Funny that I live so close to the HOG now and I haven’t set foot in there since I bought a snare drum a few years ago. There was a period when I’d go there every week or so to buy music. That round display rack in the front of the store was always stuffed with the newest albums and the singles moved all over the store. They were upstairs with the instruments and out back and then for a while in the mid seventies all the cool stuff (UK imports and American underground stuff like the Cramps and Television) was kept in a locked case at the top of the stairs. They had everything but it was almost impossible to find it. You had to ask for help and Kim and Greg were the best. They would walk right over to an unruly pile and put their hands on what you were looking for.
Kim Torgerson married Dave Mahoney. Dave’s sister, an avid House of Guitars shopper, married Kim from the HOG. Greg got famous in the Chesterfield Kings. We ran into Greg at Spevak’s holiday party and did some serious catching up in the kitchen. Greg has a solo album out now and an action packed bio here.
Listen to Playette – Roomful of Voices. Dave handles the lead vocals and Kim does back ups.
I used to live on Titus, about three blocks from the HOG. Practically lived there for a while…lol Funniest thing I remember was running into Armand Schaubroeck grocery shopping at the Wegmans in Hudson/Titus Plaza. He just looked so…normal.