1-800
77 South
Self- Released

Good time bands get a bad rap in this town. Whatever. It can’t all be highbrow, people. Sometimes, you need a soundtrack for a round of beers… the release of tension that is a Cleveland Friday night … for those thoughts of a “limited edition” summer that is so uniquely North Coast.

For my money, there are a few timeless Cleveland options… Armstrong-Bearcat… First Light/Carlos Jones… the long-departed Simpletons, The Waynes (please, for the love of god come back!) and the long-standing country/rock acts, 77 South. Recognized as one of the top country groups this side of the Mississippi, the quartet features vocal harmonies in the Beach Boys vein and country-rock rhythms that recall Blake Shelton, Craig Morgan and The Great Divide. This good rockin’ foursome has with quite a history; while it is so much more triumphant with the Interstate Horns, 1-800 proves again why 77 South is one of the best “fun rock” bands in Cleveland.

Their latest 5-song EP 1-800 is fun, upbeat, rootsy, jangly, sunny-and-smiley… hey, wait, did I say upbeat? Heck, I forgot it was a cloudy Monday in Cleveland already. See what I mean? THIS is why they’re a good time. All the songs are penned by keyboardist/vocalist Jeff Ronay, who always makes an effort to “Keep on the Sunny Side” as the O Brother soundtrack intimates… and you know something? It’s hard to be in a bad mood when you’re humming 77 South's addictive tunes.

Nevermind that they are featured each Monday as the “house band” on the CBS 19 television show, "BrownsTown Live" (mostly because we’re not in the playoffs). My opinion? They need to add Jewel’s “Cleveland” and Pete Townshend’s “Sheraton Gibson” to their repertoire. They should be pumping this into the PD building like some perverse scene out of Apocalypse Now. Maybe then they’d get it. But hey, that’s just me. Please send your correspondence to Number One at the end of the bar.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Peter Chakerian hidden-email:crgre@pbbypyrirynaq.pbz? (:divend:)