The Brain Police were an early psychedelic garage band who, in the 1960s, opened for many national acts, including the Who, the Byrds, Cream, Jefferson Airplane, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Steppenwolf, and Buffalo Springfield. They essentially spun off from the Man-Dells, with guitarists Rick Randle and Larry Grant and bassist Norman Lombardo, who were all still in junior high when that group released its first single in 1965, “Bonnie” (with “Oh No” on the flipside). The trio also played with the Other Four. They became the Brain Police in 1968, with Rick Randle’s younger brother David Randle joining on guitar, and earned a large local following.
Preceding the Brain Police, formed in 1964, garage rock band the Avengers (later known as the Contrasts) featured future Brain Police/Man-Dells/Other Four bassist-singer Norm Lombardo, alongside rhythm guitarist Jan Tonnesen, who co-founded the group with lead guitarist Bob Throop. The band also included drummer Rick Pauley. The group came together at Horace Mann, with all four members in ninth grade when they began playing school dances. Norm Lombardo was later in the Dry Creek Road