Astronomy Magazine Blues Band on YouTube

Can you name the galaxy featured on the AMBB's drum kit?

One of the reasons I attended the annual conference of the Astronomical League last month was to catch the performance of the Astronomy Magazine Blues Band at the League’s awards banquet on the final day of the event. The band, led by drummer and Astronomy magazine editor Dave Eicher, was a lot of fun, playing a first set that was rock oriented and a second focused on more bluesy numbers. I gave the sets thumbs up in my dispatch from ALCon.

Now for those of you who weren’t fortunate enough to see it in person, the AMBB now has a video site on YouTube. The first two tracks are posted: covers of the CCR standard “Green River” and the Tom Petty tune “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.” As noted on Eicher’s blog, Dave’s Universe, the videos were shot and edited by his son Chris Eicher, who is 19 and a student at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Chris is studying chemistry (not astronomy, journalism, music, or film!)  We wonder if the band got any product-placement revenue for the Pepsi that appears in the “Green River” video—especially given that the conference was near Chicago, home of Green River soda!

I share the videos below for your viewing pleasure.