Name That Band

A while back, I teamed up with a group of folks who periodically get together to sing songs and play music—mostly guitars. The repertoire leans toward folk songs, popular music from the 1950s through the ’70s, and a fair amount of other stuff. It’s all very casual, and a lot of fun.

Recently, however, there’s been a turn of events.

First, we began dipping our toes into rock songs: Rock Around the Clock, Dion and the Belmonts, doo-wop—oohs, aahs, waa-waas, and the like. We even tried our hand at harmonizing.

Second, we signed up to perform for a local group of volunteers who repair bicycles, appliances, computers, clothing, and other necessities. On repair day, we arrive in the morning and play music for an hour or so while the fixing gets underway.

And third—perhaps sensing the emergence of our local standing and growing acclaim—we decided it might be appropriate to give ourselves a name. A name would lend us an identity and let others know they weren’t just dealing with a random bunch of folks. You bet!

So… what should we be called?

The first suggestion carried political overtones and was quickly tossed aside. We didn’t want to make waves—after all, we’re just getting started. The second suggestion, which is currently in use, is The Sock Hop Holdouts. A pretty good name, and one we all agreed we could live with.

Along the way, though, other ideas have surfaced and deserve consideration. For your perusal, in no particular order:

The Hapless Harmonizers; The Doo-Wop Darlings; The Chick Magnet Trio; The Cougar Bait Combo; The Senior Singers, Sadly; The Garrulous Guitar Gang; The Warbling Wannabees; The Off-Chord Crowd; The Greater West Sacramento Music and Guitar Society.

The list could go on.

Often, musical groups include the name of their leader or primary vocalist. In our case, the most obvious candidate is the gentleman known as AI. He has been the chief instigator and should receive full credit—good or bad—for most of what we do. That opens the door to yet more possibilities: AI and the Aristocrats; AI and the Antiques (or Ancients); AI’s Rock and Rollers, and so on.

So before we go any further with this venture, we thought we’d reach out to the public and ask for your thoughts. To give you a better sense of who we are, here’s a brief profile of the group:

1. Older than young, and not terribly high-strung.

2. Fond of having fun—a lot. Sometimes in tune, unconcerned if not.

3. Occasionally charming, almost always disarming.

4. Wiser than we appear, playing music without caution or fear.

5. More well-rounded than square; musically middling to fair—hope to see you there.

So, dear reader, if you have any ideas or thoughts on what this group of aspiring artists should be called, please RSVP to this story. I think we could arrange free tickets to our next concert!

~ Steve Beals