# Bands named after places... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 12, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612 "2012-04-12T22:17:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/1 "2012-04-12T22:17:41Z")
…are _ **always** _ crappy: Alabama America Boston Chicago Kansas Nazareth Styx (if you count mythical places) Did I miss any? ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/2 "2012-04-12T22:23:01Z")
Europe Asia Toronto (a pretty good Canadian bar band) ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/3 "2012-04-12T22:29:34Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Europe > Asia > Toronto (a pretty good Canadian bar band) forgot **Chilliwack** - another Canadian bar band named after the city in British Columbia ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/4 "2012-04-12T22:35:55Z")
[Portugal. The Man](http://www.portugaltheman.com/) English Dan and John Ford Coley The Irish Rovers The Tijuana Brass ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/5 "2012-04-12T22:42:30Z")
Maybe not your style of music, but it’s hard to argue that those bands are “crappy.” [Missouri](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_(band)) - they were crappy. Also, I’m pretty sure you’re missing a few hundred. Without really thinking there’s Manhattan Transfer, Portishead, Little River Band, Scrantonicity 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/6 "2012-04-12T22:54:19Z")
Despite the fact that I disagree entirely with your premise… U.K. Chilliwack (named after a city in Canada) (Edit: ninjaed on Chilliwack because I walked away from my desk before hitting “send”) ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/7 "2012-04-12T23:47:53Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > [Portugal. The Man](http://www.portugaltheman.com/) > > English Dan and John Ford Coley > > The Irish Rovers > > The Tijuana Brass It’s “England” Dan. L.A. Guns New York Dolls The Mission U.K. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/8 "2012-04-12T23:59:00Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > It’s “England” Dan. > > L.A. Guns > New York Dolls > The Mission U.K. Ah right. I was thinking of English Bob from _Unforgiven_: “That right mister? You English Bob?” ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/9 "2012-04-13T00:02:35Z")
I don’t agree with the premise either. Atlanta Rhythm Section New York Flyers ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/10 "2012-04-13T01:01:27Z")
[Caribou](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribou_%28musician%29), formerly known as Manitoba ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/11 "2012-04-13T01:01:29Z")
Miami Sound Machine ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/12 "2012-04-13T01:07:07Z")
If we’re allowing local bands, The Mar Dels from Del Mar, CA were a pretty popular party band. Actually, it looks like [they’re still around](http://mardels.com/). Oh, there’s also Berlin, semi-famous for their contribution to the Top Gun soundtrack, although some of their other stuff was better. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/13 "2012-04-13T01:28:36Z")
[Gun Hill Road](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunhill_Road), a decent one-hit wonder band. [Ozark Mountain Daredevils](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozark_Mountain_Daredevils) [Hatfield and the North](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield_and_the_North) (named after a road sign, though there is at Hatfield in the UK). Well received critically. Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band Julie London 😉 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/14 "2012-04-13T01:38:42Z")
Fountains of Wayne (named after a lawn ornament store in Wayne, NJ) The E Street Band ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/15 "2012-04-13T01:54:22Z")
New York Rock and Roll Ensemble were pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/16 "2012-04-13T02:00:50Z")
> [@Jasper\_Kent](#): > > …are _ **always** _ crappy: > > Chicago they weren’t named after the city. they were named after a transit company, Chicago Transit Authority, and forced to change their name, ending up with Chicago. so maybe, maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/17 "2012-04-13T02:48:46Z")
I could not identify a single song by them, but I always thought **Black Oak Arkansas** was a cool name. (And I also think several of these place name bands are pretty good.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/18 "2012-04-13T02:57:46Z")
Berlin (Take My Breath Away) ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/19 "2012-04-13T03:01:30Z")
Bay City Rollers ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612/20 "2012-04-13T03:22:20Z")
[Kilburn and the High-Roads](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilburn_and_the_High-Roads#Kilburn_.26_the_High_Roads) [Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dakotas_%28band%29) [Texas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_%28band%29) [Frankie Goes to Hollywood](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankie_Goes_to_Hollywood) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-named-after-places/618612.md?page=2)