Local bands tend to attract a crowd of regulars whose social life revolves around gigs and who become a family of sorts. So their reunions are kinda like a special class reunion — if you had one just for the gang you used to hang out with and not the snobs and jocks who made your life miserable.
Flatbush, who played around town from 1974-1981, weren’t one of Cleveland’s biggest bands — their down-home style of Southern and country-style rock wasn’t fashionable in the big dance clubs then. But they got a fair amount on local airplay on their tune “Snug As a Bug in a Rug” from their only album, Driver’s Dream. And they had their devoted followers who turned out in force when the group reassembled in Cleveland in 2006 and 2007 for a series of reunion shows.
The band members say they’re hearing from old friends now who didn’t get wind of the shows until after they occurred, so they’re doing it again. Phil Barker, JoJo Dickey, Larry Rice and Linn Roath will play at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Doc and Louie’s (24270 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted, 440.734.0833). Cover is $10. They promise a mix of old originals and covers they used to get crowds up on the dance floor with back in the day.
The band’s previous shows raised almost $2,000 for the Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland, in memory of the fifth band member Russell Gall, who died of complications of the disease in 2004. This time, they’ll raise more money for DAGC by raffling off one of Larry Rice’s vintage fiddles.
Even if you weren’t part of the band’s extended family three decades ago, their strong musicianship and timeless musical style (that’s actually more in vogue now than it was then) is worth checking out for fans of roots music and Americana. —Anastasia Pantsios
