The Suburbs

The Suburbs were an alternative rock and roll/funk/new wave band that—true to their name—came out of the western suburbs of Minneapolis. Brought together in 1977 via introductions by Chris Osgood of the Suicide Commandos, the S

The Suburbs were an alternative rock and roll/funk/new wave band that—true to their name—came out of the western suburbs of Minneapolis. Brought together in 1977 via introductions by Chris Osgood of the Suicide Commandos, the Suburbs maintained the same lineup throughout their existence. The Suburbs were comprised of vocalist and guitarist Blaine John "Beej" Chaney, guitarist Bruce C. Allen, keyboardist Chan Poling, bassist Michael Halliday, and drummer Hugo Klaers. They first started performing in late 1977 and released The Suburbs on the Twin/Tone label (the label's first release) in early 1978. The record was a nine-song 7-inch red vinyl EP. The band also saw two songs, "Urban Guerrillas" and "Ailerons O.K.", included on the compilation Big Hits of Mid-America, Volume Three. Allen did the art direction for the compilation.

Through the rest of the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s, the Suburbs grew into a headline act, frequently playing at Minneapolis's most influential music clubs including the Longhorn and most notably First Avenue. During this time, their new wave dance sound, eclectic lyrics, and stage presence gained a following that broke out of the Midwest and reached both coasts. In 1980 Twin/Tone released their first full length LP, In Combo.