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The dB's

Oct 01, 2024 By Matthew Berlyant Photography by Matthew Berlyant Web Exclusive

After 2012’s inspired reunion album Falling Off the Sky, the original four members of the The dB’s, guitarist/vocalists Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey, bassist Gene Holder, and drummer Will Rigby took a twelve year break and one could safely assume that they wouldn’t play together again given Holsapple and Stamey’s various other musical projects (and the latter’s recording/engineering work as well as his burgeoning career as an author as well), Rigby’s time spent touring with Steve Earle and other obstacles as well.

Or could they? With the chance of a more long-standing reunion buoyed by the current reissue of their 1981 debut album Stands for Decibels and the forthcoming reissue of their 1982 second album Repercussion (both power pop and eighties college radio classics), here they are again and they haven’t missed a single step. With a setlist focusing on the aforementioned first two albums along with some inspired selections from 1984’s third album Like This (which featured only Holsapple, Holder, and Rigby, though Stamey did participate in some of the sessions), particularly “Lonely is as Lonely Does” and “Love is for Lovers,” the dB’s thrilled the sold-out crowd, who all dutifully sang along to song after song.

The highlights were plenty, ranging from opener “The Fight” to Stamey’s signature song “Happenstance” and so much more in between, concluding their main set by the song many fans likely heard first, “Black and White” (the opening track on Stands for Decibels in addition to the A-side of their second single). And instead of coming out to play another well-loved classic for the encore, they played the Stamey-penned and sung “Before We Were Born” (from Falling off the Sky), perhaps drawing attention to an underheard gem by a wonderful, timeless band.