By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Herbie and the Love Bugs have been stuck in park since March. Like other musicians all their engagements were canceled.
Now the Bowling Green classic rock and blues band is ready to head out for a road trip to Swanton to perform at legendary Griffin Hines Farm, 3950 Berkey Southern Road.
Herbie and the Love Bugs will play a show on the outdoor stage Wednesday, June 10, from 6 to 10 p.m.
Debbie De Steno, who plays electric and acoustic guitars and sings background vocals, said they were surprised when they checked with the venue and were told the show would go on.
After being isolated during the pandemic, it felt great to get back together, De Steno said. She has a space that allowed them to rehearse and maintain social distance. Masks though were out of the question.
“Everyone in band has enough sense that we haven’t been around anybody. We’ve all stayed isolated. The joke is if anyone gets sick, it’s because of one of us,” she said
“We’re a little nervous, and excited to be playing again especially there because the place has such history.”
The Hines Farm was country getaway for Toledo area blacks. With roots that go back to the 1930s, the venue has hosted the blues greats including B.B. King and John Lee Hooker.
“I can’t wait to walk around and check it out,” De Steno said.
The band’s lead guitarist, Ellis Nigh, who’s a blues lover, is bringing in some additional blues tunes to add to their repertoire. De Steno’s also hoping they can work in a few of her originals.
Other members of the band are Jeff St. Onge, drums, and vocals, and Matthew Thacker, lead vocals and bass.
“All three of them are just sweet and nice guys,” De Steno said. “It’s one thing to find musicians you can gel with, and gel with personally and walk away and say ‘we’re friends.’ It’s nice.”
Music provides the psychological lift that’s needed about now. “You don’t realize what a relief it is to pick up guitar again,” she said. “This is what this what I do.”
She can be feeling down one day, and then the next day pick up her guitar and think: “Why didn’t do this yesterday? I would have felt better.”
De Steno started playing guitar while growing up in New Jersey. She picked up an instrument her older sister had abandoned. She dreamed of being the next Pat Benatar. She’s been playing music ever since.
Herbie and the Love Bugs came about as a result of another passion – campaigning against domestic abuse.
Six years ago she launched an annual benefit Music Against Domestic Violence at the Alehouse Grill in the Woodland Mall.
She started it in response to the murder of a friend from the Toledo music scene.
A few weeks before last year’s benefit, a band canceled. She called Thacker to see if his band could play. The other members of his group were unavailable. He suggested he and De Steno pull something together.
She’d played with the band the Second Wynd at the first benefit, but realized playing and running the show was too much. Still she agreed to play.
“We had so much fun and got such a good reaction,” she recalls. “People were coming up to us and asking ‘when’s your next gig?’” And they had to admit “we’re not a real band.”
That spurred them on to keep at it and “see how far we can take this,” she said. “We’ve been playing ever since.”
