Sponge Keeps Playing, Post-Breakup
February 23 -- DETROIT — Sponge is dead; long live … Sponge?
Although it's hardly active, members of the Detroit rock band — whose debut, Rotting Piñata, went gold in 1995 and launched the hits "Plowed" and "Molly" — have taken to resurrecting it, in name at least, for certain special events. Frontman Vinnie Dombrowski, guitarist Joey Mazzola, and original drummer Jimmy Paluzzi — aided by bassist Robby Graham, who played with Paluzzi in Hoarse and other bands — have reconvened to play Sponge songs for an assortment of local shows, ranging from an alternative weekly newspaper's 25th anniversary party to a recent radio station-sponsored pre-Super Bowl party.
"It does seem a little strange," Dombrowski says of the Sponge shows. "It seems a bit out of context, simply because it's not the same lineup. At the same time, I'm happy to go out and play the songs occasionally. The further I'm away from it, I'm always reminded of the impact that music had. I'm not going to run from it, and I certainly can't hide from it. So when there's a situation that comes up, it certainly makes sense to go do something."
Dombrowski has plenty of other musical endeavors to keep him busy. He, Mazzola, Paluzzi, and Graham play together in the hard rock group Crud, which is currently pursuing a record deal. Dombrowski, Paluzzi, and Graham are also part of the Orbitsuns, a twangy counterpart that's been building a following.
The singer has also been working with other artists in a co-writing and session-musician capacity, including last year's solo debut album by modern rock singer-songwriter Peter Searcy.
"I'm just trying to do what I can to make some kind of honest living," he says. "It doesn't seem like any one band can play enough without over-saturating the market. You're out playing every weekend, and people get tired of it quick. Having more than one band seems to remedy that problem."
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