BIO
ROTAGEEZER . A curious word indeed, What does it mean? If you try to trace it back to its original Latin and Greek roots, you will find nothing ... it isn't that old. However, the best research implies that, loosely translated, it means something like, "showing signs of advanced middle age, which include baldness, beards and bellies". ROTAGEEZER is built upon the foundation of the notorious First National Rotagilla Band, which was formed in 1972, rose to great regional popularity and went on to tour the US and Canada for several years. Knowing that they had no choice about growing old, the members of ROTAGEEZER swore a blood oath (actually, it was a beer oath) to never grow up, and each member has held true to his promise. The guys are willing to make very few concessions to aging, and all live by the credo that youth and energy can always be triumphed over by age and treachery. The mission of a ROTAGEEZER performance is fun. First, you'll be highly amused to see any sentient beings (to say nothing of adult men) behave in such a manner. Later on, you will enjoy hearing music that is motivational ... it makes you want to party. A ROTAGEEZER performance is spontaneous. For example, nobody knows (not even the band) who might join them on the stage. If there are musicians in the crowd, they often join the band for a number (probably "tune" would be a better word) or two. Sometimes, a person who has never performed before will wind up on the stage. On occasion, ROTAGEEZER will actually attempt to play a tune that they have never done before. In fact, much of their song list was developed using this approach. They are fearless (maybe that should be shameless) in what they will attempt to do. They make no promises of accuracy, but the result is almost always entertaining . The guys in ROTAGEEZER are entertainers who don't take themselves too seriously. The mission is for the audience to enjoy themselves. BILL SABO is the elder statesman of Rotagilla. He plays guitar and tenor banjo. He is a member of the faculty at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind; and with the assistance of Jim and local musical luminary, Elizabeth Roth, has headed up the school's very successful music program, Outta Sight since 1995. JIM CARPENTER joined Rotagilla in 1975. He plays guitar, bass and mandolin. He often tells jokes that people don't get, and calls such jokes "intellectual humor." In addition to being Bill's assistant in the Outta Sight program at FSDB, he is an artist and cartoonist. SCOTT SWEET (the "Lord of the Strings") came aboard in 1976. Scott plays guitar, 5-string banjo and mandolin ... and bass ... and ukulele ... and ...    He has what he calls "musician's A.D.D. ... he just can't settle on which instrument he wants to play. He's also an up and coming luthier, and the group's technical watchdog. DAMIAN KEMPER, who is an excellent drummer, just happens to be the son of the band's drummer of thirty years, Mike Kemper. Damian hit the road with Rotagilla in 1977. He knows the material as well as any of them. (He did part of the act in fourth grade "show and tell") In fact, he remembers more of it than the rest of them. So when you come to a ROTAGEEZER gig, come prepared to let your hair down ... or even take it off. Act your age? ... Naaaaaah!