The Corevares

The Corevares were an old-school Rustbelt power-pop punk band formed in Toledo, Ohio in early 1997. Like a lot of local bands at the time, The Corevares came together from bits and pieces of earlier, less-well-known outfits, including Black Belt Jones, Forgiveness Row, Tastes Like Chicken (2) and Grand Mal. The band originally consisted of Lead Guitarist Aaron Urbanski, Bassist Jimmy “Jazz” Izbinski, Lead Singer/Guitarist Mic Graves and Drummer Jay “Scrap” Nevers. With their hooky original tunes, sloppily entertaining, high-energy performances and willingness to play anywhere to anyone, The Corevares rapidly became established on the local scene and formed a tight bond with their “Brother Band” Lazy American Workers, as well as Detroit’s Culture Bandits (which Featured Ken Haas later of Reverend Guitar fame), and Columbus Ohio’s A Planet For Texas. The Corevares signed with local label Sin Klub Entertainment and began recording their CD debut in late 1997. They continued to play dozens of gigs around Toledo and the Tri-State area, and rose in popularity throughout 1998. The band also continued to work on their CD, though production delays and band infighting doomed the project to be shelved until it was later salvaged by Graves. In late 1999, singer Mic Graves departed The United States for a job that took him to Tokyo, Japan. Singer/Guitarist Ken Haas of Culture Bandits stepped in as a replacement, but the new configuration was short-lived as the then-current lineup ultimately split into the Punk-a-billy Four On the Floor, and the Kid Rock-inspired Metal Rap outfit, Kids From Krypton. The original Corevares lineup reunited with Graves for one wild show in December 2001, but then went silent again until late 2002, when former Lazy American Workers drummer Kev stepped in for the reluctant Scrap. Days after the shocking, untimely death of Graves' hero, Joe Strummer (whom he'd met in Japan the year before) The Corevares played a triumphant tribute-themed show in downtown Toledo, featuring a nearly-spontaneous cover of The Clash’s “White Riot”. Days later, the rejuvenated lineup went into the studio to record new material that Graves and Urbanski had written in the interim. The sessions, which were high and manic with the juices of inspiration flowing like never before, continued intermittently through the summer of 2003 and 2004, along with a few more reunion concerts. However, production delays related to a singer and primary songwriter living on the other side of the planet, some unforgivable gross negligence by the Audiomatrix studio in Toledo, and more ugly studio infighting led to the 'Unfortunate Sons' CD being delayed until 2006. Although singer Mic Graves finally returned to resettle in the Toledo area a short while later, one or two band members unfortunately became increasingly reluctant to participate in any more reunions, and the more mature second studio effort from The Corevares was left to gather dust in cardboard boxes. In 2010, inspired by the new Toledo Hockey Team, The Walleye, the Unfortunate Sons-era lineup reformed and teamed up with The Cherub Ballroom studio in Toledo to record an unofficial fight song for The Walleye titled “Home Ice.” The tune was a reworking of an earlier instrumental by Aaron and Jimmy with new lyrics by Mic Graves. Since that time, Kev and Mic have continued to work together in Thirsty Houligans, a folky traditional ‘beer band,’ featuring veteran Lead Guitarist/Cherub Ballroom purveyor Carl Herkimer II and others. Urbanski and Izbinski, who were very active in the local music scene in the immediate post-Corevares era seem to have largely retired. Like earlier punk rock heroes in other places and eras, The Corevares came along at a time when punk music was on the upswing in their part of middle America, and they left a mark on their local scene. Years have passed and people have seemingly forgotten, but the music survives. It remains to be seen whether The Corevares have any future, but the band members can be proud of what they accomplished while the brotherhood lasted.