Stimulus Package Invigorates the Dance Floor in Hyannis

By: Amanda Converse, August 9, 2012

Stimulus Package is not your typical Cape Cod cover band.

The stage is filled with five keyboards and an electric drum set, and it is fronted by Rayssa Ribeiro, who tends to perform in sequins and four-inch heels. The sound is “electronic, fun and dance-y,” says founder Russ Delorey. “We get as close to the original record as we can.”

What sets Stimulus Package apart is the band’s selection and ability to learn new dance hits, culled from what the audience is likely to hear on the radio and in nightclubs.  

From Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” Shakira’s “She Wolf,” Selena Gomez’s “Love you Like a Love Song,” and Martin Solveig’s “I Just Came to Say Hello,” Stimulus Package delivers guilty pop pleasures with a live band setting.

Although he admits former president George W. Bush might have had something to do with the band’s name, Delorey said he had been contemplating the band’s concept for years. Stimulus Package officially formed a little over a year ago, and has been playing shows since spring 2012.

Rock meets dance

Delorey has spent most of his life studying and playing music, and plays the keyboard and sings vocals. He met the band’s drummer, David Wood, through his day job as a piano tuner and restorer. Wood owns Puff the Magic, a cigar bar with a piano that needs tuning, on Main Street, Hyannis.

Wood graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1982, and went on tour for 15 years with Herb Reed and The Platters, a group that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.  

Drumming in Stimulus Package presents a new and unique challenge for Wood, who says playing “electronic drums is very different in all circumstances.”

When drummers play acoustic drums, he explains, the sound is generated right in front of them from their hands and feet, but with electric drums the sound is generated on a set of pads and amplified out of a set of speakers, much like a keyboard or guitar; a new experience for many drummers.

According to Wood, the dynamic of the band and the music changed after he switched from acoustic to electronic drums. The electronic drums keep the tempo precise, which is extremely important when playing dance music.

“Ever heard a band play ‘Billie Jean’ at the wrong tempo?” Wood asked. “It just doesn’t work!”

The perfect fit

Delorey’s longtime friend Jon Allen plays keyboard and guitar, and Matt Loomis, who has been playing in working bands for the past 15 years, is on bass guitar and keyboards.

The band became complete when Delorey saw Ribeiro singing with a jazz band, and knew she would be perfect for Stimulus Package.

“Rayssa has always loved music. Her mother was a professional singer in Brazil,” Delorey explains. “She has so much natural talent and professionalism you could never guess this is her first serious band!”  

The goal of the band is to play music that makes a diverse crowd dance, sing and have fun. Delorey believes Stimulus Package will be a success “as long as the girls have fun, which makes the guys happy,” which in turn ensures the bar will have a good night. 

Finally, a Stimulus Package that does something for the economy!