Roland Pearsall: Davis Square’s Cross-Generation rocker

 

article by Off the Shelf Correspondent Michael Todd Steffen

I took a chance and interrupted solo guitarist/singer Roland Pearsall between two songs while he was performing in Davis Square a couple of weeks ago. I had to muster up my courage. Pearsall sings in an untiring booming baritone, playing covers of James Brown, Gnarls Barkley, The Genies and Frankie Ford – from long ago. I was apprehensive of the sizeable and “mythic” persona of his talent, singular minded repertoire and the years of tradition resonant in his guitar and voice. Like I was approaching one in the brotherhood of Bruce Springsteen or Chris Isaak.

Yet I found Roland to be mild mannered, somewhat bashful, and personally respectful and appreciative of the opportunity to talk about his music.

MS How long have you been playing in Davis Square?

RP I started playing Davis Square, at least a few shows, in 2013. So a decade now. In 2015 I started using an electric guitar out there as opposed to an acoustic one.

MS This was your Newport Festival moment?

RP Laughs…

MS And you’re pretty much a solo artist?

RP I mostly play solo because of the ease of the setup. You really are your own boss and can come and go as you please. I know other musicians and do occasional full band shows, but I like being self-contained. My two albums – I’m working on my second one now – have full band instrumentation. In addition to guitar, I play drums, bass, keyboards and harmonica, so I can fill out the sound as needed.

MS I’ve caught myself standing here especially listening to you sing ‘Good Good Lovin’ or ‘Who’s that Knockin’. I’ll even miss one of my buses sometimes to wait out another set. One thing, it’s just plain good. The summer Lebowskis and young professionals alike around here suspend their usual chatter with one another to listen to your music. I see little children dancing to your songs with their parents.

RP Yea, well, I listen to everything, classic rock, blues, soul, R&B, oldies, country, folk, 60’s British invasion, rockabilly…I enjoy a lot of 90’s and 2000’s rock. I’ve even had rappers come up and freestyle with me providing the musical backing, so I appreciate that as well. When you’ve been singing a long time, you develop your own style, and at this point, regardless of what genre the song is in, I fit it to me.

It’s distinct in its choice of older music. I often find myself thinking, This is the music my parents were listening to when they got together first back in the late 50s and early 60s. To many other listeners, that would mean the music of their grandparents. How did you get into the older music?

 My parents helped this along for sure. Music played constantly in our house growing up – the Beatles, the Doors, oldies radio, stuff like that. In fact, I remember hearing Jim Morrison sing “Light my Fire” when I was still just a little kid and asking myself, “Hmm, a person has a fire to be lit?”

MS Were your parents musicians?

My father sang at parties and always got a good response. I was too shy for the longest time. Then I started doing it. Another inspiration was when my grandmother took us to see Chuck Berry when I was a teen. It was a great show. Berry confidently held the crowd and I felt like I intuitively understood what he was doing. This set me on the path of discovery, figuring out what songs to do when, and what to say, to hold the audience’s attention and generate good vibes with them.

MS But there’s a lot of reflection and know-how to the music too.

RP I do a lot of research on my own. One of my greatest joys is to unearth obscure music that deserves more attention than it got when it came out. Once I get into something, I get into it all the way and want to learn everything I can a about it. Music is no exception.

*******Catch Roland Pearsall live one afternoon or early evening in Davis Square, playing his American Standard Stratocaster – “the perfect street axe” – through his eponymous Roland Cube Street amp, with a separate channel for vocals. You’ll be telling yourself, This is the real thing. That’s how you’ll know him, with genuinely inviting entertainment for four generations, you, your kids, parents and grandparents – wherever “you” are in that lineup. You can also enjoy his music on https://m.youtube.com/@RolandPearsall.