If the Classmen (clean-cut brothers, managed by their father) were Kansas City’s equivalent to the Beach Boys and the Chesmann its Beatles, Stone Wall could be likened to Kansas City’s Cream or Led Zeppelin.
A power trio with roots in the blues, Stone Wall was led by singer-guitarist Allen Blasco in combination with three different rhythm sections (1968-76).
As a young teen (1965-68), Blasco led The Clergymen, whose ever-changing array of musicians included Ray Goldsich, later to become known as radio personality Ray Dunaway. They were good enough to headline the Hullaballoo Scene club, a spinoff from the 1965-66 NBC television show that opened in 1967 on 85th Street just east of Prospect Avenue.
But with the coming of Hendrix, Cream and Blue Cheer, 17-year-old Blasco wanted to emulate that heavier sound, and he had the chops and the equipment to do it. He and his band mates (Ken Mairs, drums, Greg Whitfield, bass, v.1; Lee Cline, d, Rick Bacus, b, v. 2; Pete Jacobs, d, Alan Cohen, b, v.3) played venues ranging from Volker Park love-ins (there’s a great YouTube video here) to Municipal Auditorium, as part of then-future Cowtown Ballroom impresario Stan Plesser’s June 1969 Fun Fair.
While Stone Wall gigged all around town and at such outlying venues as St. Joe’s Frog Hop Ballroom and The Jolly Troll in Holton, Kan., they struggled to create original songs and thus interest from major record labels.
Blasco went on to form and/or play with such bands as Neon Blue and the reformed Riverrock.
Katie Pratt Puhr says
Stonewall was hard rocking well talented young group in the 60s and 70s. Alan Blasco formally of the clergyman has since proved himself quite a musician and now is in the Kansas City rock ‘n roll Hall of Fame.. The talented Blasco has going on to neon blue and many other accomplishments remembering the times it Voelcker park bring back much happiness and joy for all of the Kansas City youth.
Ed Ogden says
Are there any recording on the site, I’d love to hear the sounds of these groups. Wow Stone wall was a favorite of mine. Ed Ogden
dan says
to anybody who remembers or attended that Easter Volker Park event, was that 1971 or 1972? hahahaha, I was in the front row with the guitar player from our little band. 400% zoom and I can make out some facial features.
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Johnny Thomas says
To Ed Ogden: Yes!
Go here for Stone Wall performing at Volker: “Stone Wall April 11, 1971 Easter Sunday Volker Park” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkT6MrFejhk&feature=share, which is available on Facebook’s “You Hung Out At Volker Park In Kansas City” public group. Definitely worth watching. Hot. It’s overdubbed with a recording from one of their live shows and the visuals/recording is synced very nicely.
To Dan: its 1971.
And speaking of that specific Volker show (they played there several times over the years), a great little article titled “Where did the name ‘Volker Park’ come from?” has also just been put up at http://kcrockhistory.com/. I’m pretty sure that the big crowd photo that takes up one of the pictured pages from a Westport Trucker article covering that concert was taken during Stone Wall’s set.
Johnny Thomas says
To Dan and Ed – and everyone else: I should have just said that the Volker article and photo are on the main page here. But you know what I mean!
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