Doing that thing they do: Erie's own O'Needers cover band inspired by Tom Hanks movie

Ladies and gentlemen, Erie’s own The O’Needers are booking gigs and just doing that thing they do.

The O'Needers, a classic rock cover band, began in 2009 when four friends came together to jam. The band's name is inspired by the 1996 movie "That Thing You Do!" starring Tom Hanks who manages a fictional band from Erie. Their original name, Pangs of Distress, however, sounded more fitting for a death metal band, even though their music style is far from death metal.

“I just finished watching that movie 'That Thing You Do!' and I said ‘hey, what if we call ourselves The O’Needers,'” said guitarist Jamie Shaw. “We can change it up to avoid any conflict of lawsuits or anything. So we turned it into a last name like an Irish last name. We’ve all taken on that last name just like the Ramones.”

The original band started with Shaw, Les Swan, Jeff Borowicz and Jake Hardner. Three of the four original O’Needers stepped away, but replacements have filled the void nicely.

The O’Needers are now made up of Shaw on guitar, John Little on bass, Tom Mitchell on guitar and newest O’Needer Ben Akam on drums.

What’s it like being an O’Needer?

“It’s a blast, I love it,” Mitchell said of playing in the band. “I’ve been in multiple bands throughout the years and this one is probably the closest one I’ve been in. We’ve been together longer than any band I’ve ever been in (since 2018). It’s a fun group of guys.”

Each band member agreed with Mitchell. You can find them on stage having a blast entertaining the audience with their music.

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“We have a really good time playing the kind of music that we play, which a lot of time is classic rock,” Akam said. “I have more fun playing with them at times than any of the other bands that I have played with. Even the bassist John is always flicking broken picks at me. Him and I have a good time whether the song is going well or not.”

The band also coordinates their attire before each show like in the film.

The O'Needer's also make it a priority to keep in touch with former members. “The best part is the friendships we have,” Little said. “Even former members like Jeff, to this day, we’re super good buddies.”

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What songs do The O’Needers play?

If you happen to catch an O’Needers concert, you will find a variety of songs from the 1970s and '80s to popular songs today.

Members of The O’Needers each have a favorite song to perform with the band, including the following:

• Shaw: "That Thing You Do" by "The Wonders." (Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne actually wrote the song and singer/songwriter Mike Viola sang lead vocals.)
• Mitchell: "Cuts Like a Knife" by Bryan Adams.
• Akman: "Word Up" by Cameo.
• Little: "Beverly Hills" by Weezer.

Where can I find the O’Needers?

The O’Needers perform at venues in Erie and around northeast Ohio.

The O'Needers also frequent venues including Black Monk Brewery at 3721 W. 12th St., where they are scheduled to play Aug. 31, or Joey’s Italian Grille in Madison, Ohio. You can find their schedule at theoneedersrock.com .

“Everyone in the crowd that comes to our concerts is there to have fun,” Akman said. “We might not play a perfect set, but we roll with everything we do. If we make a mistake it doesn’t matter 'cause we are all having fun. We cover each other’s imperfections and people have fun with us.”

Contact Nicholas Sorensen at nsorensen@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Doing that thing they do: Erie's own O'Needers cover band inspired by Tom Hanks movie