Alumni band 'The Dots' reunites after 37 years
On Dec. 9 at Rubbles’ Bar, The Dots, a prominent band from the 80’s at Central Michigan University, reunited after a 37-year hiatus.
“It’s totally surreal to be back here,” lead vocalist, Pete Poggione said.
The Dots took the stage around 11:30 pm and started with covers by The Jags, The Romantics, The English Beat, and even a few originals, all the “the same tunes we played 37 years ago,” Poggione said.
The originator of the band and guitarist, Tom Cross, said the band started when his previous band, The Strays, had broken up and he didn’t want to be the “former guitarist of The Strays.”
Cross said even though he didn’t have a name for the band or even any members, he wanted to sign up to play at Super Dance, a 24-hour dance benefit. Cross said while he was on the phone with the manager, he looked down at a Central Michigan Life paper and saw an ad for American Dots Fabric and told them their name was “The American Dots, shortened to The Dots later for marketing and promotions.”
Cross said he already knew Poggione, and later met drummer, Ken Blackwell and bass player, Rob Turner, who played in Merrill Hall together.
Back in their time as students at CMU and midnight shifts at 7-Eleven, Cross said all they did was practice all summer in their apartment and play whatever gigs they could get at the time. He said they played Rubbles’, formerly known as Tom Foolery, most of the time, as well as Wayside in the back room, which was called The Dot Room after the band.
After all these years of not performing together, Cross said they are all “grateful for the people that show up and that they are still able to do this.”
