The high-energy psychedelic pop rock that coalesced circa 1966 continues to reverberate on a subterranean level. A wave of adherents to the music of that moment in pop history surfaced in the 1990s, and one of its great Milwaukee exponents, Trolley, has organized a kind of ’90s night this Friday. The event features themselves and a pair of closely associated bands from the era, the Psychedelic Furs-infused Heathrow and the deadpan alt-rock of Solomon Grundy’s. Rounding out the evening is a current incarnation of Trolley’s influences, Cabin Essence, led by young multi-instrumentalist Nick Maas.
Trolley seldom plays out anymore; Heathrow disbanded a decade ago; Solomon Grundy’s went dormant as the ’90s ended. “I had four or five cocktails while watching a baseball game, and I realized: I missed seeing two of my favorite bands,” says Trolley’s bassist, Terry Hackbarth. “It was a long shot.” Heathrow’s Eric White has lived for several years in Switzerland, where he teaches history in a high school. “It took months to get everybody onboard.”
While largely absent from live venues through a combination of adult obligations, Trolley remains active in the 21st century as a recording act. Their 2011 release, Things That Shine and Glow, featured a melancholy jangle reminiscent of The Byrds, the pop grandeur of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys and a bright psychedelic radiance. 2015’s Caught in the Darkness was a little less ’60s and a little more ’80s with rousing memories of new wave joining with the lost baroque sounds of Revolver-era Beatles.
For more than a year, Trolley has been working on their yet untitled next album in the home studio of guitarist Mike Perotto. “Mike is the orchestrator—the architect,” says guitarist-vocalist Paul Wall. Trolley has some 20 songs in progress in Perotto’s studio. “We’ll edit them down to 12,” Wall continues. “I love simple songs—Buddy Holly, The Ventures, The Zombies—whereas Mike and Terry bring a more orchestral influence. The way we work in the studio, a song might be years in the making—and it’s still the simplest song.”
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Things That Shine and Glow and Caught in the Darkness, originally self-released on CD, have been reissued on vinyl by the British Sugar Bush label. Trolley has also contributed to several tribute albums, including one for pop-rock tunesmith Matthew Smith.
“It’s a bigger thing outside America,” Hackbarth says of Trolley’s retro sound. “In Britain, they have magazines like Shindig and Mojo that cover it. People are fascinated by our kind of music in South America, Spain and Italy.”
“There are all kinds of niche festivals around the world,” Wall adds. He then alludes to his ’70s punk rock inspiration that comes across in Trolley’s live shows. “I don’t know if we’re ’60s enough for them. We might not be ‘mod’ enough; we might not be ‘psychedelic’ enough; we’re not strictly ‘power pop.’ Maybe we’re a little of all those things.”
During the ’90s, Trolley performed around the Midwest and travelled as far as Boston. “Nowadays, we’re not chasing any aspirations,” Wall says. What keeps the band enjoyable and fulfilling, he adds, is the “trust that has evolved. I’m not as much of a control freak as I used to be. It’s a collaborative process—everyone adds to it. It builds and builds.”
Trolley, Heathrow, Solomon Grundy’s and Cabin Essence perform starting at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 27, at Club Garibaldi, 2510 S. Superior St.
