Rodney Phlegm |

The whole sordid tale begins in the fall of 1984. Three friends, all recent graduates of Edison High School (NJ) were wasting their time hanging out at the Trenton State College (also NJ) radio station. Jeff was a DJ, and Tony & Dave would hang out with him at the station for no apparent reason. One night while goofing on the simplicity of the hardcore punk rock music, someone mentioned, "You know, we could do this crap." Everyone chuckled at the prospect. Someone else added, "Yeah, and then Jeff could play it on the air."

And that was the "eureka moment" that gave birth to Rodney and the Purple Phlegm!

The three wrote songs individually, trying to be funny, basic, and punk. Tony was an average guitarist with delusions of grandeur. Jeff was a terrific bassist who never lived up to his potential. Dave was left over and so were the drums, so Dave became the drummer.

Recording commenced in January 1985 on a tape deck in the basement. The sound was raw. The songs were good for a chuckle. And that's how it went for the next three years.

By 1988, Rodney & the Purple Phlegm had recorded almost 100 songs (quantity over quality, that's our motto!). They played two concerts. The song "Fur Panties" had reached # 5 on the WMSC radio playlist. Then it all fell apart. Dave chickened out of live performances, whining that he wasn't a real drummer. Jeff, tragically, moved to Kentucky.

There was a brief reunion in 1993, but talk of a world tour never materialized.

In the summer of 2002, Tony performed at an open mic night as Rodney Phlegm. The crowd's response was unanimous, but that didn't stop "Rodney."

The open mic nights led to regular bookings, every Monday at Season's Sportsbar and Restaurant in Edison, NJ and every Thursday at the Polo Pub in Highland Park, NJ. Other area club owners are being blackmailed, so hopefully Rodney will be playing more often at more locations.