Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive)
By Mitch Berg
My “Fiver” homey Bovious tells me I sorta kinda made the big time:
The Iron City Houserockers were Pittsburgh’s entry in the Heartland Rock Sweepstakes that occured after the success of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger. They had literate lyrics, tough rock and roll backing, and clear-eyed vision. Led by Joe Grushecky, a special ed teacher by day, produced by Miami Steve Van Zandt of the E Street Band, and possessed of tunes like “Junior’s Bar” (youtube), they seemed poised to hit the big time, but it never quite happened, which is the music audience’s loss.
They link (beginning of the graf) to a tribute site I designed almost five years ago to the Houserockers (aka “the greatest band you never heard of, unless you’re occasional commenters Don or DaveInPgh”) – a band whose only fan west of Chicago, ever, may have been me. Not that that stopped me.
I’ve gotta get some of that on the Ipod, now…
