Who was your favorite Tallahassee band back in the day?

[surfnole]

The Tallahasse Band! Although not from Tallahasse, the Producers played a lot there.

 

[Nole-4-Life]

Pat Ramsey Band forget what they called themselves before the great Julian Kasper left them..

They were Crosscut Saw. Used to play at Tommy's all the time. We're going way back here.
Eli was also really good. Cookie was a great frontman.

More recently I'd second the votes for Zombie Birdhouse and Real Men. They were pretty solid.

 

[KRKNole]

The Double-Deckers where a ska band in the mid to late 90s. They didn't have much success, but I always enjoyed their show.

 

[noleit]

Stickman Band - a band that played The Phyrst a lot. The entire band were music majors at FSU.

 

[Spearchucker87]

I think "Big Bang" (later just The Bang), group with female lead singer used to play Bullwinkles in the late 80s to early 90s

 

[naughtynole]

The Tallahasse Band! Although not from Tallahasse, the Producers played a lot there.

Was going to say Producers. Loved that band.

 

[Huck Said]

Some good nominations out there.

Eli played at a Downtown Getdown a year or two ago.

I knew the old bass player for Zombie Birdhouse - we actually took guitar together in HS.

I remember the Peds from the late '80's (my roommate was an old classmate of their drummer).

Real Men's drummer, Stan Turner, was simply amazing. We were friends back in the 80's, when he was a Neil Peart protege and had a rat tail. He moved up to Nashville to try to further his career.

Spent more than a few nights in Bulllwinkles' Beergarden while The Groove Merchants provided the tunes.

One more I haven't seen mentioned was Inner Circle. They were pretty tight.

 

[Noleman1965]

Back in the mid eighties Hooker later known as the Polka Playboys.
These guys were better than the hair bands on mtv.

 

[Huck Said]

I remember Hooker. Their singer was the son of Florida High's principal.

How about Four-in-Legion. I remember their guitarist, Ziggy, used to go out into the street and jam during the gigs at Bullwinkles.

 

[skramer100]

Sister Hazel was technically from Gainesville, but they owe their breakthrough to Tallahassee far more than they do Gainesville. X-101.5 used to actually be a relevant station with a lot of connections who helped push a number of bands towards labels. Meathead worked with my band a bit and connected us with a number of record labels who had interest at the time. This was around the time that Presence was getting a bit of recognition and not too long after Creed and Sister Hazel had broken out.

X-101.5 was huge for music in Tally in the mid-late 90's. That cd they had was awesome. Creed, Groove Merchants, great line up. My favorite was Noel Hartaugh. Guy was awesome. Saw in a bunch in Floyds. Funny, took my girlfriend one year to see Sister Hazel in the Civic Center, the next year went to Floyds for 5 bucks and saw Hartaugh open for Sister Hazel. Bar scene in Tally in the mid-late 90's had solid music.

 

[kdswain]

Saying the best is Creed is faint praise although the first album was pretty good and holds up well and Alter Bridge (aka Creed minus Scott Stapp) has been decent.

Alter Bridge has been "decent"? LOL

Go listen to Blackbird and get back to me.

 

[FreeFlyNole]

I liked Cameron Williams. I probably spelled that wrong, good dude.

 

[EconSean]

I always liked the Groove Merchants as well as Real Men. They both used to play at Bullwinkles often during the early/mid 90's.

And another vote for both Real Men and Groove Merchants.

 

[Jax-Nole]

Spider Monkey

 

[kc78]

X-101.5 was huge for music in Tally in the mid-late 90's. That cd they had was awesome. Creed, Groove Merchants, great line up. My favorite was Noel Hartaugh. Guy was awesome. Saw in a bunch in Floyds. Funny, took my girlfriend one year to see Sister Hazel in the Civic Center, the next year went to Floyds for 5 bucks and saw Hartaugh open for Sister Hazel. Bar scene in Tally in the mid-late 90's had solid music.

I'd forgotten about Hartaugh. That probably was the best on the locals only cd. Late 90s really was a fantastic time for music and it was so much fun being part of the band scene at that time. I'm trying to remember all the bands we played with back then but between playing at Late Night Library, Floyds, and Bullwinkles was great. Bullwinkles was by far the best bar to play at. I still remember my last show there before I moved on, we had the full 4 hour set on a Friday night. First hour and a half only about 150 people are listening to us, then we play a terrible Creed song to end our second set and I think the entire crowd inside flooded outside and we went from a hundred people to close to 1000 within minutes. It stayed that way for the rest of the night.

