This band offers
some great Exceptions

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

The Exceptions bills itself as the "most requested party band in the tri-state area."
That’s quite an achievement for a band that started in the basement of a home on Oakmont Street in Mayfair.
The venerable band has been in existence since 1973. While there have been changes over the three-plus decades, half of the 10-piece band has been together for more than a quarter-century.
Lead vocalist Billy Trimble has been entertaining crowds for 31 years, while keyboard player Phil Valentino, guitarist Joe Gonzalez, bass player Don McNeill and lead vocalist Gary Briglio have been onstage for 26 years or more.
"I never thought it would last this long," McNeill said. "We’re like a machine that just won’t stop. There’s no sign of slowing down."
The "old heads" are joined by younger members Tim Garton (saxophone), Chris Scamby (drums), Evan Lindner (trumpet), Mike Eustace (trombone) and Veronica Valentino (lead vocals). The lighting and stage crew, led by Joe Klohoker, also plays an important role, they agree.
The group, with members mostly from the Northeast and South Jersey, ranges in age from 56 (Briglio) to 21 (Eustace), but members say there is no generation gap onstage.
"Everyone comes up with ideas," said Phil Valentino, a lawyer who manages the band. "We cover everything, and that makes us pretty diversified. We do everything from big band to classic rock to funk and even some rap."
The men treat Veronica Valentino — Phil’s second cousin, known as "Ronnie" — as "one of the guys." The sound and energy attracted her to join.
"I love this band," she said. "We’re like a family."
The Exceptions started as a wedding band. For 12 years, the group performed at about 120 weddings a year at Rosewood Caterers.
When the Exceptions decided to play the club scene, fans followed the act because many had seen the musicians at a wedding. The band played every Thursday at the old Roosevelt’s and at other former Northeast hot spots like Thee Bus Stop.
"We immediately became the biggest draw because everybody knew us," Valentino said.
The group has an extensive list of cover tunes, with fans singing and dancing along. The sounds range from Frank Sinatra’s That’s Life to a Mummers medley to Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places to You’re the One That I Want from Grease.
Today, the band performs at 80 to 100 weddings a year, in addition to Christmas and corporate parties and bar and bat mitzvahs. Earlier this month, the group played at St. Dominic’s Marian Hall for a fund-raiser for the parish CYO’s trip to Australia for World Youth Day.
The schedule includes more than 50 dates at Bally’s Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. The resort has already signed the group for New Year’s Eve next year.
From Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, the band is a big draw on the deck at Trump Marina Hotel Casino. Donald Trump will occasionally listen in, and his wife Melania is a big fan.
"She danced from the first song to the last," Valentino recalled of a recent show. "She wouldn’t sit down."
The summer scene is especially busy, according to Valentino.
"This past August, we worked every night except one Tuesday," he said.
Fans can also catch the Exceptions on weekends at area nightclubs like Reale’s Bar and Curran’s Irish Inn. The band will be at the Ashton Tavern on Dec. 29.
Members have become close, an important requirement for a band that sometimes works seven days a week.
"We’re all friends," Lindner said. "We joke around all the time. It’s not like a job. I look forward to Friday and Saturday nights."
The group, which rehearses every Wednesday night at a studio in Bensalem, does not work from a song list.
Instead, Valentino judges the mood of the crowd and gives hand signals to other members. When he points to his eye, he wants Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl. When he uses his hand to form the letter "O," he’s calling for the Four Seasons’ December 1963 (Oh, What a Night).
That’s the kind of onstage chemistry the band has. In such a large group, every piece must fit to make a good sound. Members of the Exceptions say everybody is in tune.
"It’s great musicianship," Garton said.
Gonzalez, who played in Tiny Tim’s band before joining the Exceptions, knew he was part of something special from the start.
"We hit it off," he said. "I’ve been around half my life, and the music changes — punk, rock, disco, all those eras — but we’ve been able to survive." ••
For more information on the band, call 215-333-BAND or visit www.exceptions.com
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com