Judy Woodall photo
Dex Romweber
Laid back in a plush but worn sofa chair in the darkened hallway of the Grey Eagle Music Hall & Tavern in Asheville, N.C.’s, River Arts District, Dex Romweber appears to be just like any other music fan, patiently waiting for the opening band to assemble onstage and flash the thumbs-up to begin the night’s wild ruckus. In the moments before the house music fades away, a few folks stroll by unaware of the rock n’ roll legend, but eventually fans begin to gather round him, asking for autographs, a picture to be taken, a shake of the hand. He nervously taps his foot, smiles politely, and then gathers himself up from the comforts of the chair where he had found a bit of solitude, pardons himself to the crowd before heading backstage in preparation for the energy he and his older sister Sara are about to unleash on the crowd.
It’s been two years since The Dex Romweber Duo have released a full-length release for Bloodshot Records, but the Chapel Hill siblings have created a wild and highly enjoyable album that continues Dex’s tradition of mixing rockabilly, surf, punk, and classic American blues into a genre of music that is unique as Romweber’s trademark soulful voice, which has been often mimicked but never replicated.
His latest offering, “Is That You in the Blue?” is a continuance of the Dex-ethic, flailing Brian Jones-esque drums from sister Sara and the Dick Dale approved guitar licks from Romweber that sound like they were from another era, hollowed in mounds of saturated reverb that evoke an appropriate placement in a Quentin Tarantino movie soundtrack. Recorded in Rick Miller’s Kudzu Ranch studio near Chapel Hill, N.C., the Southern Culture on the Skids front man took special care into placing Romweber’s vocals at the forefront. The smoky midnight tones that come out on the title track and the killer “The Death of Me,” lean towards a young Frank Sinatra that’s succumbed to the dark side, while tracks like “Jungle Drums” and “I Wish You Would” bring out the howling rockabilly devil that lurks within Dex’s expansive vocal range. Not to mention the high-octane instrumentals like “Gurdjieff Girl” and “Climb Down” that might test the shark infested waters off some remote island with its 60’s surf riffs and wall of sound drums. On “Is That You in the Blue?” it’s all classic Dex.
A true icon of American underground music, Dex Romweber was the leader of the nearly world famous Flat Duo Jets, leading the way with the stripped down guitar\drums format that was certainly borrowed to its full potential by the likes of Jack White and his band The White Stripes. Romweber’s not bothered by the comparisons, “If he (White) got anything off those early records, that’s great, I mean– if anyone got something from them, I think it’s great! I’ve got no problem with it.” As the Flat Duo Jets dissolved in the early 90’s, Dex continued making music and albums with the same passion, eventually bringing in sister Sara, who had played with Let’s Active and Snatches of Pink, creating the Dex Romweber Duo.
Growing up listening to bands like Kiss and Led Zeppelin, Dex began to explore 50’s and 60’s garage bands, digging into some more obscure groups that great influenced his sound, more so than the commercially successful acts of the day. What has been an ongoing legend-in-the-making path, Dex Romweber has earned cult status among music fans and critics alike with each album released. North Carolina is home to this musical sensation, and while he’s clearly left his mark—influencing generations of bands and musicians—he still carries on with extreme modesty and that unrestrained vigor he notoriously possesses.