Kiddo: used as a friendly way of speaking to a child or young person, especially one you know well: Careful kiddo, stay close to me.
I have remembered a band I used to listen quite a bit back in 2004 and that is Cleveland’s, Ohio, Kiddo.
When I played them again I remembered the songs, especially from their first album, the self-titled “Kiddo” from 2003. There you find the superb boy/girl vocals featuring Christian Doble (also on guitar) and Liz Wittman (on bass). Completing the band was Greg Hyland on drums.
As mentioned the first album came out in 2003, released by Drive-In Records (drive59) and included a bunch of super fun songs. The record had 12 songs: “Woodward Avenue”, “To the Moon”, “New Year’s Resolution Haircut”, “You’re Not Who You Said You Were”, “1992”, “The John Song”, “Amy”, “The Greg Song”, “The Makeout Song”, “Surfin’ Thru”, “The Hell Song” and “Still Not My Girl”.
Worth mentioning is “Woodward Avenue”, which is a location in Detroit. Liz was from Detroit, so no wonder she sings about coney islands, the city’s culinary gem.
It is worth noting that this wasn’t the band’s first release. Previously, in 2002, the band had put out a self-titled EP CDR that had what looks like a dinosaur or some reptile on the artwork. This EP had 5 songs that would end up in the album, “Woodward Avenue”, “The John Song”, “You’re Not Who You Said You Were”, “New Year’s Resolution Haircut” and “Still Not My Girl”.
Lastly in 2004 the band would release “Okay Sweetheart” their second and last album. On Discogs it appears that in 2004 a promo version was put out while the proper record came out in 2007 on Microindie Records (microcd8). I wonder if the dates are correct. In any case the album featured 15 songs, “K-N-O-C-K-O-U-T”, “Mr. Virtuoso’, “This Could Take Forever”, “Julia”, “Otherguys”, “Apple Tree”, “Sunday”, “Annie (Can See)”, “Rocketship”, “I’m Still Alone”, “About You”, “I Won’t Try Again”, “Rollerskating Dream”, “Neverday”, “‘Till My Face Turns Blue”.
Then there’s a bunch of compilation appearances. The first one dating from 2002 when “Woodward Avenue” appeared on “Fundraising for the Field Trip #1” compilation on Boy Arm Records (ARM02CD). This same song would be on “Cleveland / Kansas City” a CD compilation released by Pabst Blue Ribbon (yeah, the beer) in 2003.
In 2004 the band had “This Could Take Forever” on “Boompa Volume 1” released by Boompa Records (BOOM 801) and also this song is on “Microindie Records Sampler II”.
2005 saw the band contribute the song “This Could Take Forever” to “Test Tones Volume 05” released by Clairerecords (fern 046) and to “Music from Radio Free Roscoe, Volume 1” on Decode (DEC101).
The other compilation appearance was on the “Free Audio Flyer! – Free Show!” a CDR comp put together by Microindie Records for a show that happened in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the UICA Film Theatre.
Other facts we know is that Christian Doble would be on other bands including Belle Ghoul, Child Bite, Copper Thieves and Fawn. Elizabeth Wittman was on Arc Pelt, Friendly Foes and Lettercamp. Greg Hyland was on Dehumidifier Vs. Humidifier and The Twilight.
I keep searching and then I find some live footage on Youtube. Kiddo playing at the Toledo Indiepop Fest from 2007!
I keep looking. It seems Christian moved to Detroit and that’s where he was in Fawn.
Not much more info about Kiddo. At least I cant find more details. The band used to have a website, and I was able to access it through the Internet Archive but there is very little info too.
Where else to look? I guess fans who remember them would be my best bet. So yeah, if anyone out there remembers this fun sounding band let me know! Any details would be great, even stuff like where did they play? Just Cleveland? What venues?
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