A TRI-STATE SENSATION: The founding musicians in Left End were all originally in Youngstown band called the Soulsations. “We were primarily an R&B group,” says Palombo via phone. “As time went on, we started playing more Grand Funk Railroad, before you know it, it was Uriah Heap, and we started to get heavier and heavier. We started doing ‘Paranoid’ by Ozzy Osbourne.” The group changed its name to Left End, and shortly after that, singer Dennis Sesonsky joined the band. With Sesonsky singing, the group released a series of singles that led to a deal with Polydor Records. The band released Spoiled Rotten, its major label debut, in 1973. It recorded the album at Cleveland Recording with Kenneth Hamann. “We wanted to go there because that’s where Grand Funk recorded their first albums,” says Palombo, who adds that former WMMS DJ Kid Leo became a fan of the band.
THE CLEVELAND CONNECTION: The group might’ve been from Youngstown, but it caught on in Cleveland too. “It was a great music scene happening here in Youngstown, and it spilled over into Akron/Canton,” says Palombo. “Back in the early to mid ’70s, we were billed as the monster that ate Cleveland. We were at the Agora one summer every Friday night. We used to play all the clubs and did everything in Cleveland. We were there all the time. When [the late singer-songwriter] Michael Stanley was just starting, we used to hang with him. There were a lot of great musicians back in those days. [Singer] Chrissie Hynde was a friend of ours and a fan of our band. We headlined over the Eagles on their first tour, and we got to be friends with [singer-guitarist] Glenn Frey. They were really nice guys. That was in Youngstown. We were so popular in the Tri-State area that we were headlining this outdoor concert.”
TRUE TENACITY: In 2020, Palombo documented the band’s history in the self-published book he wrote called Tenacity: The Left End Story. “I was always a good storyteller,” he says. “Throughout the years, I would tell people this story and that story. They would tell me to write a book, so I sat down and did it. It talks about the ups and downs and how we kept coming back. We were like brothers back in the day. We are all kind of family-type people. It was that fraternity that kept us together. We stayed in touch. The last time we performed was in 2014. There was a Youngstown Music Award event and they gave us an honorary plaque.” Because Sesonsky had passed away, the group did the Youngstown Music Awards with guest singers. “That was the last time we performed,” says Palombo. “Dennis was not with us, but it went over very well. Now, we have a Facebook page that gets a lot of hits. It’s amazing the fan base that stays loyal. They have a lot of memories of the days of the Agora, and it brings them back to their young years.”
WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: With its raspy vocals, “Bad Talkin’ Lady” comes off as a Bad Company-like biker anthem, and “Ridin’ Again” has echoes of Led Z eppelin. Both tunes hold their own against the classic rock that’s still in heavy rotation on stations like WNCX. The upcoming concert at the Packard Music Hall in Warren will feature the band’s most popular material from its 50-year career.
WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063664503497
WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: Left End performs at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, at Packard Music Hall in Warren.
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This article appears in Feb 22 – Mar 7, 2023.