Initially, the Michael Stanley Band (MSB) was Cleveland's definitive hometown warm-up band; the frosting on countless concert cakes — eager to be anyone's “Special Guest”— opening for everyone from Kiss and Journey to Foreigner, Cheap Trick and ELO. Eventually, the band’s hard work ethic and solid songwriting prevailed. MSB became as ubiquitous to Cleveland as the Indian's Chief Wahoo (RIP) and road construction on I 271 in the wintertime. The band was everywhere: the influential airwaves of WMMS; the World Series of Rock; three back-to-back sold-out nights at the Cleveland Agora in ‘76; the first local act to headline sold-out back-to-back nights at the Cleveland Coliseum on New Year’s Eve 1981 and New Year’s Day 1982; a yet to be broken record of 17 (mostly sold out) shows at Blossom Music Center (an outdoor amphitheater with a capacity of 23,000), including a sold-out four night stand in August ’82, and an unprecedented series of 12 farewell-shows at The Front Row Theatre during the 1986–87 holiday season. Like ‘em or not, the Michael Stanley Band’s popularity in Cleveland could not be denied and their brand of “heartland rock” was a staple of my musical upbringing. They were like the ultimate "house band" for the entire city of Cleveland!
Similar to Springsteen, Southside Johnny, and Donny Iris, MSB music had a midwest sensibility that resonated with Cleveland’s mostly blue collar, working class audiences. Like a MacDonalds on the Ohio Turnpike, it wasn’t gourmet, but it was dependable and unlikely to disappoint—especially if you had just tossed back a couple of cold beers. Despite being a local phenomenon with nine albums on major labels, Michael Stanley once said “We couldn’t get arrested in Columbus. We were big in San Francisco, but we didn’t do much in LA. We were big in Denver, we were big in Texas and Florida, but we couldn’t get into Indianapolis.” Much like the city’s beloved sports teams, MSB was full of potential, packed with talent, and inexplicably incapable of breaking big outside the midwest.
The fact that MSB was never as popular anywhere as they were in Cleveland was underscored in my senior year at Kenyon. In the fall of ’81, rumors were rampant that our big all-campus concert was going to finally feature a major act of some renown. The Pretenders and the Talking Heads were reported to be in serious negotiations with the Kenyon Student Activities Board. It was only a matter of ironing out the details… Well, the devil in the details turned out to be coffers that weren’t quite as full as the SAB thought, and there was no way in hell the college could afford either one of those bands. With time running out and their backs to the wall, someone from Cleveland on the board suggested the Michael Stanley Band. I can only imagine the amount of eye-rolling and teeth-gnashing that took place. Nevertheless, on September 25, 1981—the night after a show at Washington & Jefferson College and the night before a show at Northern Illinois University — MSB played Kenyon College. I remember going to the concert because it was a Friday night, the beer was cold, and the price was right. I also knew from numerous past experiences that the concert would not suck. And it didn’t. All the kids from northeast Ohio were thrilled to have MSB on campus, and did their best to make the band feel welcomed and appreciated.
The school reportedly lost $6,000 on the event, and it was estimated that the show cost every student $4 — whether they attended the concert or not! A less than positive review of the concert in the school paper incited further controversy by implying that the overall student body had a sophisticated and eclectic appreciation of music that deserved better than the Michael Stanley Band, and the only students who enjoyed the show were kids from Cleveland, a city known for its pedestrian taste in music. The resulting deluge of letters to the editor and backpedaling by the anonymous chickenshit reviewer kept everyone entertained for weeks regardless of what city they called home!
The school reportedly lost $6,000 on the event, and it was estimated that the show cost every student $4 — whether they attended the concert or not! A less than positive review of the concert in the school paper incited further controversy by implying that the overall student body had a sophisticated and eclectic appreciation of music that deserved better than the Michael Stanley Band, and the only students who enjoyed the show were kids from Cleveland, a city known for its pedestrian taste in music. The resulting deluge of letters to the editor and backpedaling by the anonymous chickenshit reviewer kept everyone entertained for weeks regardless of what city they called home!
The stage was definitely where MSB excelled. It’s where guitar solos soared, drums thundered, and sing-a-longs erupted. In concert, MSB’s live performance created a musical universe of sound and sweat and fun that was always a sustaining distraction worth the price of admission. That’s probably why the only album I own by the band is Stage Pass, the live album compiled from their three-night stand at the Cleveland Agora on October 22, 23 and 24, 1976. I’m pretty sure I was packed into the Agora for one of those shows, and I know I saw them wedged in between Ace and Joe Walsh at the World Series of Rock featuring Yes. I know I spent New Year’s Eve with them in 1981, and I remember seeing them headline at Blossom. I probably would have scored a ticket to see one of the farewell shows at the Front Row Theatre for old times sake, but I was long gone from Ohio by the ’86-’87 holidays. Stage Pass features the band in a full-throttle ascent to the height of their prowess, playing to an intimate venue of 8,000 rabid fans over three nights. For all practical purposes, the recording is also a greatest hits compilation up to that point in their career. From the opening chords of “Midwest Midnight,” destined to become a local anthem, to the final crowd-rousing choruses of “Strike Up the Band,” Stage Pass perfectly captures the fun and excitement of a great rock n’ roll concert, Cleveland style.
For me, the crown jewell of this live recording is a song that originally appeared on Michael Stanley’s second solo album where it gets a pleasant, semi-acoustic work out that only hints at the potential grandeur of its live interpretation. On stage, the song always took on epic, “Dream On” / “Stairway to Heaven” proportions, and Jonah Koslen’s guitar work was transformative. Indeed, “Let’s Get the Show on the Road” is the song I would offer as a rebuttal to all the criticism that likes to paint MSB as a bland group of nice guys whose stardom was held in check by modest musicianship and limited local appeal. After almost 50(!) years, I think this song still epitomizes the transcendent power of truly great music when it connects with an audience. It’s a shame that after ten years of tireless performing and recording the Michael Stanley Band had limited success extending that connection beyond the rusty belt of the Cleveland city limits. My effort to right that wrong is why “Let’s Get the Show on the Road” is the Happy Medium Song of the Day.
Actually, there is one other reason for choosing this song today… it's a timely musical punctuation to some great news. It's a virtual hug with musical accompaniment, so to speak. It's a shout-out to celebrate my son Andy’s new, full-time job as a concept artist at Sparkypants, a long-play, cross-platform strategy games development company in Baltimore. Congratulations Andy! Even in what feels like the worst of times, dreams do come true, and perseverance and patience do prevail. Now that you’ve been officially recognized for the talented, intelligent and personable young man that you are, the sky’s the limit. I know your new job will be creative and fun—how can it not at a place called Sparkypants?— but my wish for you is that it’s also challenging, fulfilling, inspiring, and yes, profitable, in addition to everything else you want it to be. My confidence in you is boundless and I am brimming with excitement and pride for your achievement. Now without further ado, let’s get this show on the road, D! (Please use the comments box below to share your thoughts.)