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Vinnie Dombrowski Talks Sponge’s 30th Anniversary, New Covers Album and More

Author Meltdown
Jason Anthony
Vinnie, you’re the best!!

I’ve had the good fortune of knowing Vinnie for two-plus decades. He’s easily one of the most talented musicians in Detroit. I recently spoke to him about the band’s 30th anniversary, but now it seems they’re celebrating with the release of the album 1994 on October 11th.

Vinnie Dombrowski and Sponge
Cleopatra Records/Jeff Hayes

You can listen to the conversation above, or read it below.

Sponge’s Vinnie Dombrowski Talks 1994

Meltdown: Vinnie, how’s everything going with Sponge?

Vinnie Dombrowski: It’s 30 years, and we still have a pulse.

Meltdown: That’s right! The 30th anniversary of Rotten Piñata came around a few months back. Now, you’ve got this new album, 1994, coming out. Tell us about that.

Vinnie Dombrowski: This is the 30th anniversary of Rotten Piñata, and some folks at Cleopatra Records approached us about doing a covers record. Now, I didn’t get into this business to play cover songs—I’m not great at it, to be honest—but we thought, if they want something, let’s try to make it cool. So, Andy Patalan and I started scrolling through all kinds of top songs from 1994, using Spotify playlists and other sources. Since it’s our 30th anniversary, we wanted to pick popular songs back when we were breaking out. We narrowed it down to about ten tracks.

Meltdown: I see you’ve got Alice in Chains, Mazzy Star, STP, Jawbox, Urge Overkill, Oasis, Blur, and Morrissey on there. Am I missing anything?

Vinnie Dombrowski: Well, we also recorded a Danzig song.

Meltdown: No kidding! Which one?

Vinnie Dombrowski: Can’t Speak. It was a breakout song with a big video back in the day, but it’s unlikely we’ll get the license to release it. Glenn Danzig doesn’t allow covers of his music.

Meltdown: Interesting, I never knew that. So, what Alice in Chains song did you choose?

Vinnie Dombrowski: No Excuses.

Meltdown: And for STP?

Vinnie Dombrowski: Interstate Love Song.

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Jonel Jaska
The Motor City legend, Vinnie Dombroski.

Meltdown: Nice. What about Urge Overkill?

Vinnie Dombrowski: We covered their version of Neil Diamond’s Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon, the one from Pulp Fiction.

Meltdown: That’s awesome! And Oasis?

Vinnie Dombrowski: Supernova.

Meltdown: That’s cool.

Vinnie Dombrowski: Yeah, the covers sound fantastic. We just wrapped it up and heard that Oasis is going on tour, selling out shows in minutes. That’s great for us because it could help push the Oasis cover as the next single. The first single will be the Morrissey track, but the label wants to release Supernova next.

Meltdown: You guys can start fighting on stage, just like the Gallagher brothers!

Vinnie Dombrowski: [Laughs] Who knows?

Meltdown: So, you’ve got ten tracks, right? Except for the Danzig cover, are there any other songs I haven’t mentioned?

Vinnie Dombrowski: You mentioned most of them, but we also did Born in the Heather by Sonic Youth.

Meltdown: That’s a cool choice. So, when did you record these?

Vinnie Dombrowski: Back in January.

Meltdown: You’ve been keeping this a secret! The last time we talked, you didn’t mention anything about it.

Vinnie Dombrowski: Well, it was still in the works, and we were waiting to finish up mixes and other details. But it turned out better than anyone expected, and the label’s excited. Tim Patalan, who produced it, absolutely knocked it out of the park. I couldn’t be happier.

Meltdown: That’s awesome, man! What’s coming up for you guys for the rest of this year and into 2025? Anything we should know about?

Vinnie Dombrowski: We’ve got some shows lined up until the end of the year. We’ll be on the West Coast in a couple of weeks and playing Louder Than Life on the 29th.

Meltdown: That’s great! Big bands at that festival.

Vinnie Dombrowski: Definitely. We’re finishing one last mix for a 30th-anniversary record, including six unreleased Sponge tracks from the late ’92/’93 era, some B-side remixes, and a couple of new songs. That should be out this year, too.

Meltdown: So, is that a separate project from the covers album?

