Formerly known as the Mystics / Sir Brent & the Mystics they became the Coming Generation in October 1966.
Members of the “Fabulous 8” – “English and Motown” band included Brent Woodall (lead vocals), Glen Curtis (lead guitar), Bob Awalt (bass), Laury Davis (drums), John Ross (organ), and the horn section of Jerry Smyser (sax), Jim Redding (trumpet), and Bruce Davis (trombone). The band also featured go-go dancers.
Above: Ads for The Coming Generation – February 1967
The Coming Generation was one of the most popular Howard County bands in the late ‘60s along with the Horde, Chelseas, Prodigals… They played Top-40 rock and soul covers, eventually becoming primarily a rock band toward the end.
They wore blue sparkle tuxedos purchased from Tru-Fit on Eastern Avenue, and played at many of the area teen dances, proms, Last Straw, Arbutus Fire Hall… At the Ellicott City Armory, the Coming Generation played several battles of the bands and dances with other bands including the Spectres, and the Blues of St. Orange. Laury Davis was replaced with ex-Freddy Cannon drummer Rudy Blanke in October 1967, and bassist Ken Johnson (ex-Jakes) replaced Bob Awalt. Additional members included Don Quigley (sax ex-Gent Set), Louis Norbeck (guitar, keyboards ex-Gent Set), and Chuck Ansell (vocals ex-Chelseas). The group worked as house band at the Rhapsody sharing double bills with the Upsetters. Played many gigs in Northern Virginia including a May 1968 double bill with the Left Banke. Quigley remembers the Left Banke “who 6 months earlier had had a huge hit with ‘Walk Away Renee,’ and a lesser hit with ‘Pretty Ballerina’… but six months later they were has-beens, drove down from NYC in a battered Caddy limo towing a small U-Haul trailer with a few meager things in it. They basically used all our equipment because they didn’t bring anything… They were so broke by then that we piled them into Brent Woodall’s ‘63 Chevy and took them to a Gino’s and bought them burgers. They were hoping to get paid in cash so they’d have enough gas money to get back to New York. If that’s not a story about how the record biz worked back then, nothing is…”
Davis, Ansell, Norbeck, and Quigley later went on to join Flying Circus. Woodall and Johnson were later with Cherry Smash. Awalt later with Phly…
