NEWMAN - Love of music in general and rock-and-roll in particular has proven to be a common thread which brought back together a popular '70s cover band.When Sneeky Pete takes center stage each of the next two Saturdays to reprise their reunion concert of a year ago at West Side Theatre, the band will rekindle musical ties that stretch back two decades.

That group remains intact for the upcoming concerts, which celebrate the release of Sneeky Pete's CD "Where Do We Go From Here," a compilation of original music written by band members.Sneeky Pete traces its musical roots back to the rock-and-roll glory days when garage bands competed for gigs at local clubs and social events - often in hopes of some day hitting it big.In an era when musicians drifted from one band to the next, Sneeky Pete lasted a few short years - from 1977 to the early '80s, at best, its members reckon. While fame in the Hollywood sense never beckoned, the band developed a large local fan base and carved out a niche for itself on the area cover band circuit.

While many bands were busy playing the music of the superstars of the day, Sneeky Pete set about establishing its own identity."Most of the garage bands played other people's music," Gomes recalled. "We wrote our own. This is our music, from our heart."Performing crowd pleasers such as "McKenzie," Where Do We Go From Here," "Amanda" and "Dark-Haired Angel," the band hit all the West Side hot spots and was frequently booked in foothill clubs.

"We had a good following," Avila recalled. "A lot of people would travel to Long Barn or Twain Harte for the weekend to hear us."There were postage stamp stages, where the musicians were literally elbow to elbow.

And there were venues as big as all outdoors - literally, such as a gig in Golden Gate Park, where a trip through a botanical garden inspired band members to name their group after a particular flower."That only lasted about two hours," band members recalled. The group eventually named their band after a colorful local character nicknamed Sneeky Pete.

Not every concert was a hit, though.The rock band found itself dangerously out of place one evening in Concord when it showed up to play a country western bar where patrons took their country music seriously."I knew we were in trouble when we got there and some guy came up and said he hadn't ever seen a country band with bongos," recalled Gomes. They were congas, not bongos, but Gomes didn't push the point."We started playing, and I thought would be all right," he said. "They were writing notes on napkins and putting them on stage, so we thought everything was fine. Then we started reading them, and found out they were threatening us. They were giving us hate mail on stage!!! "It was definitely the wrong audience," Avila chimed in.

Sneeky Pete lived to play another day - generally to more appreciative audiences.Not all their performances were in clubs. Weddings also kept the band busy, as its members are often reminded today."We'll have kids come up and tell us that we played at their parents' wedding," Gomes said. "Weddings were big for us."That dates the band. So does the fact that Areias characterizes himself as "one of the kids they used to kick off stage" when the band was in its heyday.

Sneeky Pete called it quits in the early '80s, but its members kept in touch over the years, often getting together in small groups and playing for the sheer love of music."Scott Wellman got us back together to do a benefit for a burn victim from Gustine. When he called with the idea, nobody thought of saying no," Amaral explained.

"Then we decided to do the reunion concert."That was such an enjoyable experience that the band decided to stay together to produce a CD, which has been nearly a year in the making and will be unveiled Saturday to what promises to be an appreciative audience.The March 20 concert was sold out almost immediately, prompting the band to add the March 27 concert.The events will benefit the West Side Theatre Foundation - which band members unanimously agree is a jewel in the making."We'd go to places where we didn't know if there would be 50 people," Amaral said.

This article was placed here by permission of the Westside Index. Any reproduction of the article or pictures must be done with their knowledge and consent.