The Rubinoos At World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA, August 1, 2024

The Rubinoos at World Cafe Live. From left, Tommy Dunbar, Donn Spindt, Jon Rubin, & Al Chan

 I never heard of The Rubinoos until I received an invitation to check them out a few nights ago at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. They're a California power-pop quartet that deserves a larger audience than the devoted cult following they've earned through many decades of touring and recording.

These seasoned professionals are a tightly knit unit, but they project a looseness and a sense of humor that suits their repertoire. That's because while the band is serious about their music they don't take themselves too seriously. The Rubinoos know they're not playing prog-rock or artsy jazz, and they couldn't care less.

The Rubinoos mixed their original songs with well-loved classics by adding a breath of fresh air to power-pop hits such as "I Think We're Alone Now," one of Tommy James and The Shondells' best-loved singles. Their cover went to #45 on the Hot 100 in 1977.

The group resurrected The Archies' "Sugar Sugar," a chartbusting, late 60s, bubblegum record that was deservedly hated by many DJs who were forced to play it. The Rubinoos updated it to become a fun, crowd-pleasing rocker. They also covered The Byrds, The Electric Prunes and The Raspberries.

Among the many original tunes the stars played that night was their best known song, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" written by lead axeman Tommy Dunbar. It's not a cover of The Ramones hit. They also played "Rock And Roll Is Dead," one of the more popular songs to come from within the band.

The quartet was formed in 1970 by guitarists and singers Jon Rubin and Dunbar. Drummer Donn Spindt joined them the following year. Bassist Al Chan became a member in 1980 after they recorded their highly regarded, eponymous debut in 1977 and their almost as good follow up, Back to the Drawing Board, in 1979. The band split in 1985 but reformed in 1999 with this lineup.

You can tell how highly regarded The Rubinoos are by the company they've kept. They recorded with Jonathan Richman in 1974 and were in a lineup with Jefferson Starship at the Winterland Ballroom. They also toured with Elvis Costello in 1979. Todd Rundgren and Chuck Prophet have produced albums for them, and their songs have been used during the closing credits of TV shows.

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