The Topcats are one of the most successful cover bands in the Greater New Orleans area, playing an average of 200 shows a year. This Saturday night at Rock N Bowl The Topcats are celebrating 40 years together!
Topcats drummer and frontman Rob Schulte talked to me about a moment when the band came to an inflection point about their future. After completing an album of original material and playing in various cities to promote the new album, Rob said that with no record deal and with no one promoting them, the band had to make a decision about where they were going, and not continuing was an option.
Without the backing of a record company or music management, Rob said the band met and decided that they were all very good musicians who liked playing together, and that they would come back to New Orleans and work on becoming a great cover band. The Topcats met with other established cover bands and got advice on some of the songs they would need to learn and perfect in order to get the gigs that would allow them to survive.
Forty years later, while some of their dreams may not have come true, The Topcats - Rob, Buzzy, Dave, and Pat - are thriving, and can all celebrate that they are full-time musicians and continuing to make a good living at playing music.
The Topcats 40th Anniversary Show at Rock N Bowl Saturday night at 8:30 pm will not only be a celebration of the band - it will also be a reunion for the many fans who have followed The Topcats over the years.
