My Chicago Music Scene #1

This is part one of "My Chicago Music Scene" in which I will try to tell my past music history.

As a person that worked in record stores for over 15 years and also a musician in the Chicago music scene for over two decades, I have many fun stories about music. I will share many bands' music that has not been heard in years that is, and will always be, part of my life. Thinking about how this all started way-back-when leads me to this story.

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs. When I was about 12, once or twice a week, I would ride my bike to my local Flip Side Records and pick up an album or two. I was 14 in 1980, and my collection included things like The Beatles, Cheap Trick, Pink Floyd, Blondie, The Clash, The Pretenders, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen: lots of classic rock with some of the new music that I discovered I really liked. While at Flip Side, I would pick up the Illinois Entertainer, which was a free music/entertainment magazine that came out monthly. Included in the paper were listings for all the local and national bands playing. I was too young at the time to go to any of the original local band shows because they were all at over-18 or over-21 venues.

I also noticed at an early age that the burbs were mostly cover/tribute band territory but the real original music was mostly being played in the city. Later in life, my brother Paul and I would joke about the great divide. It's the city vs the burbs and we drew the invisible line at Milwaukee Ave. Some bands would cross that line and some would never EVER think about doing such a thing. 

In 1980, the radio station, The Loop 97.9, released this album of all original artists. 

I think I bought it the first week or two after it came out. This was my first glimpse into the Chicago music scene. I played it over and over for years. 

A funny thing happened soon after I bought that album. I was able to go see M&R Rush play an all ages show at the auditorium of my old school, Friendship Junior High. 

I also saw Cheap Trick later that same year.

My first local music show was in 1980 and I was 14.