East Ash

East Ash were a post-punk band from Columbia, Missouri. If any band earned the title of local heroes in the late 1980s in Columbia, it was East Ash. The band formed in 1985 and, by the end of the decade, had gained a large local following with their atmospheric, melodic art rock/ With live shows involving anything from props to a Tom Jones impersonator, the music still seemed the main focus both live and on the band's two albums, "Crushing A Flood" and "Ellie". It was widely believed in local music circles that East Ash was the band from Columbia that would make it on some level. Unfortunately, even though they managed to draw healthy crowds to The Blue Note, a reluctance to do major touring and interband tensions got in the way of their potential. The band relocated to Chicago in the early 1990s but the move did little to change their fate. The band disbanded in 1992, but their music still brings memories and has influence, on some level, local musicians ranging from The Shadowcasters to members of Mahjongg. -Boone Stigall