The Flying Crowbars (15 images)

The Flying Crowbars is a Detroit-based blues band. The two founding members James Cloyd, Jr. (bass guitar & vocals) and Erich Goebel (lead guitar & vocals) were born and raised in Detroit. They experienced first hand the devastation that Detroit has gone through over the past 40 years. From one of the major metropolitan cities in the world, to probably having the worst economy in the US.

Through corrupt politicians, racism, poverty, and riots, Detroit has experienced...
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The Flying Crowbars is a Detroit-based blues band. The two founding members James Cloyd, Jr. (bass guitar & vocals) and Erich Goebel (lead guitar & vocals) were born and raised in Detroit. They experienced first hand the devastation that Detroit has gone through over the past 40 years. From one of the major metropolitan cities in the world, to probably having the worst economy in the US.

Through corrupt politicians, racism, poverty, and riots, Detroit has experienced various hardships. And not only has this affected Detroit's economy, it also affected one of Detroit's most important commodity, music.

Blues music has especially been a staple of Detroit steaming from the legendary music studio Motown. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music, as it was the first record label owned by an African American to primarily feature African-American artists.

Over these past troubled decades, Detroit art's national influence has slowed down with the rest of the major manufacturing industries. Yet, there "are still a lot of little pockets of artistic freedom and deep thought that you can get to, in places where you'd never expect it," says James. The Flying Crowbars are one of those little pockets.

Even though The Flying Crowbars may never play to a full house at Madison Square Garden in New York city, they are at the very least, keeping the Blues alive in Detroit.

Flying Crowbars: Keeping the Blues Alive in Detroit 2/10/2010. (Rodrigo Gaya/Michigan Radio).
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