Naming your band after your hometown is a pretty lazy decision, but there are some bands that have gotten a bit more creative, naming themselves after more obscure references the their place of origin. Here are six band names inspired by the artist's hometown:
1. The Beach Boys
If the Wilson brothers had been born and raised in Kansas, it is doubtful they would have started a band called the Beach Boys and written a thousand songs about surfing. Their Southern California origins became integral to their identity and sunny sound, even though drummer Dennis Wilson was the only member of the band who actually surfed.
2. Sleater-Kinney
Sleater-Kinney was perhaps the most critically and commercially successful band to rise out of the riot grrrl movement, a feminist punk scene which began in Olympia, Washington, in the early 1990s. Though Sleater-Kinney's sound and politics were heavily influenced by their environment, their unusual band name was as well: They took it from Sleater Kinney Road in Lacey, Washington.
3. The E Street Band
By far the most popular artist to rise out of the Jersey Shore scene of the 1970s was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Though the E Street Band is most associated with the shore town of Asbury Park, New Jersey, the actual E Street was in nearby Belmar, which is where the mother of keyboardist David Sancious lived and where the band would rehearse in its early days.
4. MC5
Along with The Stooges, the MC5 would define the sound of Detroit garage rock in the late 1960s and early '70s, which would go on to heavily influence the first wave of punk a few years later. They even based their name on their hometown, with "MC5" being short for "Motor City 5."
5. Waxahatchee
Though she is currently based in Brooklyn, New York, singer-songwriter Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee was actually born and raised in Alabama. In fact, the name "Waxahatchee" is a reference to her home state, taken from Waxahatchee Creek in Shelby, Alabama.
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Yeah Yeah Yeahs" might not seem like a band name specific to any particular region of the United States, but it was actually inspired by the band's hometown of New York City. "Yeah yeah yeah" is apparently something New Yorkers say to each other all the time, though maybe that was just an early 2000s thing, because I personally do not notice it when I come to the city these days.
What are some other band names inspired by the artist's hometown? Let us know in the comments section.
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