Nicole Ruberto

“Gee, Noodles…why so grumpy?”

Nicole Ruberto is an experienced lead singer in her own right. It’s been a real luxury for me to have a voice like hers providing my primary backing vocals. Even though her duties focus heavily on singing the harmonies, Nicole has the vocal ability to take center stage and bring the house down belting out rock, country, and blues favorites, with chops to cover some of the most challenging material.

Nicole has been performing music all her life. Before she was even in kindergarten, her big voice was raising eyebrows, especially when people heard her singing songs from the musical “Annie” with a vocal quality that mirrored then title character, Andrea McCardle. One memory from that time she never lets me live down is how I would send her friends home and send her to her room if she ever refused to sing for my friends when asked. I guess not much has changed.

Nicole has been singing lead in bands since the age of fourteen, when she fronted her first band “Mail Order Bride” in Red Wing, Minnesota. This was when Nicole first exhibited her unique ability to nail lead vocals on songs by Pat Benatar and other vocally demanding artists of the era.

Nicole’s comical nature and quick wit made her the shoe-in candidate in the voting for “Commencement Class Speaker” at her high school graduation. Before High School ended though, her outstanding vocal talents led her to be chosen as one of 1989’s “All-State Vocalist” honorees, over hundreds of others who auditioned.

After High School, Nicole went to Winona State University…and became an excellent pool player.

During the “hippy-revival” years of the early 90’s, Nicole spent the majority of her college study time singing in a “Grateful Dead” cover band called “The Eleven”. (Referencing the mockumentary band “Spinal Tap,” who said that, unlike most amplifiers with volume knobs that only go up to ten, theirs are custom made to go all the way to eleven...)

When it came time to take life a little more seriously though, Nicole left Winona for the Twin Cities, where she went back to school and earned a degree in Nursing.

Currently, (when she’s not frolicking about the stage with her ‘Muppet-Like’ enthusiasm) Nicole is a nurse at “Hennepin County Medical Center” in Minneapolis, where she has earned the respect and adoration of both its patients and staff.

As her older brother, it’s my duty to bust her chops and give her a rough time…and I do. All kidding aside though, I can honestly say that Nicole is one of the most loyal and considerate people I’ve ever known, and I’m tremendously grateful that I have her in my corner.

Fast Facts

Vocal Range:

From Bea Arthur to Mariah Carey, she can darn-near shatter glass!

Favorite Artists:

Jeff Buckley, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Crosby Stills Nash & Young,

Dixie Chicks, Shelby Lynne, Ani DiFranco, Eric Clapton, Allman Brothers

Hobbies:

In the little free time Nicole can find outside of her job and the band, she enjoys movies, writing, reading, and spending time with her ornery Siamese cat, BLUE.