Sound Check No. 4
May 11, 2012
My time growing up in the rural hills of upstate New York’s Hudson Valley, with its endless cow pastures and polluted industrial riverside, didn't exactly resemble life in "Surf City, USA.” But for at least one summer during our teen years, my friend Jason and I developed an unlikely obsession with surf rock. "Wipe Out" somehow seemed a logical theme song for a 16-year-old who wouldn't get the opportunity to "Catch a Wave" for another 20 years.
Fifty years after songs such as "Walk Don't Run" rocked the airwaves and bands such as the Tornados and the Tornadoes defined cool, surf rock still manages to capture the hearts of those who love to rock but insist on a little roll.
I guess it shouldn't come as too big of a surprise, then, that four guys who grew up in the flatlands of the Midwest should share my love of surf rock. The Surfaholics bill themselves as "Great Lakes surf rock," and as you may have found out right here in these very digital "pages" — http://regionrambler.com/features/events-activities/gettin-stoked-for-winter/ — that's not nearly as crazy as it sounds.
Believe it or not, people do surf Lake Michigan! While you probably won't find Paul Cullen (lead guitar, vocals), Bradley Yates (rhythm guitar), Aaron Kreke (bass), or Corey Lake (drums) donning wet suits to dodge chunks of ice during The Region's prime surf season, they'll be there providing the soundtrack to our endless summer.
