Why relatively few well-known bands from Chicago? (Rockford, Evanston: house, college)

[Tex?Il?]

Hey,

thought I'd throw this out to see what people think.

I'm not trying to instigate anything or suggest Chicago doesn't have great music.

Is it just me and the music I know and listen to? It seems despite Chicago being a place with great live music, does it seem that relatively few well known music groups/bands got their start here?

I'm talking more about relative to its size.

First off, Britain certainly takes by far a wide margin for well known popular acts ever since the Beatles. I don't know what it is about Britain, they have 1/5 the people, but seems like over 1/2 the household names bands since the begining of pop/rock music came from there.

In the U.S.: San Francisco has more than its fair share: 60s: the Dead obviously, Jefferson Airplane, CCR. Later came Journey, in the 90s: Counting Crows.

New York obviously was a hotbet for all kinds of music, including 80s New Wave which I like.

Even in the Midwest: Detroit area produced: Bob Seeger, is Kiss from Detroit?, Grand Funk Railroad I think, lets not obviously forget all the Motown, then theres in more recent decade: Eminem obviously (not really into that stuff but thats ok). Uncle Kraker.

Texas certainly produced lots of country, blues, rock, etc. Stevie Ray being well known.

Then theres college towns: Boulder, Co, Burlington, VT, Athens, GA that have produced well known bands

I could go on and on, and maybe this even a pointless thread.

But when I think of any bands I know of, and like at least a little: I can come with (with the exception of all the original Blues guys) I can come up with Chicago, Styx in the 70s. in 90s/2000s I can think of Smashing Pumpkins (not that into them) and Wilco (who I like more).

Chicago has great live music, it just seems that apart from Blues, (and rap, but I don't like rap) there just doesn't seem to be many bands I can think that have spent significant time in Chicago.

What do you think?

[nJohn]

Flatfoot 56, a Celtic punk band is from Chicago.

I never heard of them until now.

[Chuckity]

What do I think? I think you're wrong.

Chicago was the birthplace of House music. That's what I grew up on.

Cheap Trick was from Rockford ... close enough.

Wasn't Eddie Vedder from Evanston?

Oh - and Fall Out Boy.

R. Kelly. Kanye West.

[brazzy]

lupe fiasco

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by nJohn

Flatfoot 56, a Celtic punk band is from Chicago.

I never heard of them until now.

ha! they're one of those bands that I always miss for some reason. I want to see them though.

has anyone here heard of Alkaline Trio?
one of the guys in that band was in a ska band called Slapstick.
another one of the guys in Slapstick wound up forming a band called the Lawrence Arms.
the drummer from that band was once in a band with the singer of Rise Against, who i think(?) was in a band with Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy.
there's also the Smoking Popes, who i think may have gotten some recognition with "Born to Quit" (maybe?) and the Larry Arms drummer is now in that band.

I don't know, all of these bands are relatively well known in the punk/ska circles... Alkaline Trio and Rise Against a little more mainstream than the others.

that's the end of my obscure Chicago band-incest rant.

[Chuckity]

Ooooohhhh ....

I forgot the Polkaholics!

[chitown3485]

Twista too...

[Ron.]

You answered your own question. Chicago is a blues town. New Orleans is a jazz town, Nashville is a country town,etc.......

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

Hey,

thought I'd throw this out to see what people think.

I'm not trying to instigate anything or suggest Chicago doesn't have great music.

Is it just me and the music I know and listen to? It seems despite Chicago being a place with great live music, does it seem that relatively few well known music groups/bands got their start here?

I'm talking more about relative to its size.

First off, Britain certainly takes by far a wide margin for well known popular acts ever since the Beatles. I don't know what it is about Britain, they have 1/5 the people, but seems like over 1/2 the household names bands since the begining of pop/rock music came from there.

In the U.S.: San Francisco has more than its fair share: 60s: the Dead obviously, Jefferson Airplane, CCR. Later came Journey, in the 90s: Counting Crows.

New York obviously was a hotbet for all kinds of music, including 80s New Wave which I like.

Even in the Midwest: Detroit area produced: Bob Seeger, is Kiss from Detroit?, Grand Funk Railroad I think, lets not obviously forget all the Motown, then theres in more recent decade: Eminem obviously (not really into that stuff but thats ok). Uncle Kraker.

Texas certainly produced lots of country, blues, rock, etc. Stevie Ray being well known.

Then theres college towns: Boulder, Co, Burlington, VT, Athens, GA that have produced well known bands

I could go on and on, and maybe this even a pointless thread.

But when I think of any bands I know of, and like at least a little: I can come with (with the exception of all the original Blues guys) I can come up with Chicago, Styx in the 70s. in 90s/2000s I can think of Smashing Pumpkins (not that into them) and Wilco (who I like more).

Chicago has great live music, it just seems that apart from Blues, (and rap, but I don't like rap) there just doesn't seem to be many bands I can think that have spent significant time in Chicago.

What do you think?

[Visvaldis]

Steve Miller band is from Chicago.
Grace Slick (vocalist for Jefferson Airplane) was born Grace Wing in Chicago.
Mason Proffit (ca 1970) is from Chicago.
Rotary Connection is from Chicago.
Urge Overkill is from Chicago.
The Buckinghams are from Chicago.
Lou Rawls was from Chicago.
Muddy Waters was from Chicago.
And not to forget the great Chess recording studio on South Michigan. The Rolling Stones recorded there.

[Nafster]

Fall out Boy

The Redwalls

Wilco, just to name a few


Many good bands are from Chi.... come visit boy!!