The Bizarros

Although other Northeast Ohio post-punk and New Wave acts went on to greater success and notoriety -- Devo, Pere Ubu and the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde all spring immediately to mind -- few were as crucial to the scene's longevity and impact as the Bizarros; the first Akron band signed to a national record deal, the group's frontman Nick Nicholis also operated the fabled Clone label, which issued records by key regional acts including the Waitresses, Tin Huey, Human Switchboard and the Rubber City Rebels. Nicholis formed the Bizarros in late 1976 while a student at the University of Akron, and within months the band signed to Blank Records, the Mercury subsidiary founded by A&R exec Cliff Burnstein for the express purposes of signing Pere Ubu. Their self-titled debut album did not appear until 1979, however, when it was issued on Mercury proper; in the interim, the Bizarros issued a handful of efforts on Clone, most notably 1977's From Akron, a split LP with fellow hometown favorites the Rubber City Rebels. Day jobs (Nicholis worked as a public schoolteacher) and a lack of label support prohibited the Bizarros from touring nationally, and in 1982 the band finally dissolved, reforming in 1996 to record new material. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide