No, I'm not talking about the Pale Divine that hails from Pennsylvania and practices the sacred art of Death Metal.
The Eyes played almost every weekend in the mid-to-late eighties in STL and surrounding college towns and were the best live band around. This was a time when bands were almost always cover bands, rarely playing their own music, and the Eyes played a mix of covers and originals, throwing in Jane's Addiction, the Cult, the Furs, and a host of other popular alternative songs. Their originals were just as popular with the crowds, and there always was one. I admit that on some weekends my friends and I went to see them on both Friday AND Saturday, including a three-night stand at Carbondale's Hangar 9.
They released a CD called "Freedom in a Cage" in 1989, playing a CD release show at the old 1227 nightclub, and then released "Straight To Goodbye on Atlantic records in 1991, and then imploded, playing their last gigs over the July 4th holiday in 1993 at one of their mainstay clubs, Kennedy's. Michael, the singer, emerged later and still plays around town in a more stripped-down acoustic setting. Dan the bass player pretty much got out of the biz, not sure about Greg the drummer. And then there is Richard, who was always an amazing guitarist. He went on to play with Richard Butler in LoveSpitLove and the Furs, and is now a member of Guns-N-Roses.
Sources say that the original band is getting together for a year-end holiday reunion in STL, and I can not wait! Dan Angenend, you better start warming up those bass playing skills!
Here's a fan Myspace page. You can listen to some of the songs there, and also check out a dodgy video.
EDIT: The show is confirmed for the Pageant on December 29. I'll see you there.
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