Summer 1983 - Summer 1985. The early Uninvited Guests came together when Michael R. and Zykie, already attempting to create music on a piano and Hammond organ, met brothers Bob and Larry. Bob, Larry, Michael R. and Zykie became fast friends and sought some sort of creative outlet. While music might have been an obvious choice for the group of youngsters, it was not their first choice. Performance art seemed the wave of the future in 1982 and frequent happenings included the much spoken of "Hide the Coney" and "Kitchen Inspection." While "Hide the Coney" might have been the more obnoxious art form (which entailed hiding a hot dog with cheese and chili in the house of an unwary participant) it was the "Kitchen Inspection" which provided a name for the as-yet unmusical group. The "Kitchen Inspection" involved stopping, uninvited, at the house of a friend or acquaintance, near dinnertime, to search the kitchen.
          The quartet became a quintet with the addition of Bob and Larry's tagalong friend Dave N. In a short time span, the music for The Uninvited Guests' B-52's-inspired first album known as Open (a tribute to the neon sign in the window of an area Pizza Hut) was written and recorded. Performance art was not abandoned for this sudden musical urge but was enlarged to include the musical observations of life in the early 1980s.
          Dave N., the fifth Uninvited Guest, was the first member to leave the band. A conflict had arisen over who would play the fog horn on the recorded version of "Baby Seals" and the other Guests questioned the origin of the line "what is meat cake" in the song "Gandhi's Best Friend." After building a full-sized cardboard car in his bedroom, Dave N. fell into obscurity. Little is know of his current whereabouts. (Hey, drop us a line!)
          After this first personnel change came The Guests' first big break. Chris and Rick "Doc Strange" were added to the lineup. Zykie shifted his talents from the keyboard to the drums (and tennis) while Chris, wearing a stylish, avant-garde jammin' cap, took over on the infamous Yamaha DX7. While Larry and Michael R. wrote about space age clam bakes and while Bob wrote about the fabled, mistreated Debbie-Debbie, Doc (who, by the way, was growing concerned about a rumor that one of his fellow Uninvited Guests might be a homosexual) began to compose more mature lyrics that would have a wider appeal. His talents were showcased in songs such as "In Regard to a Savage," which recounted the tribulations of a man driven to chant "Cincinnati Zoo" backwards, and "Let's Get Integrated," which encouraged the use of public transportation. While Chris did not contribute lyrics, he did compose all of the music the band played. His staunch "more is more" attitude was the defining factor of the band's sound and, as a practiced avant-garde keyboardist, he was able to play not only parts of cover tunes written for keyboard but could simultaneously play guitar and vocal lines on the keyboard as well, all merged into a thick, more-is-more, avant-garde musical stew. With this new line up The Guests got some recognition in the local press. The Fairfield Echo (Fairfield, Ohio) reported "On Stage The Uninvited Guests are Musicians, Offstage Comedians," and, with some encouragement from Doc, the Forest Park High School newspaper reported The Guests were "Getting the Rock Rolling."

 

