Park Ave. was a band that didn't seem to know it. The members came together in January of '96 when a pre-teen Clark and Conor decided to trade instruments and form a band. Their next move, according to Clark, was to find some cute grrls to be in the band. Neely and Jamie really didn't know what they were in for, had no idea how to play any instruments, but thought the boys were cute too and that was really enough. After a single unproductive practice, they decided to add Jenn just knowing that the lack of keyboards was the cause of their uninspiring sound.
The band continued for two and a half years. Weekly practices were usually ditched for trips to the mall or naps on a communal bed. Occasionally they played, sometimes they fought. Musical siblings, lovers and acquaintances brought the band some attention and a split 7" with The Wrens on Omaha's Saddle Creek Records. Going into a studio was something they never really intended to do, and now they admit just how over their heads they where.
The band performed a few times in and around Omaha on borrowed equipment - see they never actually bothered to buy instruments or amps. When the band was approached by a promoter to do a show at Chicago's Fireside Bowl they were miffed. Conor remembers trying to talk the promoter out of it warning him "we don't play very well" and "in the studio you have lots of tries to get it right".
But this band was no fluke. Tell the members of Park Ave. today that they have fans they they still won't believe you. In fact when approached to do a full length CD with URININE Records they again tried to weasel their way out of it. All of this self-depreciation and refusal to be a real band is nearly baffeling. Everyone from casual radio listeners to music critics have ravved about their accessible and honest pop structures, their sweet and bitting lyrics, the power and emotion of 5 kids who never really wanted to take it anywhere, but could have had it all.
As the title of their final CD suggests, Jamie went to London and the Park Ave. broke up. Conor continu
