So, this may not mean much to those of you who haven’t been following the MidWest music scene for the past ten years, but it means a good amount to me. See, Truck Stop Love is playing some reunion shows. The shows occur at Auntie Mae’s in Manhattan, KS, and the Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS, on November 11 and Novemeber 13, respectively.
For those of you not familar with the group, Truck Stop Love was a four piece country rock outfit from Manhattan, KS, that played around the country in the mid-90s. Made up of Rich Yarges, Brad Huhmann, Eric Mozier, and Eric Melein, they released two albums on Scotti Brothers Records- a self-titled EP, as well as the full-length How I Spent My Summer Vacation.
The group never received any sort of major success, but their legacy remains. Drummer Eric Melein went on to fame in Ultimate Fakebook, who coincidently recorded a version of Truck Stop Love’s “Nothing Left to Start.” That track can be found on the Initial Records re-release of Electric Kissing Parties, as well as the band’s split seven-inch with the Stereo.
The funny thing is, had the band come along just five years later, they would have found themselves in good company. While their Replacements-meets-Hank Williams style of music didn’t go over big in the mid-90s, you can now find bands like the Old 97s and the Von Ehrics doing quite well on the same sort of sound that Truck Stop Love did so well.
The band’s releases are now out of print, but you can easily find them used on Half.com for cheap. Do yourself a favor and check them out. And, hell, if you’re in the area come Novemeber, make sure to swing into one of the aforementioned clubs. You’ll be happily entertained.