The Dinero Brothers could be called the Reality Band. It starts with the dark humor in the name.

"I figured, 'Let's call us something ridiculous,' " says founder and bassist Bob Del Grego. "We'll name it after money."

He says calling the band the "Money Brothers" is a reference to a sad but undeniable fact of life for Tucson musicians: If you're in it for the money, you're going to be disappointed. He says the money most bands make today is about the same as it was in the 1960s — and yes, Del Grego says, he does know that for a fact because he was playing in Tucson back then, too.

Del Grego and guitarist Randy Prentice say they do what needs to be done to keep working, which is to keep the crowds and club owners happy. Not, they say, that that's any great sacrifice.

Prentice, a veteran of a couple of well-known Tucson bands — Los Lasers as well as George Hawke and the Cary Grants — says he's having a fine time keeping the crowds happy playing a wild spread of songs, from 1950s, '60s and '70s rock 'n' roll and pop-radio hits to Memphis soul, a bit of Jimi Hendrix and some blues, right up to a few new originals.

Their song list includes "Don't Fear the Reaper," "Mercury Blues," "Third-Rate Romance," "Wichita Lineman," "Norwegian Wood," "Taxman" and other tunes that would make some of these look either obscure or familiar. The Dinero Brothers strive for variety — something for nearly everyone.

Pleasing a crowd in 2006 means doing some things a little differently from how they would have been done 10 or 20 years ago.

If he had his way, Prentice probably would still be wailing away on his guitar playing straight-ahead rock 'n' roll — with the sound of his trademark Marshall amplifier pinning his shirt to his back. A Marshall is to most guitar amps what a B-52 is to a kite.

But these days, he's using a little 10-watt Vox amp and loving it.

The folks just finishing up dinner can still talk to one another without yelling.

And Prentice says he's learning to like playing other types of music.

"I really enjoy the music," he says.

And he says he's even enjoying the guitar practice it takes to play in new styles.

"I practice a lot," he says, apparently almost surprised at himself for working on his playing.

"I wish somebody had told me 20 years ago, 'If you'd practice, you'd get better.' "

He says he has spent more time on his other and newer love — photography — over the last 10 years, at least until the Dinero Brothers got serious about their music.

Prentice is a well-known, large-format landscape photographer. His beautiful landscape and nature shots make him a regular in Arizona Highways magazine, and that's one of his photos on the January page of the Sierra Club's 2006 calendar. He says his work will be in next year's calendar, too.

"I submitted photos for 15 years," he says. "Then, all of a sudden …"

Del Grego says the key to having a three-piece band that sounds full enough to cover all those musical styles is having three guys who play a lot and all sing.

Del Grego and Prentice both rave about drummer Paul Daniel, saying that he does a great job and had a tough act to follow.

He replaced the group's original drummer, local legend Dave "Uncle Dave" Jeffrey. They both say it the same way, letting it be known that coming in and filling the bill after "Uncle Dave" alone is high praise.

Prentice says their semiregular gig at the Old Pueblo Grille, 7401 N. La Cholla Blvd., offers a great place to hear the band. The Dinero Brothers play in the bar but can be heard on the adjoining patios, too. The band is booked there at least once a month for the rest of the year.

Del Grego says the bar area has good acoustics, allowing the music to be heard clearly without overwhelming the audience's eardrums.

"They have a good walk-through crowd," Del Grego says, referring to the people who come there to eat and discover the band.

"They have good food," Del Grego says. "Our job is to keep them there."

The restaurant's manager, Sarah Schiltz, says the Dinero Brothers are energetic, and they "get the crowd in our bar going. They've got fans.

"They're an asset to us enough that we booked them through December."

If you go:

What: The Dinero Brothers

Where: Old Pueblo Grille, 7401 N. La Cholla Blvd., in the Foothills Mall

When: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. this Friday and Saturday

Cost: No cover charge.

The Dinero Brothers' Web site: www.prenticephoto.com/Band/ Dbroweb.html

Randy Prentice's photos: www.prenticephoto.com