Joe Grushecky

A longtime cult hero in the world of heartland rock, Joe Grushecky is often compared to his friend and occasional collaborator Bruce Springsteen. While they both play tough, bar band rock in the classic manner and write about the lives of blue-collar Americans, Grushecky has always had a firmly grounded outlook and passionate style that make clear he's his own man. He first gained an audience with his band the Iron City Houserockers, and after their breakup, he launched a new group, Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers, with 1989's Rock and Real. 1995's American Babylon helped expand his audience thanks to Springsteen's presence as producer and guitarist, and the strength and honesty of 2017's More Yesterdays Than Tomorrows and 2024's Can't Outrun a Memory showed that the loyalty of his fans has always been rewarded by the strength of his work.