Mutha Cover band will ring in 2013 with Benicia gig

FAIRFIELD — Locals know Patty Penrod from such Solano College Theatre productions as “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” and “Sweeney Todd.”

Penrod has put live theater on hold as she pursues another passion, one that ties in nicely with performing.

For the past year, she’s fronted the Mutha Cover band, which will play New Year’s Eve at Benicia’s Rellik Tavern.

“I had been doing theater for years,” Penrod said. “I always had a yearning to sing with a band.” That desire came to fruition when she answered a Craigslist ad for a band looking for a singer.

She and three other members of Mutha Cover were in another band until things unraveled. They formed their own band and added a new member.

“Everyone is an accomplished musician,” Penrod said of her fellow band members. “This is really my first stab at it (a band), other than being in a high school garage band. I love it.”

The band’s name was suggested by Penrod’s sister, Kathy Gillman, who also serves as band manager. While a few ideas had been floated, the name needed to reflect that they are a cover band. “It gets people interested,” Penrod said.

Penrod said the band knows “hundreds” of cover tunes and plays a variety of genres. That’s what distinguishes them from other cover bands, she said.

“There are six generations of music that we cover,” she said. “A lot of other cover bands play genre specific.”

Mutha Cover members are lead vocalist Penrod, keyboard player and singer Colin Price, guitarist Mitch Hedifant, drummer Michael Umbertus and bassist and vocalist Michael Jarzabkowski, the newest member of the band. He, too, was found via a Craigslist ad.

“I am honored to play with these guys,” Penrod said. “We really love playing together.”

Live theater is going to have to wait. Mutha Cover has two to three shows a month.

“I’m lucky enough to have so many roles I wanted to do,” Penrod said. “Since I joined the band, I haven’t found a project to take a break for. I feel very fulfilled doing the band.”

Penrod, who grew up in Daly City, found her way to Fairfield about 20 years ago. She serves on the board of Solano Repertory Company.

Reach Amy Maginnis-Honey at 427-6957 or amaginnis@dailyrepublic.net. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amaginnisdr.

 The Mutha Cover Band

• 9 p.m. Monday
• The Rellik Tavern, 726 First St. Benicia
• 746-1137
• www.therelliktavern.com, www.muthacover.com

Solano County residents can also ring in 2013 at:

• Six Flags Discovery Kingdom with live music and fireworks. It’s opens at 4 p.m. Monday. The park is at 1001 Fairgrounds Drive, Vallejo. Call 643-6722 or visit www.sixflags.com/discoverykingdom.
• Comic Darren Carter has two shows at Pepperbelly’s Monday, at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. The club is at 849 Texas St., Fairfield. Call 422-SHOW or visit www.pepperbellys.com.
• A local chapter of the Knights of Columbus will host a dinner-dance at 8 p.m. Monday at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, 2700 Dover Ave., Farfield. Call 429-0149 for information and tickets.
• Ascension plays the dancing tunes at 9 p.m. Monday at the City Sports Bar and Grill inside Stars, 155 Browns Valley Parkway, Vacaville. Call 455-7827 or visit www.starsrecreation.com.
• Anthony & The Brothers Young perform at Dimitri’s at 8 p.m. Monday. The venue is at 700 Main St., Suite 106, Suisun City. Call 419-5024 or visit www.dimitrislounge.com.

Amy Maginnis-Honey

Amy Maginnis-Honey joined the staff of the Daily Republic in 1980. She’ll tell you she was only 3 at the time. Over the past three decades she’s done a variety of jobs in the newsroom. Today, she covers arts and entertainment and writes for the Living and news pages.

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