Flatfoot 56

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Flatfoot 56 is a Christian punk rock/oi! band from Chicago, Illinois. The group's use of Scottish highland bagpipes has led to their classification as a Celtic punk band, comparable to the Dropkick Murphys or the Real McKenzies. The group was formed during the summer of 2000 as a three piece punk band. The three original members, who are also brothers (Tobin, Justin, and Kyle Bawinkel), started writing songs and putting a lineup together in the fall of 2000 and by the Christmas season of the same year they were playing their first show. In January of 2001 the band added Josh Robieson (bagpipes, guitar, mandolin) to the lineup and the band also began including the highland bagpipes and a second guitar into its sound. With the addition of a new member, Flatfoot began to perfect their live show and build their fan base.

In 2001 they recorded their first demo, then in the summer of 2002, the band hit the studio once again to record their first full length album, entitled The Rumble of 56. This recording was done in Rockford, Illinois, in a studio called the Noise Chamber. After this release, Flatfoot 56 was ready for the recording of their second album, called Waves of War (2003). This second album saw great advances in the band's popularity. Flatfoot's song "That's OK" saw some heavy radio play throughout radio stations across the Midwestern United States. The band began headlining shows and even got a chance to play with some major acts in front of large crowds.

Things seemed to pick up and the following year Flatfoot found themselves playing on a stage at the Cornerstone Festival in Illinois, in front of an audience of over 700. It was at this show that the band released their latest album, titled Knuckles Up. This album has since been the band's best selling record, and the group continues to record and tour. Recently, the band has been signed to Flicker Records and has rereleased Knuckles Up through the label.