The Space Race was in full throttle during the surf era, and apparently you didn't need to live anywhere near an ocean to catch the wave. The Citations prove the point, blasting off from Wisconsin and aiming straight for the Moon with all the enthusiasm of a garage band armed with reverb and big dreams.
Like a lot of surf bands from the heartland, they understood that geography was merely a suggestion. No beach? No problem. Just crank up the Fender and imagine Lake Michigan is the Pacific Ocean.
They even dusted off the vocals for a run through "Slippin' and Slidin'," showing they were capable of more than instrumental lunar exploration. Unfortunately, their recording career was brief, producing just two 45s before vanishing into the great record-collector mystery file in the sky.
But the story has one final twist. The guitarist eventually resurfaced in a Wisconsin disco band, proving that while surf music may have launched him toward the stars, polyester and a mirror ball ultimately pulled him back to Earth.
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