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Dave Robel was born on March 7, 1948 at 2:44 p.m. in. Omaha, Nebraska. Two years later the Robel family moved to Lincoln. In 1956 Dave watched Elvis on the Dorsey Brothers TV show. Later that year Dave and his dad made a crystal radio and much to Dave's surprise the damn thing worked. The song that was playing when little Davy put on the headphones was "Hound Dog". Dave proudly proclaimed that was his favorite song.Every Saturday in 1957 Dave swept the floors of his dad's electric motor shop. One particular Saturday, one of the motor winders was listening to the radio while working on a burned motor. Suddenly "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis came roaring out of the speaker and just as suddenly the motor winder stopped winding and started rocking! While Dave's dad was not amused at the spectical, Dave was! Dave had felt the power and wild abandon of Rock n' Roll. Cool!!
Dave made a haul during Christmas that year. Among the many gifts was a "Sputnik" radio that worked without batteries and bed springs were used as an antenna. From that night forward Dave listened to the KLM5 Nifty Fifty until the wee hours of the morning. Many other late nights would follow. Dave bought his first 45 rpm record, "Beatnik Fly" by Johnny and The Hurricanes in 1960. Surf Rock, The Ventures, etc. filled out Dave's small, but rockin' record collection to the mid 60s.
Thanks to his mom, Dave bought his first set of drums in the summer of '65. Thanks to mother nature, Dave discovered girls in that summer. What a year! Drums, beer and girls, not necessarily in that order! That fall, Dave's dad bought a small PA system for Dave's first group "The Minutemen" who played Surf, Garage and British Invasion Rock'n'Roll. In 1966, Dave's dad bought a bar in downtown Lincoln and Dave started playing Country and Western with a group called The Acquired 5. Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash were some of the artists the band covered.From 1967 until 1971 Dave played in a number of Rock'n'Roll and Country and Western bands. On one occasion he backed up Bobby Lord on the back of a flatbed truck in Beatrice, NE. Another time he opened a show starring Jeannie C. Riley, and opened up for Kenny Rogers. Dave was introduced to Charlie Burton. Charlie wrote record reviews for Rolling Stone and later Country Music magazine. Charlie needed a drummer for his rockabilly, country and western swing band, "The Star Spangled Wranglers." This was the start of a long string of bands that Charlie had Dave play drums with.
In 1973, Charlie started a rockin' R&B band called the "Megatones." Musical influences included: Roscoe Gordon, Joe Turner, Freddie Fender, Jerry Bryne, The Burnette Brothers, Elvis and Ray Charles. The Megatones were one of the first bands to play regularly at the Zoo Bar and also the first to draw a regular crowd there. The following year, The Megatones opened up for Willie Dixon and Freddie King at Pershing auditorium. A couple of months later, Dave and guitar player Bill Dye were asked to sit in and play the entire last set with Willie Dixon and the Chicago All Stars in Omaha, NE. The All Stars at that time included: Willie on bass, Buster Benton, guitar, Layfette Leak, piano and Cary Bell Harrington on harp!Dave sat in with Magic Slim on his first trip to the Zoo Bar in 1975. In 1976 Dave was asked to sit in and play with J.B. Hutto and The Hawks. In the fall of that year Charlie Burton started a band called "Charlie Burton and The Solid Senders." Solid Senders was soon dropped for the name of "Rock Therapy". This band played rockabilly, rock'n'roll and a few Burton originals.
The Charlie Burton "Rock Therapy" band released their first 45 rpm record "Rock and Roll Behavior" in 1977. The 45 got much critical acclaim from Robert Christau (Village Voice - NYC) calling it "hard rockabilly". The record landed number four in the "Jazz and Pop" publication. Rock critic Nick Tosches (author of Hellfire - JLL) sent the group a postcard that said "Great Rockin' Record" and critic Ed Ward gave the 45 an A+ in Creem magazine! In 1978 while playing CBGB's in New York City. Dave met and talked to punk rocker Johnny Rotten. In September of that year, Charlie Burton and Rock Therapy opened up for "The Ramones" at the Music Box in Omaha, NE. It was at this time the group's second 45 was released. "Guitar Case" backed up with "Dolled Up Cutie."
In 1979 Charlie Burton and Rock Therapy's third 45 "Dead Giveaway" got good reviews in Trouser Press, The Village Voice, and The San Francisco Enquirer. New York Rocker magazine did an article on the band. Writer, Andy Schminoff called Charlie Burton Rock Therapy group the missing link between The Cramps and The Blasters (Dave and Phil Alvin). The band played with the Talking Heads in Omaha. CBRT also did a set at the M-80 concert in Minneapolis. (A showcase for unsigned bands).
Charlie Burton and the Cutouts were formed in 1980. This band played rockabilly, rock'n' roll, but mostly originals. In 1981-1991 the band released three LPs and two CDs:1981: "Is that Charlie Burton Or What?" Reviews: Robert Christgau, Village Voice - B+
1983: "Don't Fight The Band That Needs You". Reviews: Robert Christgau, Village Voice - B+, San Francisco Enquirer, etc. - Dave played drums with rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef at "Larry's" in Lincoln, Nebraska.
