Bob Schneider: Blueberry Hill's Duck Room, April 5, 2006

Bob Schneider has turned over 50 percent of his roster this past year. Lead guitarist Billy Harvey? Gone, replaced by Jeff Plankenhorn. Drummer Rafael Gayol? Gone, replaced by Brannon Temple. (Holdovers: Derek Morris on keyboards and Bruce Hughes on bass.)

Some would point to personnel changes and suspect disarray. Nothing could be further from the truth. Turnover is part of running a business, and business is business, whether you're leading a major-league baseball franchise or leading a kickass rock & roll band.

Turnover, of course, requires a period of adjustment. But it's not necessarily a bad thing that Schneider's well-oiled quintet of twelve months back has given way to a more spontaneous sound. Besides, these guys are consummate pros. In fact, they're no doubt taking the "Bob Schneider discount" to play for his team. We're not talking Einar Diaz here.

I'm not the sort of guy who dances much. But on the way up in my private elevator after the show, I was still singing along.

All I wanna do is rock this motherfucker all night long, y'all
Nonstop till the crack of dawn, y'all
Ass-knocking till you can't go on
Stop over with the goodies and get it on!

(Come on. Everybody's got their thing. Jose Oquendo's is the cleats. And I don't mean his cleats; I mean ALL the cleats. They have to be lined up just-so, outside every consarned locker. Home or road clubhouse, doesn't matter. They have to line up just so. Woody Williams, it was his CDs. Jimmy Edmonds, hair products. Remember George Clooney in that Cohen Bros. movie with his pomade? That's Jimmy.

And don't even get me started about So T.)