Vinyl Music Bingo returns to Devil’s Purse Brewing Company in September with a decade to match the temperature: the 70s.
The 1970s was an amazing era for music. The classic rock sounds of the late sixties and the hippie culture starts to make way for harder sounds, the foundation of yacht rock, and of course, disco. Funk and soul were in their heyday, with heavy hitters like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye churning out hits alongside newcomers like Hot Chocolate and Chic. Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath establish the low end, but that energy is soon taken up by the precursors of punk and grunge, with such icons as Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the MC5, the Modern Lovers, and the New York Dolls. The Ramones, the Voidoids, Television and more are making a scene in NYC at new spaces like CBGBs and the Mudd Club, while across the pond the Sex Pistols have a show that nearly every one says they attended and then started a band as a result, both birthing and killing the first wave of punk rock in one fell swoop. The aftermath gave a wide variety of post punk, from the Clash to Magazine to Siouxsie and the Banshees to the Jam. Even future goth giants the Cure had their one punk album before declaring it dead and yesterday’s news. In the US, that NY scene expanded, welcoming a variety of bands and artists like Blondie, Talking Heads, Fear, and Patti Smith.
Power pop also made a foothold in this decade, with bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Cars, Cheap Trick and Elvis Costello and the Attractions blending punk energy with pop sensibility. Reggae too started to become popular, as folks like Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Peter Tosh, and Toots and the Maytals caught the attention of first the Brits, and then the Americans. Ska followed suit starting with the Specials and Madness. Reggae influence started popping up everywhere in songs from the Police, Robert Palmer, and more.
Rap was also born in the seventies, attempting to take the sounds of the urban landscape and recreate them with sampled beats and sharp, rapid-fire lyrics. These would eventually spill over into rock songs like Blondie’s “Rapture” in the 80s, to mixed effect.
And this doesn’t even touch the surface of the depths of the seventies. Rock giants like Aerosmith, Deep Purple, Bad Company, Foghat, and more shared airwaves with the likes of Rod Stewart, Air Supply, Peter Frampton, Jim Croce, Elton John, and many more.
With such a deep collection to choose from, this version of Vinyl Music Bingo will be an absolute treat. Hear songs that you remember, songs you forgot you knew, and songs you wished you never heard ever again but just won you a Devil’s Purse gift card so maybe it’s not so bad.
Game starts after 3PM and will last three rounds with prizes for each and a short intermission between. Get there early to hear some songs of the era that didn’t quite make the bingo round cuts.
*In the event of severe inclement weather, game may be postponed to a later date. Please check this website, social media, and Devil’s Purse Brewing Company’s website for details.