Classic rock and roll band, Take Me Down, (John Lawton, Dom Petrosino, Andy DiCarlo, Scott Schoen, Junior, Richard Chen, and Donna Palermo) first formed at JamSpot, Wakefield, during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the musicians were especially eager to play. Over a year later, Take Me Down has been attracting listeners of all ages with their versatility.
“There’s more live music now than before Covid, I think. People are out every night,” said John Lawton, guitar. “Don’t stay in and watch T.V., watch live theater and music.”
Lawton, who hosts open mic nights in Ipswich, is a music teacher and sells instruments at Bill’s Music Center, in Peabody.
Band leader, Dom Petrosino, feels that members of Take Me Down instantly clicked and work well together.
“We’re very diverse. We all agree and come up with great ideas,” described Petrosino, bass. “We’re a cover band to the letter. We don’t do our own script on it.”
Petrosino, who has owned and operated an electrical business for 45 years, believes that listeners are attracted to the variety of music that Take Me Down performs from country music to The Stones, Eric Clapton, and Tom Petty.
Lead guitarist, Richard Chen, was described as being “one with his guitar,” and sounding “like heaven,” according to band manager, Red. Chen grew up in Alabama, and started playing guitar at age 7.
“I mostly grew up listening to southern rock – The Allman Brothers, B.B. King, Jimi Henrix. Those are my big influences,” explained Chen, an engineer. “I’ve always played music. It’s a good coping mechanism.”
Vocalist and drummer, Andy DiCarlo, who is a U.S. Post Office employee, was a professional lip-synch artist for 20 years during the 1980s.
“We got a note from John Beluschi’s lawyer after a gig with a cease and desist order because of copyright infringement,” DiCarlo noted with a laugh. “We traveled all over and were on T.V.”
Lead Vocalist, Donna Palermo, is a Cambridge resident, originally from Portland, Marine. She loves rock, contemporary, and 90s grunge music. Palermo proudly exclaimed that she was paid to perform before her son, Anthony, a Berklee College of Music student.
“We have an amazing group,” said Palermo, who believes that Take Me Down is a support group of professionals.
Palermo is an attorney that teaches Constitutional law and government structures at Boston University; and enjoys when her students attend shows.
“Not only did she get up and dance, but she sang with us,” beamed Palermo about a Harvard law student of hers. “That’s how much fun we have. We have different ages and lots of different music. My students think it’s cool, so they come.”
Listen to Take Me Down on Saturday, May 20, 9pm-12am, at Grecian Diner, 136 Newbury Street, Peabody, on Friday, June 2, 8:30pm-12am, at Route 1 Grill House, 817 Broadway, Saugus, and Saturday, June 10, 8pm-12am, at the Beachmont VFW, 150 Bennington Street, Revere.
Contact Dom at (617) 569-6529, or Marcia at (617) 646-9446 for more information.