 

[Bartdog]

Anyone seen the Tyler Denning Band? Tyler is from Jacksonville, but went to FSU and while there spent more time playing music than being a student. He did eventually graduate though!

 

[PoopandBoogers]

I used to work with a guy who was in a band in town. Presence was the name of the group, I think. I seem to recall them getting a national deal, but never heard from them after that.

I was going to post this, but couldnt remember their name. They played at a few house parties and block parties in the airport rd/atkamire/mayhew/sharkey st student ghetto where I lived. Think they had a 311/sublime sound if I recall.

 

[kc78]

Presence is probably who you're remembering. They did rap/core and had a very similar sound to 311.

 

[FSULongM]

Casual T's

 

[PoopandBoogers]

Presence is probably who you're remembering. They did rap/core and had a very similar sound to 311.

Yes, Presence. I actually think an old roommate still has one of their cds.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Alter Bridge has been "decent"? LOL

Go listen to Blackbird and get back to me.

I've got that album plus the single Isolation on my iPhone as I'm staring at it. But I also have 1,786 songs per it's count and haven't listened to it in awhile. So I like it well enough and have seen them play live as Alter Bridge at least twice.

However I listen to music across a fairly wide spectrum listening to live and canned rock, heavy metal, blues, jazz, "classical"/symphonic, bluegrass, "Indy"/folk, electronics, "pop" in most forms and old school rap plus tons of variants inside those categories. The only music I can't stand listening to is "modern country", gospel (esp white gospel) and nonmelodic current gangster rap. So when I think of Alter Bridge...they probably barely make my top 15 or 20 "hard rock" bands and wouldn't probably place in my top 100 of all musical acts. I'd have to think about it, but that's where I'd guess they'd fall.

So to me that's decent as in decent enough to pay for but not my favorite. If you think that's too harsh, let's upgrade them to good. But I wouldnt want to blow smoke up someone's rump by raving about them.

 

[LT4PLY]

Isn't Tallahassee an interesting place that seems to suck away greatness? Less than an hour from the coast yet horrible seafood. A "vintage" southern capital city yet horrible bbq. One of the best collegiate baseball teams every year yet no national titles. So on and so go forth.

One of those so forth is that despite having one of the best music colleges in the country, Tallahassee hasn't produced very many highly successful music acts. I guess Creed/AlterBridge would be my favorite Tallahassee related act (leaving out the Doors, Ray Charles and Parlaiment that only have Tallahassee connections not really "Tallahassee bands/acts".). Saying the best is Creed is faint praise although the first album was pretty good and holds up well and Alter Bridge (aka Creed minus Scott Stapp) has been decent.

The gap between a true musician's definition of great music and the bands discussed here is as wide as the grand canyon. The deeper you get into music the more you appreciate the stuff that is difficult to play or not one of the 4 chord songs.

Freakin' creed said they were from Orlando after they left tally. They suck anyway.

 

[FSUTribe76]

So looking only at my iPhone list and trying to keep it roughly in the same "hard rock" genre as Alter Bridge I'd say at a minimum I'd have

AC/DC
Avenged Sevenfold
Boy Hits Car
Breaking Benjamin
Chevelle
Disturbed
Five Finger Death Punch
Godsmack
Metallica (assuming they don't count as Heavy Metal, the definitions get close and they're fence sitters in my opinion)
Monster Magnet
Pearl Jam (assuming they count, they're fence sitters on the Indy/lighter side but I'd keep them here as a broad category)
Perfect Circle
Pretty Reckless (yes I know the singer is a pretty actress moonlighting, but I really like the canned stuff, never seen them live)
Rise Against
Seether
System of A Down
Theory of a Deadman
Tantric
We as Human
Wolfmother


But ahead of other bands I've gone on my iPhone like Sick Puppies, Rev Theory, drowning Pool, Skillet and more.

That doesn't count bands I like better than AlterBridge I like better that are too far on the edges like the lighter/punkier bands 30 Seconds to Mars, GreenDay, Weezer, all of the Jack White bands, Linkin Park, MxPx, Foo Fighters, Fall Out Boy etc.. Or the more metal or "rappy" bands I like better like 3 Inches of Blood, Mindless Self Indulgence, Gwar etc...

 

[FSUTribe76]

So unless I miscounted, AlterBridge is exactly my 21st favorite hard rock band unless some I listed get disqualified as hard rock.

So....decent.

 

[saenole]

I think the Bitter Ind was the best rock band in the mid-60s, but Rita Coolidge had the best voice I had ever heard.

