The Insiders – Live (5/12/84)

In the mid-’60s, most of the bands played the hits of the day. A few, of course, wrote a couple songs and maybe pressed up a couple hundred copies to sell at dances. However, if you talk to members now, you’ll find their sets were all about the covers. Heck, even talk to The Remains and you’ll find that most of their live shows weren’t about their originals. When they played Cavestomp in the late ’90s, they were stunned at the appreciation for their original material. They even remarked that they’d never played some of those songs for an audience.

Fast-forward now to 1978 and jump to Rochester, NY. Four high school friends form a band called The Insiders. They begin playing a mix of their favorite ’60s sounds from The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who, and The Kinks, among others. Perhaps more interesting, they’d begin to play regularly, often performing a few sets per night. Along the way, they’d put out a single and be featured on a comp put together by the biggest commercial rock station in Rochester.

After six years, they decided to call it a day so they could explore other projects. You can find out more information here.

Yes, this one’s all about the covers, but it’s an interesting document. Who knows… If you’re polite, maybe we’ll offer up the second set.

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