These two musicians deliver big band sound at Mohawk Valley shows

Mark Sisti
·3 min read

So you go out every so often to hear one of the many great acoustic duos or solos who ply their trade around Central New York and you’re sure you have a pretty good idea what you’re going to hear. In fact, you may be convinced you can anticipate most of their song list.

Not so fast, say the Real Imposters.

This relatively recent entry into the duo mix has been making huge strides and building a solid fan base over their five-year history by concentrating on presenting a different repertoire than audiences have come to expect from two people.

Guitarist/vocalist Bill Ouellette performs as part of the duo Real Imposters at multiple venues in the Mohawk Valley
Guitarist/vocalist Bill Ouellette performs as part of the duo Real Imposters at multiple venues in the Mohawk Valley

“I usually say we play great music from every decade with the caveat that we can do songs that you wouldn't think are possible with just two people playing,” explains guitarist/vocalist Bill Ouellette. “I think we take pride in that.”

His partner Jeremy Painter, who plays keyboards and sings, concurs.

“We like to try and find songs no one is yet playing locally,” notes Painter, “so we always have something fresh for the audience.”

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Something fresh is an understatement. Calling these guys eclectic is like saying Shaquille O’Neill is big. While their songlist is extensive and constantly changing, any given night is likely to contain some Counting Crows, Tears for Fears, Queen, Death Cab for Cutie, Duran Duran, George Michael, Radiohead or Coldplay, in addition to the expected Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Elton John, Allman Brothers or Billy Joel.

“John Mayer, Pearl Jam, Howie Day, Fleetwood Mac, The Fray, Pink Floyd, Manchester Orchestra, Todd Rundgren…” adds Ouellette, admitting, “We are all over the place.”

The two blend together so naturally, it may come as a surprise that they come to the Utica area from opposite ends of the country. Painter is originally from Oklahoma City, where he learned the ropes performing in several bands, while Ouellette hails from Connecticut, moving to Utica in 1991, where he played in the alternative grunge band Bill The Cat.

Keyboard player and singer Jeremy Painter performs as part of the duo Real Imposters at multiple venues in the Mohawk Valley
Keyboard player and singer Jeremy Painter performs as part of the duo Real Imposters at multiple venues in the Mohawk Valley

“Bill and I were performing in a band called the Hitmen (later Creature of Habit), but it eventually fell apart,” recalls Painter. “Bill and I had musical chemistry, so we just kept practicing as a duo.”

Sometimes coming up with a good band name can be the hardest part of putting a project together. Using the name the Real Imposters is both a tribute to the talent of other local performers and an acknowledgment of their own abilities.

“The gist of our band name was there are so many fantastic, talented musicians in the area who are successfully making a living at it, that we were just imposters,” says Ouellette. “However, we felt we were pretty good at this music thing so maybe we were the genuine (real) imposters.

“Yeah, it made sense at the time.”

The Real Imposters will give you quite a few chances to check them out this month, with shows on June 16 at Cavallo's; June 17 at Harry's Barn in Clayville; and June 30 at Piggy Pat's.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Mohawk Valley music: What to expect from Real Imposters show