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-
