When Barry Goudreau’s Engine Room held its record-release party for “Full Steam Ahead” last April, a loud, enthusiastic crowd was treated to a high-energy evening of classic blues rock.
The former guitarist for the band Boston and his musical mates (Brian Maes, vocals and keyboards; Tim Archibald, bass; “Old” Tony DiPietro, drums; and backing vocalists Joanie Cicatelli, MaryBeth Maes and Terri O’Soro) will return to Lynn Auditorium Friday night. Local legends The Stompers and former Joe Perry Project singer Charlie Farren will open.
“That was the first show we did in support of the record, our debut album, and it was very well-received,” said Goudreau, a Lynn native and longtime Swampscott resident. “The set was almost all new material, which was a lot to ask of our fans. We sold a lot of CDs that night and at the other dozen or so shows we did. Everyone told us they had a blast. Now that the material is better known, we’re very excited to perform those songs again.”
Maes, also a Lynn guy, wrote the lyrics for the Engine Room songs; Goudreau composed the music.
Goudreau, who started playing guitar at age 11 and joined his first band (the Tornados, which played Stones, Kinks, et al. covers ) at 13, said the Engine Room plans to add a short acoustic segment in the middle of its rollicking, rocking show. Like last year’s shindig, the music will come from all stages of Goudreau’s career, including tunes from RTZ, Orion the Hunter, Goudreau-Delp and, of course, Boston.
“We’re adding another Boston song, a popular one” said Goudreau, who praised his bandmates. “We haven’t rehearsed much, but I’m not worried. These guys are great players and well-prepared. I’m more worried about my own performance than the other guys’.”
Goudreau, as a English High junior, said he got quite an education playing guitar in Combat Zone clubs. “I was 15 years old, playing seven sets a night, seven days a week. The last set ended at 1:45 a.m., and I was up at 6:30 to go to school. I wasn’t old enough to drive. I never thought my parents were liberal, but they never objected.”
His future Boston bandmate and fellow Lynn native, Sib Hashian, was in that band, as was guitar ace Johnny V. “The Tornados actually replaced me. I was several years younger than everyone else and they were all about a foot taller than me. The drummer decided he wanted to be the lead singer … Sib became the new drummer.”
In short order, Goudreau would meet and performed with Tom Scholz and Brad Delp and helped Hashian and another friend, bassist Fran Sheehan, join the Boston lineup. Hashian passed away last year and Delp died in 2007. Boston’s classic 1976 debut album has gone on to sell more than 20 million copies, and continues to find new young fans to this day.
“I make an effort to play guitar every day,” said Goudreau. “If I get an idea for a chord change, I’ll put it on my phone. That first CD, we developed most of the material from ideas I’d put on my phone.”
Barry Goudreau’s Engine Room, with special guests The Stompers and Charlie Farren (solo), Friday night at Lynn Auditorium. For ticket information, go to lynnauditorium.com or phone 781-599-SHOW.
