The Big Chill

This is the history of the Big Chill. The Big Chill existed from 1985 to 1994, playing the many small bars in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PA area. Our philosophy was to play the songs we heard growing up with little to no practice. Occasionally, we did some things that were current. If you have to rehearse it, it’s too hard and your just showing off. As time went by, of course, songs got better and more arranged but the original concept was a punkish “play the music for the people” We rarely had a Friday or Saturday off.  The recordings were made on a boom box and later mastered to digital. Some of the newest were originally recorded on a Sony DAT. They are what they are; a record of a garage band in the ‘80s not a polished studio recording.

Recordings took place at several of our regular gigs. Many were made at the Rosedale, a right-out-of-central-casting roadhouse on the San Souci Highway in Nanticoke, PA. Some were made at the slightly better acoustically Pats Place on Rt 11 in Plymouth, PA. The Thornhurst Tavern in the poconos also is featured. Thornhurst was a strange mix of tourists and hillbilly locals. There is also video of a poorly attended show at the Inn Scene in Lee Park.  Sadly, all those clubs are gone and not all tapes were marked for their origin.  Thanks to all the club owners, Joni at the Rosedale, Pat at Pats Place, Hans and Ron at Thornhurst as well as our road manager the late Slippery Dick