Nash Kato says it’s one of those truisms that turn out to be true. “A band’s no different than a marriage,” he says. “Look at marriage today. All my married friends last a year or two.”
Last month in San Diego and Los Angeles Kato and Roeser, who met at Northwestern University in the early 80s, played their first live shows together as Urge Overkill since Roeser quit. Roeser says he made the first move. “It was kind of up to me,” he says. “I was the one who left.” The reunion tour continued on the east coast this past week and brings them home to the Double Door for a pair of Valentine’s weekend shows.
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After Urge, Roeser formed Electric Airlines with his brother John, and then the Kimball Roeser Effect with latter-day Jesus Lizard drummer Jim Kimball. Kato had a brief solo career. None of these projects did very well commercially, and in hindsight Roeser and Kato chalk up Urge’s success to the checks and balances that come with long-term collaboration. “It is quality control,” Roeser says. “You kind of have to have it. Have you listened to Mick Jagger’s She’s the Boss lately? I don’t know about you, but I haven’t.”
