Jamie Hoover is a writer, guitarist, vocalist, producer, bassist, and sometimes drummer for the Spongetones.
He also has toured and recorded with producer/recording artist Don Dixon and his wife, singer/recording artist Marti Jones. He has also toured with the Smithereens and Graham Parker as a member of "The Small Clubs".
Jamie owns and operates a project studio in Charlotte, NC, called "Hooverama@Liquid Studios", where he works on many indie recording projects, writes custom music, and sound-designs. He has recorded over the years with acts such as Joe Walsh, Hootie & The Blowfish, and many others.
Steve Stoeckel is a writer, bass player, vocalist, guitarist, and stagecoach (setlist for live shows) for the Spongetones. Steve has been in the band since its very inception in 1978- jamming with and then playing a few gigs simply for the fun of performing what they loved the most: songs from the 60's, most of them being Beatles tunes. The rest is Spongetone history.
He has played and sung in many Charlotte bands over the years and is considered an excellent musician and entertainer.
Steve also writes a column for the Charlotte Observer and keeps bees.
Rob Thorne is the original drummer and percussionist for The Spongetones. Rob also handles the booking for the band.
Rob has been in more bands than any other member, actually cutting his teeth during the original rockabilly scene. He's paid dues with such huge beach music acts as The Catalinas (Scepter recording artists - Rob played on "You Haven't The Right") and The Rivieras, and later in more "hippie" times with jam-band Hummingbird and nationally signed-to-United Artists act The New Mix (a fabulous piece of vinyl if you come across it!).
Rob's uncle was Les Brown (yes, as in The Band Of Renown!). Rob's dad, Bob, was a trumpet player in Les Brown's band for years and was also in The Buddy Rogers Big Band.
Rob continues to do session work and plays in several other bands and is also a general contractor.
Pat Walters is a writer, guitarist, vocalist and keyboard player for the Spongetones. Pat has been in the band since the beginning, and is arguably the most responsible for the continuation of the band since its inception. Pat was a leader in the Charlotte music community through all the bands he graced as guitarist and singer: The Barons, The Paragons, The Good, Bad & Ugly, and Jeremiah to name only four. All were very important to the local scene, and Jeremiah actually scored a major recording deal with UNI Records.
Pat also does session work as a most versatile guitarist and has played with many other bands of note. His outside interests include luthiery and watercolor painting.
Influences
The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dave Clark 5, Animals, Zombies, Hollies, Manfred Mann, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Searchers, Kinks, Beach Boys, Yardbirds, Searchers, Bob Dylan, Byrds, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Doors, the Who, Spirit
Sounds Like
The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Dave Clark 5, the Animals, Zombies, Searchers, Bob Dylan, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Doors, Apples in Stereo, Kinks, Yardbirds, The Shins, Marshall Crenshaw, Decemberists, Elliott Smith, Oasis, Smith, Raspberries, Shoes, Wilco, Strokes, Flaming Groovies, XTC, Merseybeats, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Oasis, Manfred Mann, Hollies, Herman's Hermits, Freddie and the Dreamers, Fourmost, Billy J. Kramer, Swinging Blue Jeans, Small Faces, Zombies, Tremeloes, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Easybeats, Unit 4+ 2, Beau Brummels, Byrds, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Fortunes, Pretty Things, Spencer Davis Group, Badfinger, Troggs, Peter and Gordon, Chad and Jeremy, ed Sullivan, Klaatu, Shadows of the Knight, Young Rascals, Count Five, Blue Cheer, Electric Prunes, Left Banke, Seeds, Vanilla Fudge, Knickerbockers, Bobby Fuller Four, Kingsmen, Blues Magoos, Music Explosion, Gentrys, Music Machine, Chocolate Watch Band, Seeds, Human Beinz, Nazz, Lovin’ Spoonful, Fleur de Lys, 13th Floor Elevators, Soft Machine, Status Quo, Lemon Pipers, Amboy Dukes, Honeycombs
Steve and Jamie will be releasing their 12 track English Afterthoughts CD later this month - more details soon
DOWNLOADS are available at iTunes, emusic, Napster, Amazon, mp3.com, rhapsody and more!
Anyway Town- 2007
All Day and All of the Night - 1980
Do You Want to Know a Secret - 1980
"The Spongetones are without a doubt the finest example of pure, unadulterated Beatlesque joy to emanate from the indie pop underground." - Goldmine Magazine – November 2006
"The Spongetones are aglow with a forward-thrusting musical abandon that recalls the glory days of many of the most familiar British Invasion front-liners, including the Beatles, the Dave Clark Five, the Zombies and the Who....But the SpongeTones' music has little of the rote, dogmatic obeisance of mere revivalism; instead, it sounds like the soundtrack to a party so good it could never happen in real life." - Rolling Stone Magazine - 1983
"Originally proud alter boys of the Church of the Holy Mersey....North Carolina's Spongetones expand their sound from zesty Beatlesque originals to producing lush, superbly crafted pop-rock that owes a debt to other British Invasion acts without coming off as slavishly imitative." The Trouser Press Record Guide
"Power-pop neo-classicists whose chrome-shiny originals sound better than yesterday and fresher than tomorrow. "Anna" and "Where-Ever-Land" are lacy aural dreamscapes with gorgeous harmonies. All in all, a side trip to a pop rock nirvana that's well worth making" - Rolling Stone Magazine - 1987
Book the Spongetones: Contact Rob Thorne at SptonDrum1@aol.com.
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