There are many cities that have a certain musical style or sound they are best known for. Whether it is the Jazz that comes from New Orleans or the Motown sound beginnings from Detroit, no matter how much time passes, certain sonic influences become the trademark for a city.

In Cincinnati, the sound that it could be best known for is Garage Rock. So many great bands in the past couple of decades have identified with Garage Rock, and in more forms than just rock. Punk and Rockabilly and even soul music can fall into the Garage band category, and many have also made their mark on our city, and left some substantial footprints for the bands that follow them. One of the bands that has left a big footprint on our city, whether you know of them or not, are The Customs.

The Customs formed 30 years ago in 1978 in the basements and lofts of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky music scene. Sporting a sound that flew in the face of the bands having major national success on the Cincy airwaves at the time like Kansas or Styxx, The Customs sound was raw and unapologetic.

Peter Greenberg was an original member of The Customs 30 years ago, he had just moved to the Cincinnati area from Boston, after leaving the successful Sire Records band DMZ due to his disenchantment with the record business and also his desire to continue his education.

“For me, it was never about money, with any of my bands. That made it easier to leave DMZ and make the change to come to Cincinnati. If I have to prostitute myself, I’d rather do it in business than in music. Peter recently said in a phone interview from his current home in Texas.

One of the other members that helped start up The Customs was drummer Billy Rosenthal, who was already in Cincinnati and playing in several bands along with longtime cohort and vocalist Tom Heil.

“Tom and I had been playing in bands for a couple years and it really wasn’t going anywhere. Then we met up with Peter, who had just come to town from Boston, and we clicked. We knew we were gonna have a band almost right away.”

Part of what drew all the Customs together was their love for records. All consider themselves collectors to this day, and not only did it give them instant comradarie as music fans, but it greatly influenced their music as well.

“The music we grew up with, listened to and collected was what we all wanted to emulate, I think we just wanted to make it a little more wild, we were sick of the Led Zeppelin and Kansas stuff that was everywhere on the radio and wanted to dig into some of the more obscure rock from our collections and put our own stamp on it.” said Billy.

Peter adds, “All the bands I have been in have the same kind of philosophy, the vitality and drive (written form a music lovers perspective) of early rock n roll, stuff with a heart that has amateur qualities to it.”

Those qualities came out when they released their first 45, which had a cover on both sides. The band really hit their stride however, when they began to employ that same style on original songs, such as the hit they may always be best know for “Long Gone.”

With the band gaining fans in Cincinnati, they also gained the attention of a local Cincinnati Post music columnist, who checked the band out after they opened for The Ramones in 1979 and had this quote that jumped off the page.

“”The loudest, drunkest, most obnoxious Rock & Roll band in the city…fronted by a “singer” with the vocal ability of the local Greyhound bus dispatcher.”

“We hated that quote at first, Billy remarked, but then I think we just laughed it off and figured any press was good press. We were like that for a long time though, and it’s still a pretty good quote. One thing I know we never were though, was clean power pop”, he laughed.

And the Customs power-pop less style began to make them the go-to band when a national act like The Ramones came through town. The band had their choice of national touring acts to open for here in Cincinnati during their time together. However, outside of those gigs, it was not so easy to get a show here in town.

“During that time in Cincinnati, it was really hard to get a consistent gig, we had to play lots of loft parties and stuff across town just to get our name our there”, Billy says.

Not long after the band released their first 45, on the young Shake It label here in Cincinnati, the band parted ways. They got back together not long after, split again and have since taken too many paths to write about here, in music and outside of it. And in the time since, they have become more of a legend than a band. Fast forward to current day, when the same label, Shake It, is preparing to re-issue The Customs now famous album, Real Long Gone. This is the second re-issue of the record, which got it’s first re-pressing 10 years ago, and promptly sold out.

And all of the original members of that now 30 year old formation, Forrest Bivens (bass) , Jim Cole (guitar, organ), Peter Greenberg (guitar, vocals) Thom Heil (vocals), Jess Hirbe (then Shake It Label owner), & Billy Rosenthal (drums) are reuniting this weekend for a special one time only show at the Southgate House.

“Part of the catalyst for the reunion show was from Darren at Shake It. We had sold out of the re-issue and wanted to do it again. Next thing I know there is a Customs MySpace page and we are doing a reunion show as well”, Peter said.

The show is this Saturday night at the Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky, where The Customs will be supported by The Long Gones and The Tigerlilies. And although it has been a long time since the guys have played together, you can tell they are excited to get back together.

“I don’t even care if we play in front of people, I just want to play”, said Peter, evidence to his earlier point about The Customs and his history in music always being for the experience more than anything else.

“I told Darren he could pay my royalties in credit to Shake It Records, he quipped, I still have a couple thousand 45′s taking up space in my house.”

So, as you can tell, in the end, whether you were a fan of The Customs, or like me, were not fortunate enough to even be around to appreciate them when they were leaving their footprints here in Cincinnati, it is hard not to appreciate the influence and mark they have left on our city.

“Cincinnati has a great rock n roll heritage, and we are proud to be a part of it”, Billy said. Of course we are proud The Customs are a part of it too.