This popular straight-ahead rock band has been among Chicago's best from long before there was a Chicago scene (i.e. the pre-Pumpkin era). They play an aggressive schedule (over two thousand shows over the last decade) of both city and suburban venues, and have released 8 CDs... They'll be putting out a live, all-acoustic recording, The Two-Meter Sessions on Waterdog Records (apparently the first acoustic performance ever for the band) done for a radio station in Holland. In Spring '87, songsmith Ralp Covert founded the band with drummer Terry Wathen (and soon thereafter) guitarist Tommy O'Brien, releasing a cassette featuring an early version of the single "Not Dead Yet" (later covered by Styx on their gold album, Edge of the Century. Bassist Pickles Piekarski (known for his work with John Prine's Famous Potatoes) joined the band, and they began extensively touring the US. In the Fall of '90, veteran blues guitarist John Duich (Legendary Blues Band, Valerie Wellington, Zora Young) replaced O'Brien. Duich later left in 1994 (and later died of heart failure in January, 1998 at the age of 44), being replaced by Steve Gerlach (Phantom Helmsmen), who has since left to form a roots band, MysteryDriver. O'Brien returned in 1996. John Richardson (Shoes, Tommy Keene) replaced Terry Wathen during 1995 when the latter retired. Keyboardist Steve Wozny also joined the band that year.
Frontman Ralph Covert, an excellent songwriter, often performs solo engagements, and teaches a songwriting class at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Longtime guitarist Tommy O'Brien has left the band (for the second time) due to "family reasons." He has been replaced by Rob Newhouse (aka Rob Elvis of the Elvis Brothers).
Goldmine considers their 1991 album Bad is Beautiful one of the 50 essential American power-pop albums of all time. Says the Chicago Tribune's Chris Heim, "Bad Is Beautiful is one of the finest exhibitions of songcraft to come out in quite some time." Other recordings include the live Cheap Beer Night, Eat at Godot's, Kisses 50c, the 18-song POPSCAPE: The Best of Ralph Covert & The Bad Examples.
For more information, visit their website: http://waterdogmusic.com/artists/badexamples/index.html
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