1977-85 were big years for Sussman Lawrence. Members, who had all gone to junior high together in St. Louis Park, were:

Peter Himmelman (lead vocals, guitar)

Andy Kamman (drums)

Eric Moen (sax, keyboards, guitar, vocals)

Jeff Victor (keyboards and vocals)

Al Wolovitch (bass, vocals).

The name came from a character on Steamroller, a local Public-access television comedy show that came on after Saturday Night Live and was produced by Park alum Buddy Cohen and written and hosted by Himmelman.  The band mixed it up with some rock, reggae, jazz, punk, and performance art, playing a taped educational message before each performance just for fun. Once at Duffy’s they passed out apples and oranges from Sol’s Superette in St. Louis Park.  The band played at the Park High Homecoming dance in October 1978.  In an October 22, 1978 interview in the Echo, Himmelman was quoted as saying, “I want to be famous.  I don’t really want to want to be famous – I know I will be.  I know it won’t be the answer to everything, but I want to taste it.”  In June 1979 they played at Park High’s all-night party.

Their first album, “Hail to the Modern Hero,” was released on December 19, 1979, on Bigger Than Life Records.  It was advertised as “Music for the New Decade” and was recorded at Tracks on Fifth studio in St. Paul.  Sussman Lawrence was featured (with other St. Louis Park band Future Legend) at “Spring Jam ’80” on June 1 at the High School Auditorium, a show produced by student radio station KDXL and coordinated by junior Bob Nelson.  [Future Legend was Carey Lifson, Mark Lauer, Bill Perkakis, Keith Globus, and John French.]  Sussman Lawrence also played at the St. Louis Park Prom in 1983 – “slightly sluggish after a big trip to the East Coast,” according to Ian Nemerov of the Echo, but they kept people dancing to songs such as “Torture Me” and “Call me on Monday.”

Their second album, the double LP “Pop City,” was issued in 1984.  Both albums were issued on CD as “The Complete Sussman Lawrence” in 2004 on Shag Records.