The Rousers at Sidewalk

Bill Dickson and Tom Milmore played together in bands while in high school in Weston, Connecticut. Dickson then attended art school in New York City and fell in with its glitter and glam rock scene while Milmore studied audio engineering and played bass in a band in Connecticut. By 1977, Dickson and Milmore were playing New York clubs as the Rousers (not to be confused with another band with the same name in the Netherlands around the same time). After numerous personnel changes, Sal "King" Capazucca joined the New York band on drums. The Rousers split in 1982 and the musicians joined other bands until the band regrouped in 1999. In 2001, the Rousers released an album, Playing the Rock and Roll for You. The Rousers' most recent recording is a single, "Take a Ride to the Lower East Side" with Dina Regine on vocals, released on October 19, 2018.

At Sidewalk tonight, the Rousers played vintage-styled rock and roll with a wry twist. Their lyrics and between-song banter were not designed to generate belly laughs, but entertained in a clever, light-hearted manner. The band started its set with its seasonal song, "Christmas Party," then moved on to non-seasonal compositions like the lively "City of Girls." The set's bouncing rhythms fueled the jolly spirit and had audience members dancing. By the end of the show, Dickson returned to the holiday theme by turning on the Christmas lights in his Christmas-themed suit. The Rousers' buoyant affect made for a merry Christmas party.

Visit the Rousers at www.therousers.com.

Setlist:

1. Christmas Party
2. City of Girls
3. Lose My Mind
4. Old Man Band
5. To Love Somebody (Bee Gees cover)
6. Soul Arms
7. Milk Train
8. Let's Work Together (Wilbert Harrison cover)
9. Back in the Day
10. Kickin'