About ROOKIE
Hometown
Chicago, IL, United States
Born
2017
Genre
Rock
Proud Midwesterners with a passion for '70s rock, Rookie are a band steeped in the sounds of classic rock and pop, pouring out their catchy melodies through a three-guitar frontline. Clad in workman's coveralls for their energetic stage shows, Rookie play full-bodied music with plenty of hooks, but like fellow Illinois residents Cheap Trick, their pop influences don't water down their rock & roll moves, and a dash of Americana flatters both sides of their musical formula. The band had made a name for themselves as a live act in the Midwest before their reputation spread nationwide with the release of their self-titled debut album in 2020.
Rookie was formed in 2017 by Joe Bordenaro and Max Loebman, two Chicago-based friends who often sat in with one another's bands. Bordenaro had previously fronted the group the Late Bloomers, while Loebman played in Yoko and the Oh No's, as well as his solo project, Max Loebman & the Mild Ones. When Bordenaro and Loebman had time on their hands after their main groups split up, they decided to join forces and start a band, with Loebman on guitar and Bordenaro going from guitar back to the drums, his first instrument. They recruited guitarist and vocalist Dimitri Panoutsos and bassist Kevin Decker and adopted the name Rookie, playing regularly in the Chicago area and adopting a distinct visual style with all members wearing mechanic's coveralls on-stage. This edition of the band issued two digital tracks in 2018, "One Way Ticket," which appeared in April, and "Let's Get It Right," which followed in August.
In December 2018, Rookie delivered their first physical release, a vinyl 7" with the songs "I Can't Have You But I Want You" and "The Move." By this time, the band had expanded, with the original quartet joined by guitarist Chris Kulwin and keyboard players Elan Frankel and Steve Kostakes. In 2019, the respected Chicago roots music label Bloodshot Records added Rookie to its roster, and in March 2020, their first full-length album, titled Rookie, hit the streets. The personnel for the album included guitarists Loebman, Panoutsos, and Christopher Devlin, keyboard player Justin Bell, bassist Decker, and drummer Bordenaro. ~ Mark Deming
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