Columbus, 1967-8
Psychedelia was passing around the generally conservative Columbus culture until an Ohio State student (and New Jersey native), Wayne Sheppard, decided some mindblowing was just what Cowtown needed. So, he rounded up some other OSU musicians, hooked up with HS student guitar whiz Roger Alton, and the Four O'Clock Balloon was flying 'high' in no time. The Four O'Clock Balloon was an all over west coast psych experience, from the set list of Jefferson Airplane and Mothers of Invention LP cuts to the self contained light show. The band won the city wide 1967 battle of the bands (captured on the rare Northland Battle Of The Bands LPs) and were soon packing concerts at the World Theatre. They opened for Jimi Hendrix at Veterans Hall, at which Hendrix got some rough treatment from some of Columbus' Cowtown thugs. The FOCB got close to a record deal several times, including a unfufilled deal with Mainstream records and an audition for RCA during a short NY/NJ tour. As part of the Northland battle victory they got to record a 45 at Magnetic but the studio's inability to handle a loud psychedelic band resulted in a disappointing platter (especially to drummer Jack White who tossed some out the band's traveling hearse...). Wayne Sheppard played a Solovox, an 1940's electronic keyboard by Hammond (before the tone wheel B3 technology) which he gleaned from the Blues Project.