The Necros.
Just say those two words to anyone who came of age in Toledo's underground music scene in the early '80s and prepare for the genuflection.
The short-lived but highly influential hardcore punk band from Maumee was looked at with devoted reverence by fans fed up with corporate rock and music industry bloat. The Necros' do-it-yourself ethos and short, punky songs of frustration and angst carried a heft that went far beyond their paltry sales figures.
And now they're back.
Well, sort of. And not for long.
A confluence of events — most notably a reunion of Detroit-area hardcore bands last weekend — inspired three out of the four band members to reunite under the name sorceN and play a couple of one-off shows, including Saturday at Frankie's Inner City.
The lineup will be original members Andy Wendler, guitar, Todd Swalla, drums, long-time bass player Ron Sakowski and Five Horse Johnson vocalist Eric Oblander handling the singing chores.
Original lead singer Barry Henssler wasn't interested in participating, but he gave the reunion his blessing, Wendler said.
Oblander, a long-time fan of the band, was eager to step in for the vocal chores.
“For me, I was a fan before I was a friend,” he said. “They spoke to me and they spoke to people from this area and they sang about stuff that was actually tangible. You didn't have to feel like you were in a special club to get into their music.”
Wendler said the band called it quits in 1987 after playing 200 shows that year.
“I was burned out and tired of never having enough money,” he said.
He said the band was formed with the idea that you could express yourself artistically and be part of a “scene” without necessarily being virtuoso musicians. He cited The Ramones as a key influence and said kids in the early '80s felt they wanted something of their own.
“We were looking at the '50s and Woodstock and thinking we got ripped off. It was lifestyle, not a career choice,” he said.
The band recorded just a few albums, including “Conquest For Death” on the Touch and Go Records label, and a number of singles.
Wendler said he didn't pick up a guitar for 15 years after the band broke up, and then only to play acoustic songs for his children. Swalla lives in San Francisco, but returns occasionally for shows with other local bands. Sakowski lives in Detroit and Wendler and Oblander both live in the Toledo area.
Wendler said it didn't feel right to call the reincarnation of the band Necros without Henssler along so he settled on spelling the name backwards as sorceN.
“For me, without Barry, it's just not the Necros and for me I have to keep a thread of integrity running through this,” he said.
It's unlikely the band will form for any extended period, so Saturday could be your last chance to see three-fourths of the Necros hammering out a set.
“As a fan, this probably won't come around again, so come enjoy it and come soak it in,” Oblander said.
Frankie's is at 308 Main St. Doors open Saturday at 9 p.m. and tickets are $10. They're available at all Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, and Culture Clash, 419-536-5683, and Ramalama Records, 419-531-7625. Tickets will be $12 at the door, night of show.
Contact Rod Lockwood at rlockwood@theblade.com or 419-724-6159.
First Published August 5, 2010, 1:37 a.m.