Ahh, Vertical Union...we looked like a million dollars, people thought we were rock stars but at the end of the night , we usually had to borrow breakfast money from soundman Jeff Hair. Vertical Union traveled around the N.Y.-Pa-Ohio-W'Va area in "The Truke" which was our practically totaled equipment truck/ calliope  (no roof- ripped off by a low-flying tree branch...only a tarp flapping in the wind). What a commotion when we'd blow into town!!!

 

Rick Andrews

(Bo-Bo or Ock Nok)

Larry Zurn

(C.L. Strut)

John Portonova

(Port)

Eric Alexander

(Tinky Poo)

John McLane

(Mac)
Where are we today:
Rick Andrews: L.A. metro area. Rick passed on in 2017.
Larry Z: Contractors Group co-owner  in S. W. Florida
John Grammy :  in S. W.Florida since 2003 after a lengthy stint in Atlanta (studio engineer/musician)
Eric Alexander: living in Atlanta...still playing, singing, songwriting
John Portonova: is in Erie (musician / audio tech )
Jeff Hair:  Kent, Oh: (world traveling sound tech)
Steve Koepka: in S. Florida...still playing / songwriting

Traditional Wide Stance Rockers. The wide stance was important, but not out shadowed by  the famous Larry Z. "back-bend".

        Band and Crew

back row: Rick, Larry, John  Port, Eric front: Steve Keopka, Jeff Hair>>>

There were several configurations of Vertical Union. The last and most notorious version is the one featured on this page. Who could resist the musical & visual magic of these guys? Not the 2500 + fans & stray drunks who showed up at the famous Moon Meadows concert in August 1978. Nor the reported and highly publicized  4 to 5 brave "chicks" who followed us to the ends of Cleveland!

notice Port in back standing up on his drums>>>

  

V.U shown here wearing the latest in "glitter rock star" apparel. Band members resorted to "tailoring" their own costumes for a while....until Port showed up in the infamous "Clown Outfit" which caused Bob Poop to laugh three times louder than ever before. That's the same night Larry's bass solo brought the ceiling tiles down (Maple Heights, Oh)

          

The Sweet Jane routine became more bizarre as nights went by, culminating in the very strange Rick Andrews costume on the right. Rick also resorted to "streaking" (buck naked) through the crowd during the development of this strange ritual; which once resulted in his getting a cream pie to the face from a fan.

<<<f/ left:  Rick: clarinet monster,  Larry: bass,  John: trombone,  Eric: sax

Jeff Hair & Steve Koepka with one side  of the p.a. array before it got really big!...

 

...But the road crew wouldn't have been complete without mention of the multi-talented Bob Poop who handled both lights and sound on occasion, as well as sporting the loudest laugh this side of Huron St.

(r) Earlier version of V.U. standing in frigid (April) Lake Erie w/ dry ice fizzling ineffectively on lower left.

Rick Andrews,  Rick "Hot as a Shark" Urban, Larry Zurn, John Port >>>

 

 

 9-7-09: Thanks to Eric who scanned some more VU pix: here they are:

V.U. : Larry, Eric, John: classic wide stance!

John on guitar, Eric on keys:

The ubiquitous star shirt leftover from my BAC band days in Tampa:

Rockin' with the Rhodes and the Farf ... the only known Farfisa synth...it sounded mostly like a sick cow

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