| Dex Romweber Duo (March.09 issue) |
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| Written by Gretchen LaBudde | |
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Page 1 of 4  Blood TrustDex and Sara Romweber, After the War Part snake handler, part rock ‘n’ roll shaman, Dex Romweber has channeled spirits from the stage for over 20 years. Having fought with demons and fucked ghosts, the mythology around the man has grown beyond what a mere mortal can ever attain. He’s credited with showy flips off stage, a stunt he confesses he could never pull off, and is rumored to have been kept in a cage and fed like a cat from a bowl, a fib that made his mom cringe. There’s that sex-with-ghosts thing, too. But a two-year-old partnership with his sister Sara on drums has grounded the man and his music, culminating in the dark and rather sophisticated Bloodshot CD called Ruins of Berlin. “But the truth is I did have sex with ghosts!” said Dex. “That is pretty neat…” He laughs and maybe winks. Hard to tell considering the guy built a reputation for cultivating weirdness. So when he bursts in off the porch, clad in a full length black coat and a pointy leather cap similar to those worn by old Italian men, one might expect the cap hides horns or that he eats spiders, but like anyone else, he stamps snow off his feet and wanders into his mother’s kitchen hunting up a warm cuppa joe. Although the union with Sara started more out of convenience, calling on sis for a quick fill-in gig, he scored the finest drummer to emerge from the ’80s jangle pop scene. She’s best known for her work with Let’s Active and Snatches of Pink, but has also pursued serious study in percussion, mainly frame drumming. When the two played together, their sound melded in that instinctive way that only family can master, and the Dex Romweber Duo was born. Ever mindful of her role in support of her younger brother’s music, she has wielded an influence unique to a trusted sibling, insisting on a professional support team which in turn secured a two record deal on Bloodshot and opened up touring opportunities abroad. For the first time since the abrupt 1998 split with Flat Duo Jets drummer Crow, the planets appear to align themselves for Dex. On that snowy day in January, three to four inches of the white stuff had fallen on North Carolina, shutting down everything from the Triangle to the Outer Banks. The previous night was punctuated with a giddy trip to the grocery store for snowbound essentials like cupcakes and malbec, and a morning of rollicking gab with Sara. The visit had felt more like a hen party with your BFF than a rock ‘n’ roll interview. In contrast to his sister’s easy calm, Dex appeared a tad fidgety and manic. The regard between brother and sister was evident, very intuitive of what the other’s thinking. They tended to finish each other’s thoughts. An old hand at being interviewed, Dex liked to direct the conversation. He chirped so often, “You should write this down,” or “put this in your story,” that this could’ve been the makings of a very boozy drinking game. |
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