The Ruiners Tore Up The Bowlero Lanes and Lounge With Intense Set
–by Robert Wilkins
–photos by Richard Blondy
The Bowlero Lanes and Lounge in Royal Oak Michigan was the site of some rock n roll shenanigans last weekend. The show was opened by group of self-proclaimed soccer moms called the Mydols. They may be a little better served to change their name to the Geritols these days, but they can punk it up with the best. They looked great and sounded even better. Many a group of younger punk rockers would be hard pressed to keep up with them.
The headliner for the night was none other than the most dangerous band in the world and Detroit Music Award Winners, The Ruiners. Their brand of 60’s era horror glam/punk would be well served as the backdrop for any good Rob Zombie movie. The band is led by the husband-and-wife duo of Rick Ruiner and Nina Friday. Rick’s chiseled chin and athlete turned rock star good looks are complimented by his wife’s Betty Page charm and go-go inspired dance moves. The band is rounded out by a revolving cast of top-notch players that look like they are straight out of a comic book.
The set started with a raucous version of Dick Dale’s “Misirlou” just to get the band and the crowd warmed up. In no time the band was ripping through “Eat Your heart Out”/”My Butt”. Rick and Nina did not miss a chance to be as outrageous and over the top as possible. The performance was replete with butt shaking, gyrations and enough leg kicks to make Bruce Lee proud.
The rock n roll circus continued when the already frenzied crowd took it up another notch while the band broke into “Zombie Elvis”. Band members were anything but dead when they rollicked through this wisecracking 60’s inspired masterpiece. The electricity in the room surely would have been enough to raise the King from the dead.
The group’s set on this night was filled with several new and yet to be released songs. Highlights included “Emergency Room”, “Satan’s Rocket Ship” and “Home Cooking”. The list of new songs didn’t stop Rick Ruiner from leaving the stage and engaging the crowd. His moves consisted of gyrations, sticking out his butt and rolling around on the ground. Patrons ate it up and loved every minute. It’s been rumored that one woman even fainted when he began to sing directly to her and ever so softly caressed her cheek.
No Christmas show would be complete without some Christmas songs, right? For any adult that has ever been Christmas shopping, the band played “Drunk at the Mall”, “Be Honest with Yourself” and “Don’t Act Like You Have Never Done This”. The show closed with the newly released Christmas song “No More Mariah Carey”. I’m pretty sure at least everyone in that crowd could sympathize with the sentiment. There is even an awesome new video online to go with it!
The Ruiners are a great glam/punk band. They are a lot of fun to experience, and their songs are catchy with a ton of attitude. There is no lack of musicianship with this band and Rick Ruiner is as great a front man as they come. He has honed his craft through possibly thousands of shows since 1985. He has the rockstar persona down to a tee yet doesn’t take himself too seriously. Be sure to check out their music on Spotify or whatever music platform you use and don’t forget to check out their videos online https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRuiners.