Date: July 19th 2023

David Wain (The State, Wet Hot American Summer, Wanderlust, Role Models) and Ken Marino (The State, Wet Hot American Summer, Party Down, The Other Two) have a cover jam band called Middle Aged Dad Jam Band featuring other friends and musicians. They have been doing some shows over in California but have made their way East, starting in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware of all places. The connection is that Wain, Marino, Frank Barrera and others were college roommates in NY with Dogfish Head founder & owner Sam Calagione. They were one of the first to try out his first ale that he home-brewed and the rest is history.

I had to come out, take pictures and see this spectacle because not only is it something fun to do but it was also my 45th birthday as well. Way to celebrate middle age with a Middle Aged Dad Jam Band! Ken does most of the singing, with others leading here and there like guests Nadia Quinn and Amy Miles. Sam introduced the packed crowd and told the story about hanging with the guys in the early 90s and how much it was an honor for them to play their east coast tour before “lesser cities” in a sarcastic tone. The band then started with a Broadway tune “Magic To Do.”

Things started to get really fun when Ken would ask the crowd for requests, and then immediately say a song that was already on the setlist. Being a big Billy Joel fan, I was singing along to “All for Leyna.” After that, the late “Gerry Rafferty” made an appearance on stage which was obviously Sam Calagione in a wig, sunglasses and denim jacket. Ken was getting a kick out of him on stage, pretending it was Gerry. Another fake out was when Ken said Slyvester Stallone was spotted at The Outlets and he was in the audience tonight. Throughout them playing the Rocky theme, they kept saying he was coming up but then getting it confused for someone else.

David kept wanting to play more Billy Joel throughout the night, particularly “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” with Ken turning him down everytime. Perhaps the highlight of the night for me was when the group played Craig Wedren’s “Higher and Higher” from Wet Hot American Summer. Craig wasn’t there so Ken took over the singing, and he admitted afterwards that Craig does it better. I believe he will be at the shows in Brooklyn. I think the crowd’s favorite song was Violent Femmes’ “Add it Up” which David sang and furiously drummed along with a few members on stage.

Towards the end of the show, the band played Boss’s “Born to Run” but David had some payback when halfway through some of the band played some riffs from “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.” That was supposed to be the end but they came back for an encore and covered “867-5309 / Jenny.” I got to meet and talk briefly to David and Ken, take some pictures and thank them for the fun birthday.

They just announced more shows in other states for September so if you want a fun night out, check out Middle Aged Dad Jam band!

Here are some photos from the evening: