the Next Big Thing

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Formed out of the ashes of Mark Durante’s band “Public Enemy” in 1981, The Next Big Thing were punk/grunge pioneers based in Chicago Illinois. The band members were Jeff Lescher, (who wrote most of the songs, played Guitar and was the main Vocalist), Andy Mazar, (Bass Guitar and Vocals), Dave Oleson, (Drums), and Mark Durante, (Lead Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals). Their live performances at such venues as “Misfits”, “CODs”, “OZ”, early “Cubby Bear”, “TUTS” and others are legendary. These studio recordings are some of the few remaining documents of a songlist of over 50 compositions the band wrote and performed. While other bands at the time were busy following the punk trends of the time, The Next Big Thing ignored the dedicated followers of fashion and forged ahead with an innovative style of their own, unconcerned about catering to trendies or industry executives. The band broke up by 1983. Jeff went on to form the critically acclaimed indie band “Green”. Andrew Mazar is an internationally recognized expert on the urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) system having extensively investigated the role of this system in tumor progression and in acute and chronic fibrosis-driven lung disease. Dr. Mazar is currently driving a number of academic projects focusing on small molecule, peptide and antibody based therapeutic agents. Mark Durante, aka durantula, went on to perform and record with bands such as “The Slammin Watusis”, “Revolting Cocks”, “KMFDM” and the “Waco Brothers”, as well as his solo project “durantula”