The first time I heard Rockumal play was at the Beach Bar at Lol Ha. A friend and I walked in around 5:30 and we were asked if we had a reservation. What?! The place was packed and not just for Happy Hour. Fortunately, we were given a table and after the band started to play, I knew we were in for a great time.
Let me introduce you to the band. The three guys who make up Rockumal, are Nolan Clark, rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Rick Reiling, lead guitar and vocals, and Chris Kovalski, drums and vocals. Let me introduce you to the band.
Nolan Clark hails from Vancouver, BC Canada and now lives in Haven Executive Estates near Chemuyil. Now working in real estate, his former life was in the IT sector. Nolan is a very busy guy these days with selling real estate and preforming with the band.
Drummer Chris Kovalski is originally from North Ogden, Utah. Chris started playing at sixteen with friends, He played with several bands before joining the army when he was twenty. After serving three years in the Army, he became a police officer and played in bands with other cops before retiring with his wife to Akumal. He plays pickleball at least three times a week and loves woodworking. Snorkeling and swimming take up some of his time as well.
Rick Reiling is from Pekin, Illinois. He started playing guitar when he was about thirteen and was in a few practice bands in Pekin and Manito, Illinois during high school and prior to joining the Air Force. He did play in a couple of bands while in the Air Force, then worked as a Behavior Analyst for twenty odds years in Nashville TN before retiring to Mexico. He’d met up with some old Air Force friends while in Nashville and they started writing songs and playing the songwriter rounds in Nashville. For a short time he played in a band called Wasted Potential. Rick is now a wildlife photographer and you can see his work at http://www.ricks.photos
Chris and Rick met at the pool where they live. They’d talked about music but Chris didn’t give it much thought. Rick then posted on Facebook that he was looking for anyone interested in starting a band or just jamming. He’d included a video of himself playing. Chris was very impressed, and he and Rick got together and thought they could get something going. They’d seen Nolan play at La Palapa and thought he’d be a perfect fit. After a lunch together a band was born. They’ve only been together a little over two months. The group even posted a contest on a Facebook page, looking for a name for the band. Rockumal fits them perfectly because they do know how to rock out.
I really hope to have a chance to see them play. We enjoyed hearing the group and they got people up dancing. They play normally every Wednesday at La Palapa in Chemuyil. They have a Facebook page, Rockumal, and you can follow them there to see if there is a change in schedule. I need to buy a Rockumal T-shirt and probably a beer koozie as well, maybe with my name on it.
Rock on!
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