We are really trying to start what I call the new rock movement says Christian Brucculeri, nestled in a couch in his O Street pad. It’s rock our way. It’s got funk, it’s got blues, it’s got like a southern feel. A little bit of hip hop, some jazz – it just molds into this one unifying sound.
Brucculeri is the lead singer of GW’s own Waterstreet, a group that grew out of the belly of Thurston Hall and now lives, rehearses and operates from its Dupont Circle house.
Our neighbors think we have this rock ‘n’ roll from hell, crazy house thing going on. They’re very intimidated by us, says guitarist Rick Sorkin.
Sorkin started the group in his freshman year with drummer TJ Brunner Jr, a.k.a. Le Deuce and Super Presh. By the start of their sophomore year, (they are all juniors although there may be some credit discrepancies), the group began to take shape, adding Christian Brucculeri on vocals and Bob Nashawaty on bass. By December 1998, the lineup was solidified and christened Waterstreet.
There are a number of Pisces in the band, Sorkin says, explaining the name of the band. Water is kind of like the daddy. It can crush rock or cleanse. Waterstreet is more than a place – it’s a conceptualized place of being.
Originally Waterstreet was a five-piece band with keyboards handled by Joe Crazyfingers Epstein. Aaron Berkowitz, who Brunner calls an unbelievable pianist, took over on keyboards. But when Berkowitz left the group for France in August, Waterstreet went through some major changes.
It turned us more to a melodic rock-type guitar-driven four-piece thing, Sorkin says.
Waterstreet members are at a loss when trying to describe their sound.We just really want to create our own genre, Brucculeri says. There’s always been that B.S. corporate rock, and then there’s everyone underneath trying to go their own way.
It’s the best music you’ve never heard, Brunner says. Melodic rock with a various assortment of diverse influences.
The group is not only artistically independent but also financially independent. The group members started their own record label, Pimp Lounge Records.
We haven’t had the doors opened for us by anyone, Brucculeri says. We did it for ourselves, by ourselves, with little help if any. We are not looking to get into the corporate scene in any way. It’s about us being able to promote artists that are helping society progress as a whole musically.
We still like money though, Brunner adds.
Waterstreet also prides itself on its live show.
It’s like a 2 Live Crew concert with white boys, Brunner says. Crowd response has increased exponentially.
We are really about playing places where people can just party, Brucculeri says. Every time you go up on stage you kick it however you want. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing for two people or 2,000. When you get up there, it’s your show.
Waterstreet will play Saturday at the Metro Caf?, located at 1522 14th St., between P and Church streets. Under the Sun – a band out of Northern Virginia that features GW alumnus Tony Alany – and Wosabi – which hails from Maryland – also will perform at the Metro Caf? Saturday.
D.C. has a kind of interesting music scene, Brucculeri says. There’s not as many bands out there as some place like New York City. Here, unless you’re into go-go or hip-hop, there really isn’t much of a rock scene going on.
Waterstreet also will play a block party April 8 in front of Tequila Grill, but what is in store for Waterstreet in the long run?
I view success with this band as being able to coordinate and finance our own small tour, Brucculeri says and then mentions the opportunity to live off Waterstreet’s earnings and see the country.
For the Waterstreet made-for-TV movie the band says they would cast David Arquette as drummer Brunner; Christopher Walken as guitarist Sorkin; Danny DeVito as vocalist Brucculeri; and Fabio as bassist Nashawaty. But they know they have a long way to go.
It’s a long-term thing of aspirations, indulgence and very hard work, Sorkin says.