 

[BloodyNoseJose]

Cream Abdul Babar

 

[75Noles]

Early 80s, Slut Boys, Persian Gulf, Know-It-Alls.

Tommy's Deep South Music Hall brought in some good acts in the early 80s, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett, Steel Pulse, Psychedelic Furs, The Fleshtones and more. Good chance to see them up close in a club setting.

 

[NoleGreg10]

Yep, they played every Friday at Big Daddy's for the 5-9 all you can drink.

They still play or well Dave does in the fall with some other folks from our tailgate. They play 1 "show" a year at our tailgate in the golden chief lot. Johnny Mac's tailgate with Fabio Nole as well

 

[Nole Daddy]

They still play or well Dave does in the fall with some other folks from our tailgate. They play 1 "show" a year at our tailgate in the golden chief lot. Johnny Mac's tailgate with Fabio Nole as well

That's good stuff

 

[mwfudge]

Gruel and Flanders

 

[FSUTD1]

Cream Abdul Babar, I never heard them play but the name was cool

 

[AmericaninDubai]

Slut Boys:

The Slut Boys were a punk-rock “garage band” based in Tallahassee, Florida, USA. The band formed in 1979 and broke up in 1984. Their style has been likened to The Stooges or The Ramones, though the Slut Boys were truly unique in their fast-paced fun and critique; and as a result had a loyal and enthusiastic, regional fan base, as well as fans among the internationally famous. (They played with Joan Jet & The Blackhearts as well as Iggy Pop, and Bono of U2 fame jammed with them as well .)

 

[kc78]

It seems the music scene is falling off everywhere. Bands just aren't cool any more. Look at everything on the radio, even the groups listed as bands are not bands, but more boy bands who hold some instruments. I'm hoping that by the time my son gets to high school that bands will be cool again. Music is the major thing that got me through high school, playing in bands, having tons of other friends in bands who we looked up to, having music actually played by the people who wrote the songs on all the time. Its probably the one thing from my years 16-23 that I would never want to change. There were so many of us back then and Tallahassee was great because, aside from a few of them, there really was no competition with one another, we were all each others biggest fans. If there was any part of my life I could re-live, it would be some of those days. All the drama of trying to figure out how to become an adult I could do without, but the music and the high from playing a great show. I'd love to relive that.

 

[Roy McEvoy]

Black Creek Band
Tishamingo
Iratowns was from AL but played Potbellies a decent amount

 

[Nole Daddy]

It seems the music scene is falling off everywhere. Bands just aren't cool any more. Look at everything on the radio, even the groups listed as bands are not bands, but more boy bands who hold some instruments. I'm hoping that by the time my son gets to high school that bands will be cool again. Music is the major thing that got me through high school, playing in bands, having tons of other friends in bands who we looked up to, having music actually played by the people who wrote the songs on all the time. Its probably the one thing from my years 16-23 that I would never want to change. There were so many of us back then and Tallahassee was great because, aside from a few of them, there really was no competition with one another, we were all each others biggest fans. If there was any part of my life I could re-live, it would be some of those days. All the drama of trying to figure out how to become an adult I could do without, but the music and the high from playing a great show. I'd love to relive that.

Maybe I am an old fart but music is in a bad place. Hopefully a movement will come in and bring back bands.

 

[TorreyOaks]

The Monorail was the best Tallahassee band of all time.

 

[tallyc]

Maybe I am an old fart but music is in a bad place. Hopefully a movement will come in and bring back bands.

 

[kc78]

Maybe I am an old fart but music is in a bad place. Hopefully a movement will come in and bring back bands.

I'm only 37, so not officially old yet, but I do agree that the music industry is changing very rapidly. In some ways it is very good, in others not at all. Musicians, with the help of the internet, are being able to reclaim their souls and release the music they want. So the independent groups out there are creating some very interesting music and being able to reach those hardcore music fans who truly do appreciate great music. However, the industry as a whole is not supporting the band movement right now, and are simply pushing a bunch of pop down everyone's throats, so for those who don't have the time or interest to search for music, it is worse.

 

[rassmon]

Pretty sure they are.

https://www.facebook.com/groovemerchants

I believe they are playing this Friday at the 5th Avenue Tap Room.

 

[dero316]

Socialburn was pretty good.
Eli plays Corner Pocket every few months, hope they were better back then because it was no bueno when I saw them a couple years ago there.
Cojo & Buckman are good, really like their slowed down version of Hey Ya.