Johnie 3 delivers harder edge

By John Benson

The Youngstown-based band has a larger following in Europe.

For Johnie 3 bassist Michael “Myke” Rosati, dropping the “Sexbomb” has two connotations.

The first involves the release of the Youngstown-based act’s new CD, “Sexbomb,” which finds the punk-rock trio — Rosati, Jay Dorbish (vocals, guitar) and Casey Annico (drums) — exploring a harder rock edge. As for the second reference, it’s not really for print other than saying it involves a latenight bootie call. Hmm, how about we discuss the former.

“We’ve definitely evolved over the years, and it seems like this new album is our most creative record to date,” said Rosati, a 2000 Boardman High School graduate. “While our last CD, ‘Hang the DJ,’ which came out in 2007, was mostly straight-up pop-punk songs, this new album is a little bit different, maybe going toward harder stuff like Motorhead or The Helicopters.”

Among the new tracks the band is excited to play live at its special “Sexbomb” CD release show Saturday at Cedars Lounge are the raw title track and the fast “Hollywood Nosebleed.”

Rosati said the threesome has a unique relationship with Youngstown in that it doesn’t really have one. Instead, the outfit has grown quite a following overseas.

“We’re leaving Nov. 4 for our fourth tour of Europe,” Rosati said. We’re playing about 15 shows. When we first went over there in 2007, we became good friends with this band The Apers from Holland when they were on tour over here. They asked us to come over to Europe and play some shows. When we were there, we met a booking agent from Copenhagen, and they’ve been kind enough to book us the past three times we’ve been there. So they hook us up a lot.”

Is it possible that Johnie 3 is more popular in Europe than in America?

“I would say most definitely bigger in Europe than here,” Rosati said.

“Even like in our hometown of Youngstown, there’s like more people that know us in Europe than they do here. It’s just like this style of music is way more popular over there and like they are way more interested in arts and stuff like that.

“We’ve done a bunch of tours in America, six or seven. So we can play a show here in America to maybe 15 to 20 people, and then we’ll go play in Europe to audiences of 75 to 100. I don’t know how we can change things. Maybe eventually the Americans will catch on. I don’t know.”

Is it at all lucrative to tour Europe?

“Oh, absolutely,” Rosati said. “The euro is worth more than the dollar, so that’s good there. And you can get good guarantees every show you play like food and beer. So you can actually end up making money when you come back.”

You know, talking about the euro-dollar exchange rate isn’t very punk rock.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be even possible for us to tour Europe,” Rosati said. “So that’s a feat in itself. Like I had a job last year working at a restaurant. Then I just decided I can’t take this [expletive] anymore. I don’t want to be a waiter. Being broke and not having any money is a lot more fun than having to go to some [expletive] job every day.”

OK, that sounds punk rock.