when we discovered similar musical tastes for Rockabilly, Surf and early Country music " Working diligently they searched out the missing pieces for the current lineup recruiting guitarists Roger Bennett and eventually Rob Gregory.

Billy ends with - "these are a great group of guys to work with but we are really in it for the fun"

Rick Bero - Drums & Vocals

Rick started listening to music as soon as he could crawl. He was born in September of 1959 and was the youngest of four boys. His older brothers were already playing their "45's" on the family hi-fi and he was exposed to great artists like Elvis, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Stones and many other pioneers of Rock & Roll at a very early age. He would listen to their 45's and pretend he was on stage singing and performing. ( He thought he was really cool when he got his first pair of "Beatle Boots" at the tender age of five years old! )

Rick got his first set of drums in 1974 when he was 14 years old. He taught himself to play by practicing along with records from bands like Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, The Who and all the classic rock bands from the 70's. He credits Keith Moon for teaching him how to loosen up and just play by feeling the music. During his teen years he also developed a great love for Southern Rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels etc...

He learned to sing in his mid twenties when he joined some very gifted musicians from the Schaumburg area. They formed a band called "The Nitecrawlers" which primarily played top 40 as well as 50's & 60's rock. They were together for a long run playing the Northwest Suburbs and Fox Valley area from the early 80's until their reign of terror ended in 1996.

At that point Rick wanted to take a few years off from being in bands and playing the local bar circuit. A few years turned into eleven and he did not start playing again until the summer of 2007. It was hard to get started again, "after taking 11 years off you loose all your contacts and its like starting from scratch when you were a kid trying to put together your first garage band"

Since 2007 he has played with various musicians in the local Fox Valley area until he and Billy decided to form their own group playing what Rick likes to call "Vintage Rock & Roll with a Country Twist"

Doug Taveirne - Guitars

Grade School – “My Band’s Better Than Your Band” Era.  With no school band, there were 3 rock bands in the upper grades.  Competition was fierce. We played hits like Twilight Zone, Louis Louis, Rockin Robin, Wooly Bully, and Little Red Riding Hood

High School – “We Might Flunk Out, But We’re Gonna Rock This Town” Era.  Obsessed, we had a horn band playing Vehicle, I Feel Good, Evil Woman (Crowe), etc.  We also played the required Lead Zeppelin, Cream, Iron Butterfly, as well as fringe bands like MC5 and Bloodrock.  Most of us graduated.

College – “I Better Not Flunk Out, This is Costing a Lot of Money” Era.  Was the 3^rd guitar player for a short time in a band that did Neil Young, Allman Bros and Doobie Bros.  When I wanted to play Radar Love, they decided I was not the right fit.

Post College – “Greed is Good” Era.  Played country clubs, weddings, corporate events with good friends for a few years.  Covered songs from Streisand to Edgar Winter.

After that, wandered the vast musical wasteland of the public accounting profession for 40 days and 40 nights.

Fortunately, was rescued by the Saloonatics.  Really enjoy playing this brand of country hodge-podge and, after all these years, still playing Little Red Riding Hood!