Reliving the filthy old washout in seclusion isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
But one string-slamming Brooklynite — who’s already known for several of his own musical ventures — is well on his way.
James “Roto” Rotondi, the Williamsburg guitarist known for multiple stints with French band Air in the early aughts, paid tribute in March to quite possibly the most touted, ragged recluse of them all: Syd Barrett, one of the founders (and first drop-outs) of Pink Floyd.
“I think the romanticism of rock and pop gave me the affinity for lost souls like Syd,” Rotondi told us before a March show at Pete’s Candy Store in Williamsburg. “They’re people who followed their own course, but fell through the cracks. I wish to identify with these loners.”
Roto, 40, did just that at the bar, covering Barrett’s solitary yet shocking acid-infused debut with Pink Floyd through the “Piper At the Gates of Dawn” record — a happy-go-lucky look at Barrett’s psychedelic journey that would last him a year before he left the band. The Roto rendition of “Lucifer Sam” was right on the mark and purveyed a high-energy slap in the face (even with his apologetic fake accent).
Roto promises to continue his chronicle of the “lost souls” of rock — covering influential English guitarist Nick Drake and T. Rex front man Marc Bolan as well — and will seek a permanent residency at Pete’s Candy Store on Lorimer Street for each show.
Recently, he’s been touting the new release of his own album, “Summer Home.”
“I’ve played in plenty of bands and experimented with others’ music — but every player who does that has their little box where they keep their own stuff,” Roto said of his album. “I’ve finally finished a record with all the material that’s been waiting all these years.”
The result is a laid-back, folk-laden pop album with Roto’s heart on its sleeve (downloadable at CD Baby for $10). It strays from any band or cover group he’s been a part of, but he notes that each previous band has its own small influence on the record.
Roto said he isn’t planning on going nuts, grabbing a 12-pack and staying home for eternity any time soon, like many of his predecessors. On the contrary — he’ll be out and about in Brooklyn all summer.
“I’ll be trying to create some real, one of a kind music experiences here,” Roto said. “It’s rock at its finest.”
Roto does Syd Barrett at Pete’s Candy Store [709 Lorimer St. between Richardson and Frost streets in Williamsburg, (718) 302-3770]. May 13, 11 pm. Free.
