Around the time Dave Matthews Band was stirring up the masses with his major label debut Under the Table and Dreaming, two high school friends from the D.C. suburbs were releasing their sophomore album, produced by none other than DMB producer John Alagia. Featuring guitarwork from Doug Deyberry (Bruce Hornsby, DMB and others), Rockwell Church’s sophomore breakthrough was an intimate portrait of 12 acoustic offerings, featuring the soulful vocals of Nathan Church Hubbard and the skilled guitarwork of Joti Rockwell. Well-known up and down the Eastern seaboard, Rockwell Church was a hit on college circuits as their impassioned live sets often led to frenetic jam session and a few choice covers. The band toured nationally opening for Marc Cohn and Taj Mahal and released the EP Warm Up the Gong as segue to their under-appreciated third effort Superego, a disc featuring far more electric guitar and a good dose of radio-ready hooks. On a personal note, it was one of a select few albums that defined my college experience and always holds a special place in my heart. As the band tried to make a go of it via a DIY ethic, the daunting task seemed to pay its price and as a swan song the group released Antidote, which picked up where Supergo left off and went even further. Shortly thereafter Church Hubbard enrolled at Stanford University and pursued an MBA, while Rockwell did the same. Rockwell currently teaches at Pomona College and Hubbard is CEO of ticketing for Live Nation. That being said, this post is a reason to celebrate and honor their musical legacy. Though they’ll probably never play music again or release a disc, here’s a reason to remember their contributions.

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