Dr. Know (band)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Infamous Dr. Know Girl Logo by Jaime Hernandez

Dr. Know is a punk band which began as a Nardcore band and now has roots in Los Angeles, CA,

They are one of the founding figures of the "Nardcore" punk movement from Oxnard, CA. The band was started by Kyle Toucher, Ismael Hernandez, and Robin Cartwright in early 1981, and after auditioning a few singers, Brandon Cruz was chosen (although technically the first singer was a Ventura punk named Joey Pena). The band recorded studio versions of several early songs with Cruz, which led to television appearances and gigs on the Los Angeles circuit.

However the early momentum was somewhat derailed by escalating inner turmoil which culminated in Cruz leaving the group in 1983, leaving Toucher to take over vocals just as the band was starting recording of Plug In Jesus for Mystic Records. Several more albums followed, including the Burn e.p. This Island Earth and Wreckage in Flesh were subsequently released on Death Records/Metal Blade, signaling a shift to a more Metal period in their sound. For This Island Earth the lineup was founding member Kyle Toucher on vocals and guitars, drummer Rik Heller and bassist Ismael Hernandez.

After an American tour with Scottish punks The Exploited, Heller returned to Scotland to team up with them, and Larry White was added to fill the position in Dr. Know. Hernandez subsequently also left, and was replaced by ex-Stäläg 13 member Tony Black on bass. Before long Black was replaced by Mike Purdy, and guitarist Tim Harkins was added, both of them also being former Stäläg 13 bandmates.

Dr. Know broke up shortly after Wreckage In Flesh was released in 1989, although they did a few scattered shows up until 1991. In 1998, Cruz called Hernandez and together they approached Toucher to get the band back together. Toucher said no, but Hernandez and Cruz recruited others and embarked on a North American tour with big-name punk acts of the time.

In September of 2001, Cruz was asked to sing with old friends, the reunited Dead Kennedys, following the uninvolvement of Jello Biafra. That led to a gig with the Dead Kennedys that lasted until April 2003, which ended citing "creative differences". Dr. Know still managed another record, entitled Father, Son, and Holy Shit! and toured the west coast tour with Stäläg 13 and Ill Repute

Jeff Penalty has since replaced Cruz as the Dead Kennedy's vocalist.

[edit] Dr. Know today

Brandon Cruz - vocals
Ismael Hernandez - bass
Craig Cano - guitar
Rick Contreras - drums

While the band with Kyle broke up in 1991, Cruz and Hernandez have been reunited since 1998, playing gigs all over the world. Currently the band is recording a new album on their new label, Malt Soda.

Dr. Know recently played at the opening of Alpine in Ventura, Ca on November 26, 2005.

They played CBGB's September 8, 2005 and donated the money to the Katrina cause.

They played at Cracktoberfest on 9/11 in Tompkins Square Park along with MDC, Choking Victim, Rabia, and the Test Specimens.

They played in Long Beach, CA with Agent Orange, Total Chaos, SST Overkill, and PKG on December 23, 2005 at the Vault 350.

They Played NA Fest (Narcotics Anonymous) on September 24, 2006 in Torrance, CA

They played at the Majestic Ventura Theatre on January 27, 2006 with the Dead Kennedys, reuniting Cruz with his old band mates for the first time in almost three years. They've continued playing different venues all year, have taken a stance against Pay to Play and enjoy performing at backyard shows. Dr. Know just played their first ever shows in Hawaii.

Former lead singer/songwriter Kyle Toucher now works as a visual effects/digital artist for Zoic Studios in Los Angeles, CA. He has done work on TV series such as Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek Voyager as well as in movies such as Serenity and Van Helsing. Toucher has won an Emmy for his work. We in the band are all very proud of him.