Vinnie Dombrowski: Yeah, totally separate.

Meltdown: And we can expect that by the end of the year?

Vinnie Dombrowski: Hopefully, by November.

Meltdown: Awesome. Thirty years later, and you’re still putting out new material!

Vinnie Dombrowski: We have to! There are so many ideas, and we plan to release a brand-new Sponge record with original material in the spring. We’ve got plans for projects even after that, so there’s a lot on the Sponge to-do list.

Meltdown: Well, keep me posted when it all drops. I’ll give you some plugs and make sure people know about it.

Vinnie Dombrowski: Thanks, Meltdown. You’re the best.

YOU’RE the best, Vin! Thanks, brother….

Sponge's Vinnie Dombroski "The Epitome Of Detroit Cool!"

Over the weekend, I went to Warren for their birthday bash celebration. Sponge headlined the night, after Vinnie Dombroski served as the Grand Marshal in the parade. I’ve alway told anyone who would listen, that, in my opinion, Vinnie is one of my favorite people in the Detroit music scene. Hell, one of my favorite people in general. My relationship with Vin goes back to the first Sponge album. The band came by the radio station I worked at in Buffalo, N.Y. to promote the album/band. We sort of just passed each other in the hallway. After my move to Detroit in 1995, I met him somewhere along the line and the rest is history. We’ve been friends ever since. He’s on my Christmas card list, and I always get one from him and his family. He’s so talented and criminally underrated. He’s humble, giving, kind, cool, I could go on and on. I thought that I would write a whole story about the greatestness of the Sponge front man, but why not let some who know him best, and who’ve played with him, tell you instead. How about we start with some high praise from Kid Rock himself. “Vinnie is the epitome of Detroit cool!” he texted me immediately when I asked him for a few words about Vin. Kid Rock’s Twisted Brown Trucker guitarist, Jason Krause, seconded that thought. “To me, Vinnie is one of Detroit’s most talented and underrated musicians.”He went on to say that Vinnie is even a better person and that he “Loves him to death”. Ted Nugent drummer, Jason Hartless, who’s played in Sponge, said “The Mount Rushmore of Detroit rock icons would be Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Mitch Ryder, Bob Seger and Vinnie Dombroski! Out of all the musicians I’ve had the pleasure of playing with in my career, Vin is in the top of that list as a performer and person.” My 94.7 WCSX counterpart, “Screamin'” Scott added “I’ve known Vin a long time. People don’t realize what a great drummer he is. From bands like Spyder, Loudhouse, the Orbitsuns, and Crud, it’s hard to put Vin in any one music category. He’s not no doubt an all around talented musician.” Owner of District 142 in Wyandotte, Julie Law said “Vinnie is one of the most down-to-earth, genuine, “rocker dudes” you’ll ever meet.  (Rocker dude is how he refers to most rock musicians.). He finds the good in everyone and often shrugs off nonsense.  He never takes anything for granted and wants to see others do good things.  He loves live music, so much he’s in three bands and started a live music festival, Rockin’ the Shores, in his hometown to put spotlight on his community and developing musicians. He’s a family man that has learned how to balance touring and family time.  The band will drive through the night on a Saturday vs getting a room, to get home to their families on Sunday morning.  Nothing is below him, he’ll be the first to do the heavy lifting or try to fix something.  Don’t tell his road manager, Mike Pigeon, I said that, he might do most the heavy lifting.  If anyone has had the pleasure of meeting Vinnie, he’s the real deal.” Yes, Julie….Vinnie IS the real deal. Check out some pictures from Saturday’s event below. -Meltdown-  

Meltdown started on the mighty WRIF on the evening of Halloween, 1995. Technically, his first on-air shift was the morning of November 1st. Moving to the Motor City from Buffalo, N.Y., he has built a career and family. Over his almost three-decade stint at RIFF, he's had the privilege to work with some of the biggest personalities in Detroit radio history. He boasts of being just the second-afternoon drive jock in the station's illustrious 53-year history. Along with his love for rock music and attending concerts, he's also an avid Harley-Davidson enthusiast and hockey player. He plays year-round and manages to squeeze in a few charity games throughout the year. Meltdown writes about the Detroit Red Wings, rock music, and Detroit concert venues.

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