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Friday August 15, 2008

Z and Z on top: N.Y. rockers ‘wiggle’ their way into TV stardom

by curt schleier
correspondent

Paul and David Zablidowsky are not your stereotypical rockers.

For one thing, they not only check in for a telephone interview on time — they’re actually early. And they don’t drink, smoke or do drugs.

Oh, yes, there’s one more thing. Very often on the day after they appear at Arlene’s Grocery or some other hip downtown New York City club, they can be found in a slightly more intimate venue: the home of some of the city’s wealthy parents performing for children’s birthday parties.

In short, the brothers are transformers: hard-rocking ZO2 at night, the Wiggles when the sun shines.

That duality is at the heart of “Z Rock,” an extremely funny and bawdy 10-episode series on the Independent Film Channel, or IFC, that premieres Aug. 24. It will air successive Sundays at 11:30 p.m.

For the record, Paulie Z (lead singer and guitarist) and David Z (singer and bassist) are the Z Boys, two-thirds of the rock bands the Wiggles and ZO2. The third member of the group is drummer Joey Cassata.

“Z Rock” is loosely based on the group’s experiences, though greatly exaggerated (it is not clear how much). In the first episode, for example, the brothers spend the night with two groupies, who they discover are mommies attending the party where they entertain the next day.

“We definitely crossed the line a few times,” Paulie admits. “But we never sabotaged ourselves in real life as we do on the show.” On the show, the dalliance with the groupies-turned-moms makes the brothers late for a gig playing at the home of an important record producer — whose sister is also a groupie.

Clearly this is not a children’s show. In fact, it has all the ingredients for what would have been a successful program on the higher profile networks, such as HBO or Showtime. But the Z Boys like it fine where they are.

“The reason we like being with IFC is that we’re not into the conglomerate concept,” Paulie says. “Hopefully this becomes successful not only for ZO2 as a band, but it helps IFC as well. They’re looking for a breakout show. We’d rather be with a hungry network.”

Adds David, “Here’s the difference: I think when we tell people we’re on the Independent Film Channel, it gives the show more credibility and gives us as a band more credibility.”

The unscripted, though heavily outlined, show makes no secret that the brothers are Jewish. They regularly refer to it. In one episode Paulie tells Joey: “You’re Italian, I’m Jewish. Italians beat the s—t out of people. I talk the s—t out of people.”

Paulie, 28, and David, 26, were born and raised in Boro Park, a heavily Chassidic section of Brooklyn. Though their parents were secular (their mom is from Colombia, and converted to Judaism when she married), Paulie briefly and David even more briefly attended a yeshiva.

“A lot of that came from our grandfather,” David recalls. “He was the one who came over on the High Holy Days, and he would say the prayers. I remember him telling us the stories. Unfortunately, after he died a lot of those customs went with him.”

He continues: “The one thing we did, Paulie and me and our younger brother, Bryan, was we all got bar mitzvahed.”

“And while we’re not religious, we’re very proud of our heritage,” Paulie says. “And we’ll fast and break out the matzah.”

Does their Jewish background impact the show and the band? “I can answer that in two words,” David says. “No, three. I am the accountant. Wait, that’s four words.”

No matter how many words it is, times are good enough that they no longer do the kiddie shows. They’re spending more time on the road and have a new record label (Riker Hill Records), a new CD (“Ain’t It Beautiful”) and an attractive new Web site (www.zo2.com).

Actually, it is perhaps beshert that music is the center of their lives. Grandma and Grandpa Z were both singers, and their dad had a band with his brother called Z. And in a weird irony they had an Italian drummer named Joe.

“Do me a favor. I know he’d love this, but could you mention my dad and where he works? So, here we go: props to you, Marty and Buzz Electronics of Brooklyn.”

“Z Rock” premieres Aug. 24 on IFC.

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