Being in a band is often described as similar to being in a marriage. It’s a comparison that makes sense because, like a marriage, keeping a band together can be quite challenging.

That’s why, when you hear of a band celebrating its 50th anniversary, it’s an occasion to raise your glass to.

You can do just that when the Outerspace Band, a group whose members at one time all lived in Wendell, celebrates its 50th anniversary (albeit a year late) with a show at Hawks and Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield Friday night at 8 p.m.

The Outerspace Band — Compton Maddux on rhythm guitar and vocals; John Moses on lead guitar and vocals; Eliot Osborn on keyboards and vocals; Dave Robinson on harmonica and vocals; Michael Wisotzkey on drums (original drummer Kirk “Chief” Kubicek moved away) and vocals; and John “Klondike” Koehler on bass — formed a half-century ago when the band members were students at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

The year was 1968, a time of long hair and free love, of Vietnam and the Beatles. Like so many of their generation, the band was fed up with the establishment and was looking to turn the world into a better place. With four songwriters and a rock sound that drew from a range of influences, the Outerspace Band members spent their college years rocking hard and in the process earned a strong following here in the Northeast. By the time graduation rolled around in 1972, the band had already played hundreds of gigs and had especially secured a strong audience in Maine, where to this day, it continues to play. 

“When we graduated playing music together was really the only thing we wanted to do and were prepared to do, despite the fact that we had enough credits to get college degrees,” said John “Klondike” Koehler of Turners Falls, the band’s bassist, in a recent phone interview.

The band’s current members called on a couple more college mates to play and two more to be their managers. Then, in Koehler’s words, they decided to “make a run of it.”  

It was a time of great change, social upheaval and fantastic music. Looking back, Koehler says they had the times of their lives and also lived out a long experiment in alternative lifestyle.

This alternative lifestyle started out with the band living in tents on the grounds of the Lenox Music Inn, where Koehler recalled the members froze through the winter of ’72. But they wanted to live somewhere that was located half the distance between Lenox and Boston and if you look on the map you’d find that would be Wendell. 

They found a landlord who was willing to rent to a bunch of long-haired musicians and discovered that not only did Wendell’s proximity to New York, Boston and many colleges make it an ideal spot, but that it was also home to many like-minded musicians. 

“There were probably 50 people who only made their living playing music and they were living in rental properties like ours,” said Koehler.  There were bands like Road Hog (who would become Loose Caboose), the Magic Music Band, Jes‘ Dandy and an acoustic duo called Sundance, and it goes on and on.

“We had a blast it was this alternative community of newcomers versus old-timers. They began to accept us as friends and neighbors after a year or so of wondering who these freaks were living in their town.”

The band toured the Northeast like crazy, chasing after a record deal or at least a national tour. It secured gigs opening for acts like Waylon Jennings, Dr. John, B.B King, Willie Dixon and others.  

A big gig occurred when Gerald Ford was president and the band was invited to play at the White House for a party for Susan Ford’s prom. 

“I was recently rereading some old interviews in various publications of that time, and our manager was quoted as saying we were doing it for the publicity and we were there because it was really exciting to be a band from a commune in Massachusetts playing in the White House for the president’s daughter,” recalled Koehler. “There was another article that had the title ‘From Wendell to the White House which way is up?”

But constant touring can take its toll and it was wearing on the band. 

“We were giving it everything, every single bit of money we earned went into studio time, truck repairs, ... a little stipend for spending money,” he said. “Future wives and kids were starting to catch up with us and we ended up aging out being musicians in a commune with hopes of fame and stardom. We realized the music and our friendship was more important than our career.”

The Outerspace Band played what it planned to be its last gig in June of 1977 in Nantucket. But as it turned out, letting go wasn’t easy. They loved playing together and had grown into an in-demand live band, so they kept at it but with the emphasis more on making music for pleasure rather than a living. And that meant doing fewer shows, so they could focus on other aspects of their lives. 

 For Koehler, that meant devoting his time to establishing Klondike Sounds, the Greenfield-based business provides production services for live events.  Koehler sold the business to his employees a couple of years ago, but continues to oversee the sound  production at many major music festivals in the country, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for which he has worked for 43 years and closer to home the recent Green River Festival. His bandmates went on to various careers, and settled throughout the Northeast. Koehler is the only member who remained in Wendell, where he resided until 2018. Dave Robinson has also stayed in the Pioneer Valley and lives in Belchertown. 

The Outerspace Band played 40 shows its first post break-up year and it’s dwindled down over the years. The band currently plays about eight shows a year. This year it’s played three shows so far and has three more scheduled in addition to this one. The Outerspace Band will be part of Berkshire Brewing Company’s 25th anniversary party that will be held at the Franklin County Fairgrounds on Sept. 28. NRBQ will also be part of the lineup. 

  Some of the band’s later day highlights include opening for Allen Toussaint in 1987 and backing Cyril Neville in 2018. It also released a CD called “Rocket” in 2000. 

But the band’s sound remains  a mixed bag of roots rock, jam band, country,  and Chicago blues. For this special show the band be joined by Ricky Page (Trailer Park)  on saxophone and Andrea Re on vocals.

“I have been calling us a neo-Frisco R&B dance band. Neo-Frisco because there’s some early Dead influences still audible, and there’s a country-rock side to us. We soaked up influences from so many different musicians, via recordings and also via  in person connections with them,” said Koehler. “I think one of the reasons we could never get a record deal is we couldn’t be categorized.” 

 Looking back on these past 50 years are there any regrets? 

“It has worked out perfectly,” said Koehler. “ I think we have been able to squeeze plenty of joy off of all of life’s other pleasures and we feel very fortunate to have these opportunities  of all that we had and continue to have with the Outerspace Band.”

Tickets are $15 and are available at hawksandreed.com. The Outerspace Band will be playing in The Perch. Hawks and Reed is located at 289 Main St. in Greenfield. For additional info call 413-774-0150

Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines. You can contact her at soundslocal@yahoo.com.

]]>