National recording artists The Badlees to reunite at Pittston Prohibition

PITTSTON — When Bret Alexander met fellow Bucknell University student-athlete Mike Lombardo on campus in the mid-1980s, little did they know years later Bret would go on to be a rock star and Mike would eventually be a highly successful mayor of Pittston City.

Alexander, of Canton, and Lombardo, from Pittston, met when Bret was playing on the college’s football team as a defensive lineman and Mike a star runner on the track team.

“I met Mike on campus when I was 19 and I didn’t know where he was from, but we ended up being friends,” Alexander, now 56 years old, said. “Fate, as it worked out, I ended up in his jurisdiction.”

When Alexander graduated from Bucknell, it wasn’t too many years that passed when he and fellow band mates, The Badlees, came into national prominence. Mayor Lombardo was a big fan, eventually reaching out to Alexander and rekindling their friendship.

While Alexander was making music for millions of fans, Lombardo was making a colossal effort on getting Pittston back on track. Both men have succeeded with their endeavors, and they are not done yet.

Alexander’s first job was in a recording studio where he would eventually meet up with future band members, forming The Badlees in 1990.

In just six years, the band had signed a recording deal with Polydor/A&M records in 1995, where Alexander served as the principal songwriter/guitarist as well as playing several other instruments.

Their first major album, “River Songs” produced two hits, “Fear of Falling” and “Angeline is Coming Home” in 1996.

The Badlees performed with artists such as Plant and Page, Bob Seger, The Allman Brothers, Live (based out of York), The Gin Blossoms, and more.

Alexander’s work has been featured on MTV, the Winter Olympics, the Video Music Awards, as well as countless TV shows and movies.

After 24 years of being on the road and having great success with The Badlees, Alexander decided to move in a different direction where he could use his economics degree from Bucknell and get back to his first love, the recording studio.

“I always wanted to run my own business, specifically a recording studio, which I ended up doing,” Alexander explained. “I wanted to work a lot more than anyone else (in the band) was able to so I more or less wanted to get my own thing going and I didn’t want to spend any year of my life pissed off because I’m turning things down.”

When Alexander and Badlees bandmate Paul Smith left the band in 2014, they formed Saturation Acres Recording Studio. Eventually Smith moved on and Alexander stayed in the recording industry, building a studio in a commercial building he purchased in Dupont.

Alexander met Dupont native Kelly Kuckla, married her and raised two daughters, Harlow, 24 years old, and Scarlet, 21 years old, in Kelly’s hometown. Both Harlow, a Marywood University graduate, and Scarlet, a student at the University of Scranton, are Pittston Area graduates.

Since 2014, Alexander has been playing local gigs solo or with a mix of other musicians each week to keep him busy. He was a staple at Open Mic Night at Tony’s Wine Cellar every Wednesday evening until COVID-19 hit in 2020.

Alexander was in need of a kidney, and received a kidney donated by his cousin in 2020. He said he’s doing great and he feels better than ever, but with the current pandemic, he has to be very careful of his surroundings in order to keep safe and stay healthy.

In December 2020, it was announced The Badlees were going to be inducted into the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame. The Badlees lineup reunited for the hall induction on July 1, 2021, where they performed a set along with collecting their award.

According to Alexander, over the years, his old college friend, Mayor Lombardo, would always ask him about a Badlees reunion, but Mayor Lombardo had to get in line. Many fans of the Badlees wanted the same.

Lombardo would like to host a music festival in the City of Pittston, and one of his dreams is to hold a Jazz Festival, which would be over several days.

Again, with the country under a pandemic, plans for a full-blown festival will have to wait, but what if it was a one-day event?

The mayor came up with a day-only event titled Pittston Prohibition featuring local craft beer and homemade wine, food trucks, a corn hole tournament, and yes, The Badlees will reunite to provide the entertainment.

Mayor Lombardo’s persistence paid off in securing the band playing together for the first time with their most popular lineup since 2014.

According to Lombardo, the original Badlees lineup of Alexander, Pete Palladino, Paul Smith, Jeff Feltenberger, Ron Simasek, along with violinist Nyke Van Wyk, who has recorded with the Badlees and has been a band member in the past, will be performing today.

“I underestimated how many friends you have out there or how many people were affected by what you have done,” Alexander said, on his surprise what impact The Badlees have had on people. “I certainly have always, since the beginning, wanted to spend my life as a musician in whatever service it offers to humanity … I think that’s what I want to do and it’s where my talents are best used, and I want to do it as much as possible.”

The talented Bret Alexander and his fellow Badlees bandmates are set to perform at Pittston Prohibition today from 3 to 5 p.m.

Pittston Prohibition doors open at 2 p.m. ending at 6 p.m. at the Tomato Festival lot. Regular admission is $20 and $15 for a designated driver.