I know it’s been way too long since I’ve hit the right balance of inspired and untired to do a little writing, but the last issue of Spin has convinced me it’s nigh time to pop the cork on another bottle of blog.
So it’s back to my roots; back to the guys that most recently lit my muse. Columbus, OH may not be an Athens or an Austin or a Seattle, but this college town has got more than its share of real deal rock ‘n roll, as evidenced by the August ’09 issue of Spin which declared that it’s pages contained “100 of the Greatest Bands You’ve (Probably) Never Heard.”
The headline was right on the money. Yes, 96% of these guys I’ve never heard. But the other 4% were some of the greatest.
I know because 4 of the top 100 hailed from what was once known as Cowtown, the now magnificent megalopolis of Columbus. That’s 4% of Spin’s Top 100 Worldwide. That’s saying something for a snatch of real estate which sure as hail ain’t New York or LA or Chicago or even Hotlanta.
Granted, all of these guys peaked before I earned the right to plug in my Fender Twin, but it’s this scene that gave me the dream to keep it going on and on and on. (Not Stopping Believing, as it were.)
So, for the record, they are:
I’m a little bummed that I can’t find a decent picture online of any of these guys rocking out in obviously Central Ohio sort of way. Sure, there’s a million pictures of bands bashing away at Bernie’s, but they all post-date the digital revolution (iPhones n’at.) I’m sure that somebody out there has got a stash and a scanner. Get to work! Because of this, I’m using the above picture of some guy wearing a Gaunt t-shirt. It’s the best that I can do.
Just to round out the Buckeye Beat, I must also mention that the hard workin’ Michael Stanley Band made Spin’s list of “Essential Heartland Rock” at slot number six with his EMI-released and spot-on titled, “Heartland”. Trust me, he was a big deal if you grew up on bunny-ear-only Cleveland TV. Kind of a local King Of All Media. The kind of guy who only had to play one show at year, at the biggest shed in town, and it always sold out.
Still not convinced? To let the proving begin, here he is with a song I know you know, the glorious romp “He Can’t Love You.” Enjoy:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44bamW7ZbMo
