Flashback to the eighties Saturday night

New York band Rubberlegs to perform for charity cause

By Jess Novak, senior writer
Posted on November 15, 2007

Students and community members can dress up, get down and party like it’s the ’80s Saturday night as Rubberlegs, a New York-based electro-rock band recently featured at the more local Spaghettifest, makes their way back to Virginia, this time to Casey’s Bar at the Holiday Inn.

The show put together by Blame It One the Train Productions will give all proceeds to the Susan G. Koman Foundation.

“It’s going to be a party,” said senior Blame It On the Train representative Whitney Woolwine. “People will have fun, they can dress up, they’ll know the songs and it’s a for a great cause.”

Rubberlegs consists of a  two-man team full of boundless energy, charismatic stage presence, humorous and clever vocals and technological innovations. Though new-wave ’80s music is often criticized for its emphasis on electronics and lack of “organic” qualities, Rubberlegs brings out the best in the art form and invites listeners to share in the excitement.

Gordon Smith takes on synth and vocals and Anthony Maulella plays e-drums. Rubberlegs has two available CD’s to date, Legwarmers Reheated and The Timinator:Boyfriends, Vol. 1.

“I’ve got a huge collection of ’80s songs on vinyl and CD, a lot of which I feel never got their due,” said Smith. “I like to bring back my favorite synth-pop that I love, but many people don’t know and give it a new chance.”

Though Rubberlegs has experienced various member shifts, Smith and Maulella share a long and unlikely history. The two spent portions of their lives fairly close together as Maulella hails from Brooklyn and northern New Jersey, while Smith has lived half his life in New York City after growing up in northern Virginia, Germany and the Middle East.

“I liked playing the recorder in school, but once I saw a piano and the sheet music for it I couldn’t get over how interesting it was to have two notes happening at once,” said Smith. “While I was in Lebanon, Beirut and Tehran my mother had to search to find a piano teacher for me.”

After returning to the U.S., Smith reunited with Maulella and continued to make music together.

Currently, Rubberlegs is working toward new goals including developing material for a prospective release and future tours. The group also aims to target more to college audiences.

To see, hear and learn more about Rubberlegs, information is available at rubberlegs.com and on their MySpace page.

The show will take place at the Holiday Inn, located at 1400 E. Market St. and the music will kick off at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.  Tickets are $5 for those 21-and-up, $7 for under 21.