1985: "I Heard That" was produced by Lou Whitney (Morells and The Skeltons) Reviews: B+ Robert Christgau, Trouser Press Guide, Musician, Chicago Sun Times and Rock & Pop Narcotic, etc. Dave was introduced to Bobby Lowell, Nebraska's first rocker. Dave and Bobby recorded four 45s and one LP. The first session featured a remake of Bobby's first record "Um-Baby, Baby" and a cover of Joe Clay's hit "16 Chicks." Two other songs were recorded both of which were written by Bobby. "So In Love With You" and "I'm A Fool." This EP was on the Mighty Midwest label. The second session produced a biker anthem called "Iron Pony" and a fifty's style ballad called "Take Me Back." Session three produced the bluesy "Ice Cold Heart" and an updated version of Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-A-Lula." Session four featured the hard rock in "Independence Day" and slow ballad "It's Been So Long." The LP "Bobby Lowell - Then and Now" featured all the above songs as well as ""Race N' With The Reaper" a dark and heavy rock tune.
1985: Shortly after the recording sessions with Bobby Lowell, Dave did an EP with Janis K, "The Lady Elvis." The EP featured a cover of "Skull and Crossbones" by Sparkle Moore, "I Was The One" and "I Beg of You" by Elvis, and an original song by Janis called "Don't Be A Fool."In July of 1986 Dave and Sean Benjamin opened up for The Everly Brothers in Shenandoah, Iowa. After the Everly's set, Sean and Dave were asked to play a private party where they met Don and Phil Everly and guitarist Albert Lee.
1987-89: Charlie Burton and The Hiccups tour LA, KC, MN, NY, Chicago, Boston as well as a million gigs in Omaha.
1990: The Hiccups play the South By Southwest Festivel in Austin, Texas. "Green Cheese" reviewed in Billboard, Philadelphia Inquirer.
1991: "Puke Point At The Juke Joint" live at The Lifticket Lounge. The Hiccups played the SXSW again. The Austin Chronicle gave them rave reviews. Rock critic, David Frikie mentioned them very favorably in Rolling Stone magazine. In the fall of 1991, Charlie got married and moved to Austin. Dave and the rest of the Hiccups stayed in Lincoln to start a new band called Shithook. Shithook played a wide variety of rock'n'roll including Elvis, Gene Vincent, Mack Self, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kinks, Iggy Pop, Bowie, ZZ Top, Led Zeplin and Prince. Not to mention originals by guitarist Phil Shoemaker.
In 1993 Dave and Charlie went on tour with Evan Johns and the H-Bombs. They toured the Midwest, West Coast and Europe. While in the Netherlands the band recorded a CD called "Texas Twang." The H-Bombs also played a live set at K.R.O. Studio in Hilversum, Holland which was later broadcast all over the Netherlands and Europe. While touring the west coast, Dave backed up Evan's friend and fellow guitarist Henry Vestine of Canned Heat. The group also jammed on stage with Roy Lonely (Flaming' Groovies, Phantom Movers). The H-Bombs also did several; gigs with "Billy Bacon" and "The Forbidden Pigs."1993 - Present. In 1997 Shithook released a CD called "When A Boyscout Gets The Blues." All tracks on the CD were originals. In 1998 Blues and Rock critic, Cub Koda reviewed "Boyscout" and said Shithook was "his favorite new band." Cub also recorded his own version of the title track ("Boyscout") with his band. In 1998 Shithook played at the Memphis Crossroads Festival and their song "Boyscout" was chosen to be included on the Crossroads sampler CD. Later that same year Shithook not only opened up for Bo Diddly, but backed him up as well. So for the first 40 minutes the crowd was treated to Shithook and for the last two hours rocked to "Diddly Shit!"
The following is a list of artists Dave has played drums with: Bo Diddly, Johnny Olenn, Bobby Lord, Sleepy LaBeef, Willie Dixon, J.B. Hutto, Magic Slim, Bobby Lowell, Janis K, The LeRois Bros., The Tailgators, Evan Johns, Billy Bacon, Henry Vestine and Roy Lonely.
This is a list of some of the groups Dave and his bandmates have opened up for: The Everly Bros., Robert Gordon, Ronnie Dawson, Jr. Brown, The Derailers, BR549, Freddy King, Kenny Rogers, Jeannie C. Riley, The Beat Farmers, MoJo Nixon, Jason and The Scorchers, Webb Wilder, The Ramones, Talking Heads, Pero, Joan Jett, X, REM, REO, The Replacements, The Smitherines, John Cale, Johnathon Richmond, Eric Burdon, Sugar Blue, and Joe King Carrascoj.Dave has just recently done sessions with Bobby Lowell, Jim Jacobi and Bob Timmers. Also an impromtu tract with Johnny Olenn.
