About REESA and THE ROOTERS

Read Philadelphia Inquirer story

In the '80s she was known for jumping on- and off-stage during her outrageous performances. But now Reesa Marchetti, leader of the quirky Philly new-wave band, Reesa and The Rooters, performs seated in a power chair. She was diagnosed with MS in 1998, but she still keeps her shows energetic (she credits her musical revitalization, in part, to wheelchair dance lessons).

Reesa and The Rooters is recording a follow-up to their 2008 CD EP, "Melt the Iceman." Their music is played on college radio and local stations such as WXPN. Recently the band appeared at the World Cafe Live Upstairs in Philly.

The current Rooters include singer-songwriter-synth player, Reesa, her Korg MicroStation keyboard, and singer Maureen Simmons.

"If I were still hosting "Street Beat" on WMMR, Reesa's CD would be on the air! The songwriting is solid, the musicianship is polished and Reesa's voice is killer! I especially like her treatment of Alan Mann's "You Can't Talk to Her." Give the CD a listen — you won't be disappointed."
— Cyndy Drue, WMGK Radio Personality, Philadelphia

"While Marchetti is the sole original member in this version of the group, the CD carries on with a new wave spirit that mixes a sense of fun with dance grooves."        
— Tom Wilk, Courier-Post

Born in Philadelphia, Reesa received classical music training as a child in piano, violin and guitar. Her family moved to Cherry Hill, N.J., when she was in elementary school. As a teen, she joined her high school folk music club and began playing in local coffeehouses.

In the 1980s, Reesa scored international underground punk-rock hits with two 7" vinyl singles: The Rooters' "TMI/Ultraman in Surf Villa" and "Casual Cat at a Laundromat" by her female rock trio, Suburban Wives Club. Both bands toured along the Eastern seaboard and were well known in the Philly club scene.

In the '90s, she released a solo single and a techno-pop dance song, "Too Much Mousse," with Network 23 & Reesa.

After Network 23 disbanded, Reesa became a full-time journalist and then a Web designer. While running her own website development and hosting company, she created Relivethe80s.com, a site that documents the '80s Philly original music scene. The website also brought numerous musicians who Reesa had lost touch with back into her life. With their encouragement, she started playing music seriously again in 2005.