          In the fall of 1983 the band was on an outing to an area Denny's when Chris noticed the shock-rock DJs Marty Bender and Eddie Fingers enjoying a late dinner. Chris hastily scribbled a note on a napkin and placed with it one of the cassette tapes of the band which he carried for just such an encounter. Bender and Fingers were decidedly amused with what they heard and became the strongest media supporters of the early Uninvited Guests. With two radio appearances on Hamilton's 96 Rock in the late fall of 1983 showcasing the original compositions "Surfin' the Dead Sea," "The Revolt of the Foolish Molar," and "Punk Socks," it seemed long-term success was inevitable.
          A concert at good friend Lisa K.'s house in the suburban oasis of Fairfield, Ohio gave the band its first taste of public performance while simultaneously preparing the band to deal with an audience walking out en masse. Fairfield, clearly, was not ready for a band fronted by four good-looking young male vocalists who performed in an intricate choreography. Even though the handsome rhythm section of Chris and Zykie kept things hot, it was decided the band needed a broader sonic palette. Mike C., an experienced guitarist then employed at the Springdale Music Palace as a pizza line chef, was recruited to join the band. Mike C. was eager to join The Uninvited Guests but was concerned about a rumor that one of his fellow Uninvited Guests might be a homosexual. The first truly public gig was with Mike C. on guitar and special guest vocalist Jeff, another line chef, at the Battle of the Bands in the summer of 1984 held at Cincinnati's Convention Center. Two moments from this performance found their way into Guest lore: 1) Mike C., who arrived with only a guitar, asked, "Where do I plug this in?" and 2) Michael R. introduced The Uninvited Guests to the next band with, "Hello, we're here to blow you away." And blow they did.
          But as Mike C. let his medication lapse, voices began to urge him to "get out of this town." A new guitarist was needed and a massive search was held at the Springdale Music Palace to determine the identity of the new Guest guitarist. Doug, a pizza chef at the Music Palace, assumed the role bringing his country-fried guitar stylings to the band. Doug was eager to get the band ready for the stage even though he was somewhat concerned about a rumor that one of his fellow Uninvited Guests might be a homosexual. The Uninvited Guests went on to play two shows at Bogart's, a major local venue. Doug played both of these shows but was assisted by Larry's friend Greg, a young guitar hero heavily influenced by Peter Frampton and Eddie Van Halen, at the second show. The elaborate Alice-Cooperesque stage shows of this time involved props including a rubber chicken and a frying pan. Zykie was instrumental in landing the early Guests' last two shows. The first at Longview State Mental Hospital and the second at a home for disturbed children in Blanchester, Ohio. For those who have heard the occasional reference, it was in Blanchester that the legend of the six-foot Peavey amp was born.
          Throughout this time, each member of the band sought to expand not only the band's repertoire but the band's legend as well. Band secrets were documented and carefully stashed away. A history of Bob and Larry's musical youth as the Quarryguys was concocted detailing the cover tunes, such as "Happy Birthday," that they had performed on occasion. And Michael R. began work on The Guitar Guy - a set of songs billed as "Fifteen Years of Greatest Hits: 1969-1984." With Bob on keyboards, Doc on Drums, and Michael R. on vocals and guitar, three songs were recorded during The Guitar Guy sessions including "The Moon (1969)," and "Water Torture (1973)." These songs make little sense when taken out of context but, when in context, demonstrate the band's ability to create a complex alternate-reality framework around which their music would be written.
          In time, Zykie left the band for a life of crime. It isn't known whether or not he continued playing drums. Considering he sold a few cymbals and a snare drum to future Guest Mike B., it is unlikely that he kept the rock rolling. Doc remained a member of the band at this time but moved to Johnson City, Tennessee to attend Milligan Christian College. Larry, on the other hand, struck out in a new musical direction after his tenure with The Guests. As a founding member of Quest, a cover band rooted in a deep respect for Steve Perry and Journey, Larry set out to redefine the concept of the cover band in a hobby spanning several months.
          In addition to an interest in the rock band Journey, musical theater was a long time love of Larry's predating The Uninvited Guests. For a brief moment it seemed the future of The Guests lay in the musical theater as Larry introduced his brother Bob, Chris, and Michael R. to the stage in Miami University's Hamilton Campus' production of Damn Yankees. This experience served Bob as a springboard into such rolls as Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar and taught Michael R. to stay away from the musical theater. Chris used his experience in The Damn Yankees Orchestra to fuel his avant-garde, progressive rock proclivities which he took with him to Bowling Green University near Toledo, Ohio as he began his undergraduate studies apart from The Uninvited Guests and founded the avant-garde prog-rock combo Umclunk.
          Throughout this tumultuous time, Bob and Michael R. remained steadfast to their vision of The Uninvited Guests. But now reduced to two members and a third, long distance lyricist in Doc, the band struggled to be heard. One fateful day Michael R. was stopped by a monster pickup truck driven by former Guest guitarist Doug. It seemed Doug was getting married and needed to lighten his load. Doug said, "You want the guitar? It's yours for a hundred bucks. The case is worth that." With the investment made there were only three things left to do: peel the gasoline company stickers off the guitar, learn to play it, and rock 'n' roll!

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