Bands who were big regionally and never broke big

[cowpins]

Case in point, Stranger being big in Southeast and especially FL but never had huge national success.

Who else was big regionally that never got the national spotlight?

[Billy Jack]

Sugarcreek was the house band at Magic Attic in Dirty Myrtle circa 1984. They were huge at the beach and seemed to be on the cusp of breaking nationally. Never happened.
Here's an old video -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnmv0V5Ivok

[Rocker4Real]

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes

[HueyRamone]

I remember a thrash band named Atrophy being sorta big in Phoenix.

[DemonFilth2001]

Sugarcreek was the house band at Magic Attic in Dirty Myrtle circa 1984. They were huge at the beach and seemed to be on the cusp of breaking nationally. Never happened.
Here's an old video -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jnmv0V5Ivok

Saw them multiple times. Named after Sugar Creek in Charlotte. Changed their name later to The Creek. They just never broke.

[TooOldToCare]

Rosie, from Columbus, Oh. 1980s

Lead guitarist was Mark Chatfield of Bob Seger fame later on and also owner of Cowtown Guitar in Vegas. They played often at the Al Rosa Villa (Dime’s murder site) and many gigs with The Godz.

[HoldenSSV]

Rosie, from Columbus, Oh. 1980s

Lead guitarist was Mark Chatfield of Bob Seger fame later on and also owner of Cowtown Guitar in Vegas. They played often at the Al Rosa Villa (Dime’s murder site) and many gigs with The Godz.

Columbus:
Royal Crescent Mob
Shock Tu

Cleveland:
Beau Coup (their one release is very good AOR)

[prog]

Sadly those days are over. Basically. Everything homogenized and accessible from any place at any time. Which is kinda a good thing. But I miss the regional identities and scenes that made a place unique and special.

Yes. Old man yells at cloud.

[GoodJudge]

I remember a thrash band named Atrophy being sorta big in Phoenix.

They came up on my Spotify after I played the new Flotsam + Jetsam earlier today. They signed to Roadrunner and I have their first two albums but then they disappeared. They were C level at best, for a minute or 2, and I just read that the main guy left shortly after the second album so they got dropped and broke up.

[TooOldToCare]

Rosie, from Columbus, Oh. 1980s

Lead guitarist was Mark Chatfield of Bob Seger fame later on and also owner of Cowtown Guitar in Vegas. They played often at the Al Rosa Villa (Dime’s murder site) and many gigs with The Godz.

Columbus:
Royal Crescent Mob
Shock Tu

Cleveland:
Beau Coup (their one release is very good AOR)

I forgot Shock Tu. The drummer (I think) whose name I cannot remember eventually ran/owned Moo Pigface Studios and recorded some demos for my shitty band back around 2010.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Except for the lone blip from Blow My Fuse, this is the story of KIX.

[Playboyliquor59]

My dad said the good rats were always big on the club circuit during his days booking shows in nyc and nj. I remember as a kid in the 90s at this bar he had called orphan Annie’s and people would come out like Springsteen was playing in nj

[metalmetalrdu]

The mighty Spanky Lee from Louisville, KY!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GcS2z0asw8

http://www.louisvillemusicnews.net/webm ... ryid=14491

[Tenacious_Dio]

Zebra.

Big in New Orleans and Long Island.

[Not Jack Bulter]

I remember a thrash band named Atrophy being sorta big in Phoenix.

They came up on my Spotify after I played the new Flotsam + Jetsam earlier today. They signed to Roadrunner and I have their first two albums but then they disappeared. They were C level at best, for a minute or 2, and I just read that the main guy left shortly after the second album so they got dropped and broke up.

They released a new album this year. It's not bad. They played at my HS at lunch one time.

[dmbrocker]

Do Sunset Strip bands like Queeny Blast Pop, Wikked Gypsy, and The Zeros count?

[TooOldToCare]

Ever hear of Waltham, from Massachusetts? Frank Pino Jr.

Sort of a Lit-styled pop-rock sound.

Simple good hooks.

[LurkingAtWork]

Where I'm from there was a band called Indestroy that everybody loved. Saw then play a house party once. I think they put out one album on a small label and that was it.

[Tenacious_Dio]

For the Midwesterners:

Missouri
Shooting Star

[Sticky]

On a larger scale, I'd put KIX in that category.

[DemonFilth2001]

On a larger scale, I'd put KIX in that category.

Outside their 2.5 good songs off the one album...they were the definition of a regional band.

[Mister Freeze]

I was about to nominate Drivin' N' Cryin' for the Georgia/South Carolina Southern rock scene. Although, according to a quick Google search, "Fly Me Courageous" went Gold four years after its release.

[Van Ailin']

The mighty Spanky Lee from Louisville, KY!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GcS2z0asw8

http://www.louisvillemusicnews.net/webm ... ryid=14491

And maybe Tim Krekel and Danny Flanagan & The Rain Chorus.

Cincinnati's psychodots (RIP, Chris Arduser).

[Wiseacre]

KINGIFTHEHILL (as Broken Toyz) and PALE DIVINE (as the Eyes) were both great bands with very strong followings in the St. Louis area for years before both signed to major labels. They both did some touring and got a little MTV attention, but unfortunately it basically spelled the end for both bands. That’s kinda how it worked when the bigger labels threw money at a band. If they didn’t do really well, they generally would get dropped. Once that happens there isn’t much else you can do.

[cowpins]

On a larger scale, I'd put KIX in that category.

Outside their 2.5 good songs off the one album...they were the definition of a regional band.

Yep. A regional band who had a hit song on constant rotation on MTV, played the cruises and festivals until their retirement, and are still on heavy rotation on the various national stations.

[dmbrocker]

On a larger scale, I'd put KIX in that category.

Except they did kinda break big with "Don't Close Your Eyes".

[TooOldToCare]

Where are the wise guys who haven't mentioned Tuff? I must confess, during my high school and college years in the late 80s, I wasn't aware of them as they emerged in the 90s. I was somewhat trapped in the groove of the bands that were prevalent on MTV at that time.

[HoldenSSV]

On a larger scale, I'd put KIX in that category.

Outside their 2.5 good songs off the one album...they were the definition of a regional band.

Yep. A regional band who had a hit song on constant rotation on MTV, played the cruises and festivals until their retirement, and are still on heavy rotation on the various national stations.

Blow My Fuse went platinum. They had five videos on MTV that got decent to strong rotation. While not world-conquering achievements, they were far from a regional band.

[DonJuanDeMarco]

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes

It's really amazing that Southside continues to tour year-round 50 years later without having any gold, platinum or top 40 hits as far as I know. Those first 3 albums are cult classics thanks to Bruce and Little Steven. Great band! Not 80's rock by any means but if you like Bruce, you'd at least like those first 3 records and a few others.

[Mojo]

Oingo Boingo. Yes, they became known worldwide, but only because of Elfman's film career. The band itself stayed fairly local in actual practice.

X out of LA, too.