The Greens, from Morgantown, West Virginia, are a southern trio who like to get down to some dirty soulful rock.  They’ve made a name for themselves touring throughout Appalachia and are now branching out into Ohio.  In the current musical climate, this can be hard, save for a few establishments such as the Lighthouse Bar at the Olde Harbor Inn in Portage Lakes where The Greens played July 24th.

“We’re on fire in our realm, but as soon as we step out into the other realm we need help,” says lead singer and guitarist Andy Tuck.  The landscape of the music industry is shifting, putting a lot more weight on the shoulders of the artists themselves.

“We do everything ourselves in terms of the booking and promotion,” he says.  “But a lot of times, we’re stonewalled because we’re not in the scene.”  Without a strong fanbase already intact, many bar and club owners are hesitant to book acts from outside the local scene, regardless of musical chops.

“We got the music methods down, but the marketing methods we’re still workin on,” Andy says.

Bands trying to operate in the changing music scene need to have a grasp on either side of the music.  “You gotta have both, especially since we can’t expect to get signed to a record label anymore.  Record companies are done.  So we just have to wear every hat,” Andy says.

Their music is a strong mixture of classic rock influences, producing hard, grainy, soulful jams that bring rock’n'roll back to its bluesy roots, a style that’s been catching on throughout the Rustbelt.  “As far as influences, I never really got past Led Zepplin, Jimmy Hendrix, Black Sabbath,” Andy says, adding that they also listen to a lot of blues and jazz.  Among their powerful, down-home original songs, they played a few better known songs, such as a spot-on cover of Cream’s “Strange Brew”.  The crowd wasn’t big but it was receptive and the Greens took another small step towards breaking into the Northeast Ohio scene.

“Right now, we’re just maintaining our status as weekend warriors,” Andy says.


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