"...We're the Professors, and this is why...."

…and thus began a lesson in rock!

I have to say this is (or was?) one of my favorite bands for the past few years. I found out about these guys quite by accident. When I went to the ballet, symphony, or opera I usually got a cocktail after the show. Usually that meant J-Allens, as it was right across the street from the Shuster, but occasionally I would make it to the Oregon.

One night I stopped in to the Oregon Express (a place I rarely visited then) on a Saturday night after an arts event. It turns out the Professors were playing, and I was really hooked by their sound. Electric rock with good hooks and tunes, played fast, with great vocal delivery by their charismatic frontman. An outstanding performance that had the audience really energized and literally dancing up on the tables. It was like: "Whoa! Who are these guys?"


Finding out more about this band, it seems that they play a mix of covers and original material, and they do the original material so good that you can't tell the difference. The sound seemed a mix of better Animals and Yardbirds, stuff like that 'Dirty Water
" song (not that poppy, though),the Doors, mixed in with other influences. I've seen it described as "proto-punk" or "garage rock". Whatever it was it was pretty darn good.

After that I made a point of trying to catch their gigs. Picked up two of their CDs. But then didn't see much of them. Turns out, based on their myspace page, that they had been working on a new album, writing new material, and going through some personnel changes…..yet no gigs other than a joint bill over at Pearl back in the summer.

(a few pix from their Front Street/Goloka Gallery show last fall, about a year ago now, supporting Sleepybird)

The Professors on Myspace