Local/Live Music During the Age of New Wave

[WolverineSyr]

I was very into the local music scene during the age new wave. I’m curious if anyone else has some cool reflections from their old local music scene?
For me, after spending so much time in discos, it was a true delight to actually hear and dance to live music, to see performers live, watch them evolve over time. Although Syracuse wasn’t really a new wave or punk town (we majored in AOR side of things here, with a concentration in Charlie Daniels,) we had some great bands. I’m not sure if I was so fond of the live scene because I liked the bands or because it was so immediate, and exciting – the whole atmosphere of live music and the sometimes awful little bars they played in.
One of the bands, The Flashcubes ended up on one of Rhino’s DIY comps. I recall an all woman group called The Pop Tarts around ’78 or so, unfortunately I never got to see them in their heyday, but as a later incarnation. I do remember there was a lot of sneering about them because “girls just don’t play guitars…” which made me want to see them all the more.
I was a pretty big fan of The Natives, some really nice jangly power pop. We’d go see them a few times a month. It really opened me up to other power pop bands. We had a slicker power pop trio called Screen Test, who released a few local singles. They were “the big dogs” in the local scene. I wasn’t really into them, but loved their singles. (I have a few songs from both groups up on the Hub.)
I had so much excitement at the time over the bands. I was always torn about wishing they would get signed to a label, but then that would mean we wouldn’t be able to see them every week. It was a cool time, crappy clubs with warped dance floors, light systems that didn’t work all the time, no a/c except an open door, bands whose ideas of a light show was a strobe light that went off at odd times, floors with carpeting that your feet stuck to, and all that sweaty pogo-ing!
I recently drove by one of the clubs I used to haunt (used to be called the Lost Horizon,) and saw a line out front. It really took me back & made me think of all those nights.
What was your experience? Bad hole-in the wall clubs, cool bands, anyone make it big? One night/band/club that stands out over the others?

[WoodlandParkPunk]

I was living in Atlanta and attending the Music Business Institute which was part of the Art Institutes. Going to class in the morning and clubbing at night at places like the Metro Plex, Masqurades (sic)
688 Club and going to Athens to check out that sc

[geoffolehane]

There was a band that played in Northern New England called TANK. A foursome whose repertoire from 1979-1982 included The Vapors, Fischer Z, Gary Numan, and most of the STIFF artists (along with other power pop/New Wave delights). A friend of mine who p

[scramjet]

Not much here in Utah, except a band called The Klick. I saw them a couple of times but I can't remember what they sounded like. red x red has their lone LP which he keeps promising to digitize...

[2Nu]

Here on LI, I remember a local cover band called "The Touch" getting alot of plugs on WLIR back in the day. Other notable NNW club bands that I remember from back in the late 70's & early 80's were 'Crystal Ship' (A Doors cover band parodied in The Dead M

[Dave]

[quote][i]Originally posted by 2Nu[/i]
<br>Here on LI, I remember a local cover band called "The Touch" getting alot of plugs on WLIR back

[2Nu]

Ya know, I knew I left someone off the list (and I'm sure it'll get longer as other LI'rs weigh in) Thanx Dave [8D]

[WolverineSyr]

The strange thing is that I don't recall our local bands playing a lot of covers back then. I remember wishing they would have mixed it up a little between originals and covers though. It's hard to get into a band when the songs aren't as accessible. M

[waukena]

[quote][i]Originally posted by 2Nu[/i]
<br> 'The Good Rats' (a local garage band fronted by the Bros. Pompasello) - My Favorite Tune "Takin

[hexicon]

[quote][i]Originally posted by WolverineSyr[/i]
<br> Maybe that's why I gravitated towards the power pop bands - it didn't matter if you un

[Ollie Stench]

Probably the biggest band we had in Minneapolis was The Suburbs. They put out 3 albums and a handful of singles on the Twin Tone label, an LP on Mercury, and an LP on A&M. Really good Roxy Music-meets-Funkadelic (live they had a 5 piece horn section).

[2Nu]

[quote][i]Originally posted by waukena[/i]
<br><blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr

[WolverineSyr]

Hey hexicon, did the Heats release any lps or singles? Sounds like they're right up my alley!

Ollie - I love the Suburbs - it must have been awesome to be in a town where some of the bands actually made it.

[randy]

Since you asked.......as Ive mentioned in the past, I was big into the local 80's band scene in the Providence/Boston area. Among my favorites(and Im sure to leave some out by mistake) were:
Schemers
Blind Dates
MX
Probers
Hi Beams
Detectives
Blue

[andrewkstone]

Here are a few streams from my consciousness ...

Randy and I met on another thread -- we both were in RI at the same time, and then I went to Boston in 83 to college.

The Boston music scene, at this time, was probably in its second wave of greatnes