If you really want to get a good feel for the musical talent in the midwest, check out these bands.... Leatherheads...and.... The Deal With 44....

I originally wanted to move to California so I could have my shot at trying to bust into the music scene. I had always thought that the music scene was weak where I grew up in the Midwest. What I quickly realized after moving here, was that the quality of musicians I was working with in the Midwest was far superior to the musicians I was working with in California... and I don't mean that in a bad way... I just know that the people I worked with in the Midwest were more seasoned, well practiced, disciplined, and had a deep soul for the music they were playing, and I realized that it's not the musicians in the Midwest that are lacking, it's the small crowd factor and the inconsistent pool of fans that have always kept us behind in the race to the top.

So before you make any kind of assumption or comment about the music scene in the Midwest, remember, Wilco lives and records in Chicago... go buy Yankee Hotel Foxtrot... and watch "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart," a film about Wilco by Sam Jones. Also, keep in mind that Umphrey's McGee started up at Notre Dame, and those guys all started out playing in other outfits, mostly made up of our circle of friends and fellow musicians. furthermore, Chris Robinson from the Black Crowes holds jams in Chicago and often resides there as well.

The bands/musicians that were really good, that stand out in my memory are/were (in no particular order)The Mushroom Head Experience; Umphrey's McGee; Ali Babba's Tahini; Little Frank; Sixteen Tons; X-ray Roger Jimmy; Matt Kovatch (the John Popper of the Midwest); The Deal with 44; Jake Sandock; Aaron "ABE" Sandock; Steve Krojo; Brian Pierce; Steve Pierce; Kieth Paraska; Eric Norris; Derron Hess; Joe Griesenger; Jeff Harrison; Nate Rowe; Dry Rain; The Happy Campers; Kyle Pulk; Chris Lutz; Scott Burkhart; Andy Wincek; Captain Smoothie; John Hicks; Dave Fisher; Jack Wilkinson; Doug Lambert; Aaron Hatton; George Anagnos; The Why Store; Chris Shaffer; Strawberry Larry; Governor Davis; John Mellencamp; Tofer; Jason Michael Thomas; Wilco; Jeff Tweedy; Uncle Tupelo; Jay Bennett; my old drummer "Vinny"; Leatherheads; and gosh, I could go on with this list all day long.

My point is, there is a hub of musicians in the Midwest that need to be placed in the lime light... it's their time to shine!

Here are two of those bands....