Chris Rubino & the Newburgh Soul, formed over 35 years ago as the genre bending, punk/new wave band disguised as a classic rock power trio…Nightwing. With Chris Rubino on guitar, Stephen Toback on bass and Jimmy Reynolds on drums, they played the garage/back yard circuit in Orange and Ulster Counties, NY for several years before going their separate ways.
Fast forward 30 years. On a whim they performed for their high school reunion in Newburgh, NY. Armed with new material and a new style…the Newburgh Soul was born. With the addition of Louisville musicians Laura Anna Stegall on keyboards and Danny Flanigan on guitar the band was complete. The music can be described as the place where Indie Rock meets Twang Pop...generating a sound that is both unique and familiar at the same time. The music is homemade and bittersweet...kind of like a Chess pie that's been left in the oven a touch too long. Once you get through the hard crust...what's left warms your soul. Most of this music comes from the heart...some from the head. Enjoy...and let us know what you think.
Chris Rubino
Stephen Toback
A prodigy tuba player, Steve Toback realized by the 6th grade that he was not a chick magnet. Once he switched to bass guitar, he joined Nightwing and developed a style influenced by a diverse musical style including the Cars, Kiss, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Steve studied bass guitar with Jorge Casas from the Miami Sound Machine at the University of Miami, before leaving for Los Angeles and the Sunset Strip, where he performed in various bands in the late 80s and early 90s. The reforming of Nightwing and it’s evolution into Chris Rubino and the Newburgh Soul has allowed Steve to go back to his roots and his fretless bass making an incredible musical connection with his band mates for over 4 decades.
Jimmy Reynolds
I started out as a rudimentary drummer, learning to read music and grew to playing the drum set and other percussion instruments as a natural progression.
My drumming style has changed as my personal taste in music has changed. This has enabled me to contribute my drumming performance to many different musical settings.
I enjoy playing cover songs of most genres, but I feel most creative writing my own drum parts to someone else’s original music. Playing the drums with other musicians in a group has been very rewarding to me, especially playing on stage in front of an audience. I’m very grateful for all of my experiences, even the blisters that turned to callus.
Playing the drums has been a lifelong passion of mine. I love every aspect of it.
Laura Anna Stegall
At age 3 Laura Anna found her mom's nylon string guitar, missing the first 3 strings - but leaving just enough to learn and get hooked. She got her first full sized Yamaha acoustic by age 10. From there she taught herself piano and bass, passing up kickball games at recess in order to play guitar on the hillside with the other music junkies . Laura co-formed a (modestly) successful cover band, What Ever Will, and enjoyed several years performing Alt-Indie tunes of the Nirvannah Gen-X era all across the region. Having spent time in and out of various bands, it's been a long-lived dream to collaborate on originals and record - one that has been realized with the immensely talented Chris Rubino and all the gifted members of our musical family.
Danny Flanigan
I was inspired by my older brothers to take up the guitar from an early age. Soon in it became my identity - it was a way for me to be me - some kids were really smart - some were great at sports - I played the guitar - Moreover, I set myself apart from my brothers by not only playing the songs of my generation, but theirs too. I fed my identity and learned to contribute and entertain: my family, my classmates, any gathering of friends...
Later on - at Berklee College of Music - one of my 2 roommates was a musician from Connecticut that had written several songs and he would perform them - guitar/vocal in our dorm room - the impact of that cannot be overstated - it was equal part great songs + the power of hearing a great song in an intimate setting.
It burned in me like you can't believe,the idea of expressing feelings through song.
WHAT A WAY TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE AND TO SHARE IN THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE - EXPRESSION THROUGH SONG!