Heather has decided to skip Rocklahoma this year. Like a lot of people, she is a little disappointed in the lineup, and has decided to save her money for other vacations. I can’t disagree or fault her on the decision. Even though she won’t be backstage with Bring Back Glam!, she’ll be there in spirit for sure and even offered to research some bands. Today, Heather’s take on Zebra.
Time to learn a little about one of the lesser-known bands that will be taking the stage during Rocklahoma 2008. Zebra is on the bill for Sunday, July 13. The band formed in 1975 in New Orleans. Their mainstream debut dropped in 1983. The self-titled album became the fastest selling debut record in Atlantic Records history, shipping 75,000 copies in the first week. The album stayed on the Billboard charts for eight months, peaking at number 29.
The second album came a year later with disappointing results. Sales never took off, and there was no hit single to be found.
Zebra released a new album in 2003, and in 2007 a DVD of a live performance from The House of Blues. Throughout their career, the boys have opened for major acts such as Aerosmith, Kiss, and ZZ Top.
Mentioned on the band’s website as a touring "lowlight," Zebra’s equipment was stolen after a gig in Houston back in 1981. They say that’s when Twisted Sister, Rat Race Choir, the Good Rats and Southern Cross staged a benefit concert on their behalf, raising money to replace the equipment.
In addition to Rocklahoma, Zebra will play the Tomato Fest in Chalmette, Louisiana and the Metro New York Balloon and Music Festival in Shirley, New York.
Aside from the "busy" touring schedule, the guys are working on solo careers. Lead singer Randy Jackson’s solo album Randy Jackson’s China Rain hit store shelves in 1993. Felix Hanemann plays acoustic guitar and piano in unplugged shows, singing his own tunes along with covers from Rod Stewart, Oasis and Eric Clapton. He hopes to release a solo album in the near future. Following a battle with breast cancer, drummer Guy Gelso is starting a blues band.
If you’d like to know more, you can always visit the bands website. I feel the site leaves much to be desired, starting with the fact that it is silent. Typically bands like to promote their music, and it blasts the moment you click on their site. Not Zebra. This dare-to-be different group apparently wants to attract fans with their lack of music.
After finding some of their tunes on YouTube, I can honestly say I am not impressed. But you judge for yourself.
First, "Who’s Behind the Door."
Now, the video for "Tell Me What You Want."
6 thoughts on “A Look at Zebra”
You have got to be kiding me !! – ZEBRA Rocks and will prove it at Rocklahoma – the fact that they don’t BLAST their music when you open there website is a sorry reason to dismiss them – Anyone who has seen them live must agree that they ROCK and seeing them live is better then listening to the CD’S -which i more than I can say for alot of bands out there.
You do not like the lineup????????
Triumph, Queensryche, Zebra, Steelheart, just to name a few.
Try listening to ZEBRA before writing about them.
Or maybe you wanted to see TOOL or puddle of mud, or Greenday.
Give me a break, The lineup is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND YES ZEBRA HAS BEEN DOIN IT FOR 30+ years.
Once again, a product of the 90’s, bashing bands they have never heard before. When will you guys ever learn? Some of the music today is based on the earlier “pioneers” or rock. Zebra has been around and faded out but we still have a very nice fanbase. Sorry we didn’t have drugs and lead singers blowing their heads off because they couldn’t handle stardom, which seems to be the reason why people like them in the first place. When it comes to wholesome Rock & Roll, Zebra is class act. Read the reviews after Rocklahoma and come back to the website and read other posts and new members. This article is only a tip of what they have done. Here is one thing you missed, Randy organized a relief from New York for the victims of Katrina….gee how many bands in your generation even has a heart?
Steven: Great response.
Speaking of Randy and Zebra’s efforts were not only doing benefit shows for Katrina victims but Randy as Steven pointed out, worked day and night for weeks gathering needed items and having them trucked from NY to Louisiana, with the help of Eddie Matdranga’s trucks, a NO based company.
Watch the cd sales skyrocket after this show for ZEbra.
AND yes I do want to hear her opinion then.
Some people just do not have a clue??????????
You’re an idiot. You clearly don’t know anything about 80’s rock or classic rock. Randy may have done alot for Hurricane Katrina, but Felix single-handedly organized his own relief fund with Q104.3 on Long Island to donate items– he and his kids worked day and night immediately following the events.
Zebra was considered to be the Led Zepplin of their day, creating innovative sounds that were then ripped off and turned into garbage by other sell-out bands. Today they tour regularly and recently sold out BB Kings main stage in NYC, a hugely respected venue.
Learn about music before you write about it AND write about it in its historical context. You wouldn’t compare the Beatles to the Used– there’s no comparison and thats exactly what you did with your commentary.
Hello from down under western australia.all i have to say is that Zebra are a class act . I,m in the 40 year old plus and have been listening to there music for years and have pulled out the zebra lps and cds for another musical midlife healing.cant wait to receive the dvd the door.With Zebra and these other great bands that are so underrated, i have been in the music scene on a professional level and semi professional level teaching music to students bands, guitar drums etc for over 20 years ,now i,m managing my sons up coming band they,re in there early teens and are influenced by Zebra and these bands of that era in there own music it is the direction i,m taking with them and which they enjoy and are really taking to .just a example of it few months ago they won a competition over here to open for some bands on a high level in front of 15.000 people there was a big hype radio airplay and tv airplay .now they opened it with one of there numbers which when you listen to it ,is total 70s 80s that guitar solid drumming bass keyboard oriented influence .well trhey blew the place apart and the reviews were unbeleievable the manager of the main headline act said to me and was quoted in a music magazine where the f……k did they come from .so what i,m saying is a Big Thankyou Zebra and all the bands of that era my boys excelled due to listening and being influenced by you totally . so you can see to the knuckle heads out there these influential bands music will never die its only just begun. Now for comments i know everyone is entitled to there opinion. but people need to just say i,m not into them or i dont like them , not to say negative crap about them or any of them bands of that era they pioneered a lot of todays music .As we can see that 70s ,80s, era its slowly coming back around. You just have to listen to Zebra musically and appreciate there musicianship and how their creativity is unreal and see that they are really playing there instruments and still going 30 years plus strong today.True survivors . So i hope to see them for the first time live in the states later this year as i,m on tour with my family. my final say is you so called critics , writers analists or what ever you wanna call yourselves get your heads out of your asses and be positive not negative to these great bands Zebra,Triumph ,Steelheart ,Queensryche etc