The Unsung Heroes Of Chicago Power Pop
By Eric Hehr in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 21, 2012 9:00PM
Pezband
If you find yourself burned out on hunting down the numerous limited run/regional focus releases that RSD has to offer, take some time to explore uncharted aisles. After all, record stores serve as a treasure chest every day of the year, and you never know if your new favorite band is waiting for you on some distant shelf, tucked away behind mounds of shrink-wrap and vinyl.
Chicago has always had a diverse music scene, and while it prides itself on its contributions to blues and jazz, Chicago has also produced some of the best music in rock and pop, specifically the amalgamation of the two genres: power pop, a genre that downplays the sense of instrumental solo predominant in jazz and the improvisation of blues music.
From the late 1970’s into the 1980’s (and even into the 1990's), the Chicago music scene created some of the best power pop bands in the history of the subgenre, and unfortunately many have gone unnoticed, overlooked, or disregarded. And while there were hometown successes such as Rockford’s Cheap Trick, there were also many other great tunesmiths who have been ignored or forgotten, patiently waiting in dusty crates and cardboard boxes to be discovered by a new generation of music fans looking for lush harmonies, strong melodies, and catchy guitar riffs.
In honor of Record Store Day and the history of Chicago’s music scene, here are some of the unsung heroes of Chicago based power pop. You may stumble upon their vinyl today, and they may become your new favorite band.
Pezband
If you’ve ever been to the Ukrainian Village dive bar, Club Foot, you may have noticed a good amount of Pezband’s memorabilia adorning the walls. Unfortunately, that may be the only way you’ve ever heard of this classic Chicago power pop band.
Formed in the late seventies, Pezband combined Beatles-esque melodies with a gritty rock ‘n roll edge. The band released three studio albums from 1977 till 1979, all of which were critically acclaimed. Rolling Stone cited their 1978 sophomore release, Laughing In The Dark as one of the best albums of the year, and Billboard and Trouser sang their praises as well. However, Pezband’s adoring reviews didn’t translate into album sales, and the band broke up shortly after they released their third studio album in 1979, Cover to Cover.
Pezband popped up again in the mid-nineties when Rhino Records began releasing power pop compilations. Some of Pezband’s singles such as “Baby It’s Cold Outside” popped up on Rhino’s DIY: American Powerpop: Come Out and Play and Poptopia!: Powerpop Classics of the 70’s, introducing the band to a new generation of power poppers.
Off Broadway
Off Broadway
The year is 1980, and Chicago based power pop outfit Off Broadway has just released their first album, ON. The critically acclaimed debut album includes the singles “Stay in Time” (which reached #51 on the Billboard Hot 100) and “Full Moon Turn Your Head Around,” and goes on to sell nearly 300,000 copies in Chicago alone (more than most modern bands sell on a national level). The music industry is buzzing over this young Midwestern power pop band, and a bidding war amongst over a dozen major record labels begins. In the end, Off Broadway signs with Atlantic, but the glitz and glamour of being on a major label never come into fruition for Off Broadway. While the band embarked on national tours throughout the country (including an opening slot for a Cheap Trick tour), Atlantic failed to properly market ON, resulting in low album sales and anonymity for the band outside of the Midwest.
In 1981, Off Broadway released their second album, Quick Turns, which Atlantic reluctantly put out. The band toured in support of Quick Turns until 1983, at which point in time Off Broadway decided to call it quits.
Off Broadway may have never achieved the commercial success of rival acts such as Cheap Trick, but their material is arguably just as good, if not better. Outside of finely-crafted pop tunes, they were a young, attractive looking band with major label support. Why weren’t they one of the biggest acts of the early eighties? A laundry list of variables can probably be accounted for in Off Broadway's short-lived brush with fame, but the tragic trajectory of their career is a part of their musical endearment. Here’s a band that had the talent and ability to reach the top of the charts, and things just didn’t work out for them. Commercially speaking, that is.
Off Broadway reformed and released a live album, Live at Fitzgerald’s, in 1998. The band continues to play around Chicago to this day, and can be found at various suburban festivals. And while their career never reached it’s maximum potential, they gave us two power pop masterpieces, ON and Quick Turns.
FUN CHICAGO POWER POP TRIVIA FACT: Off Broadway’s lead singer, Cliff Johnson, was one of the original members of Pezband.
Shoes
Shoes
Formed in Zion, Illinois, Shoes has maintained a cult following of power pop aficionados since their formation in 1974. In comparison to Pezband and Off Broadway, Shoes recorded well into the 90’s. However, their 1977 self-recorded album Black Vinyl Shoes and 1978’s masterpiece Present Tense remain the most notable works in their discography.
From 1983 till 2004, the members of Shoes went on to form their own record label, Black Vinyl Records, and owned and operated their own recording studio, Short Order Recorder. Many other Chicago based bands and artist passed through Short Order Recorder's doors throughout the years, and some went on to sign major label contracts, including Local H.
FUN CHICAGO POWERPOP TRIVIA FACT: When MTV first went on the air on August 1st, 1981, the channel aired four of Shoes’ videos: “Too Late,” “Tomorrow Night,” “Cruel You,” and “In My Arms Again.” Yes, Chicago’s own Shoes was one of the first bands to be shown on MTV (when they still showed bands).
Material Issue
Material Issue
Like many great Chicago bands, Material Issue formed out of Columbia College Chicago in 1986. Material Issue front man and brainchild, Jim Ellison, and bassist Ted Ansani were both at Columbia when they decided to put an ad in the Illinois Entertainer for a drummer. Later that year, Mike Zelenko joined and the trio became known as Material Issue. Material Issue quickly became hometown favorites, and was deeply invested in the tight-knit powerpop community of Chicago, recording at Short Order Recorder and working with Jeff Murphy from Shoes.
The band went on to support huge acts of the time such as Simple Minds, and their singles “Diane” and “Valerie Loves Me” received national airplay. The band continued to tour and chart through the 1990’s, quickly being pegged as “the consummate 1990’s powerpop band.
In June of 1996, Ellison committed suicide at the age of 32, prematurely ending Material Issue’s career. Ellison left behind a suicide note, but only Ellison’s immediate family knows the contents of that letter.
Material Issue is widely regarded as one of the most underrated band of the nineties. In an era of grunge music, the catchy hooks and pop sensibility of Material Issue was simply out of place. They belonged to a different era - a classic case of right place, wrong time.