Great name

"Street Sleeper" - Grand Theft Bus, Ottawa, ON 7/13/05

Band names are great. I think a lot of times bands don't see the importance of a great band name. Widespread Panic is a good name. Particle is a great name, especially given the kind of music they play. On the other hand, String Cheese Incident often has to go on record in the press to more or less apologize for their abomination of a name (but oddly never for their lyrics). The jamband scene is riddled with horrible band names. To wit, Deep Banana Blackout, Psychedelic Breakfast, Granola Funk Express??? How pandering to an audience can you be? "Hey! We need a band name that shows that we like to smoke the pot, play Frisbee Golf, but we can also get down." "How about Smokin' Grass?" "Perfect!" (Live Music Blog has also addressed this subject. I think this calls for some kind expose somewhere: Rolling Stone, E!, A Current Affair...SOMEwhere!)

Then there are the truly odd names. Like Umphrey's McGee. Or Tea Leaf Green. And Grand Theft Bus. You remember a name like Grand Theft Bus. I have no idea where it came from, but it probably had something to do with reading a police blotter in a local newspaper.

Anyway, check out Grand Theft Bus. If you don't like the name, do it because you want to support the music scene of our friendly neighbors to the North, Canada. (The music is good, too. The whole show is pretty strong. I wouldn't drive 10 hours to go see them, but it'd be worth $10 to check them out.)

Download that whole show here.