The influence of garage bands of the 60’s continues to be felt today. Most bands probably practice more in the basement than the garage, but either way it smells like teen spirit.
Over at this post are comments by musician and Beatles fan Jake Gerber, whose garage band roots go all the way back to Elvis and the Everly Brothers. Jake has an interesting history, and at this link he told some of it to Mike Dugo, founder of the Web site 60’s Garage Bands.
Another interview by Mike Dugo is with Bill Trainor, the lead guitarist for a popular Boston area 60’s band called The Shadows Four. You can read it here. Bill is on the right in the photos. I saw Bill at work for many years, before he took early retirement ten years ago.
By the time Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers recorded their anthem “Roadrunner,” they couldn’t exactly be considered a garage band, but when the legendary Boston FM alternative music station WBCN played the song, celebrating the AM sound, it perfectly captured the feeling of the place and time that was greater Boston in the early 70’s. (Although it is reported to have been recorded in L.A.). On organ is Jerry Harrison, who would later be one of The Talking Heads.
[audio:/2008/MAY/Roadrunner.mp3]