Most genres of music put me in a good mood that not much else could do, and almost instantaneously when those tunes begin with one note or one chord! Remember the game show Name That Tune? It was the best for many music lovers. The right music can improve moods, help relaxation, or bring joy and happiness to just about every occasion. Every once in a while, if I'm talking to a friend or even someone new, I say my musical tastes go from Mozart and Vivaldi to AC/DC, Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and everything in between.
On Thursday of the wedding weekend in Ohio (August 2024) was the MSB concert at Gervasi in Canton, Ohio. My brother-in-law, Jerry, had purchased about a dozen tickets to the Michael Stanley Band's tribute band, In the Heartland, a few months ago. He asked then if our family wanted to go, and we said, "Heck yes, we're all in!" The concert happened at the same venue as the wedding, and looking back, we are so glad we went - it was FANTASTIC! I knew it would be.
The Michael Stanley Band (MSB) was formed in 1975, with Michael Stanley as the lead singer and band leader. This was Cleveland's "own" rock-n-roll band, which we all loved as teens, into our college days, and beyond! MSB played at small local venues and bars and sold out the Blossom Music Center for years each summer from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. Many of my friends were fans, and we supported the band by going to their many concerts all over the city/state. The MSB sound and lyrics epitomized life growing up in the Midwest. The song, Midwest Midnight, is a crowd favorite! My other favorites are Lover, Baby If You Want to Dance, He Can't Love You, Nothing's Gonna Change My Mind, and My Town. If interested, check them out on where you listen to music!
Two weeks ago, I started listening to the MSB hits and the other albums the band produced. I wanted to brush up on the songs to sing along once at the concert. I knew the tribute band would play around two hours of their music, including many hits, but I wanted to go deeper into the catalog and listen to most of the songs recorded decades ago. I couldn't believe myself when I found I was singing to virtually every song and not missing a word—when I hadn't listened to them that intensely in over 30 years. It was a pure music memory, and I think we all have the capacity to sing along to the songs from our lives; it's about the only thing that has the power to transport us back in time (an old photo would also do the trick).
As I sewed and sang along with the songs of my youth, I wondered why this band did not "make it" nationally, if not internationally. They may have had one or two songs with modest national success, but their major hits were only in Ohio (maybe PA). They were just as good (IMHO), if not a bit better than John Mellencamp, Meat Loaf, or Donnie Iris. Maybe it was Michael Stanley (he died in 2021 at age 72), bad managers, or greedy promoters. Who knows? I do know we loved all their songs as they boosted our worried minds and lifted our spirits in the rock and roll capital of the world - Cleveland, Ohio!
Rock on...
bSoleille!
Terri
Photos: 1) The Sisters: Kimberly, me, Annette; 2) The Bistro at Gervasi - Brandon and Ryan; 3) In the Heartland Band; 4) the sisters; 5) band 6) play list
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