Joe Escalante

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Joe Escalante, Esq.

Born: January 30, 1963
Los Angeles, California
Occupation: Bassist, Record label owner, Film director, Music video director, Radio show host, former Entertainment lawyer, former Television executive
Website: www.joeescalante.com

Joseph Patrick "Joe" Escalante, Esq. (born January 30, 1963) is an American musician, record label owner, film and music video director, and amateur matador, as well as a former television executive and entertainment lawyer. He is best known as the bassist for the southern California punk rock band the Vandals and the owner of their record label Kung Fu Records.

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[edit] Biography

Escalante was born in Los Angeles, California to Mexican heritage and grew up in the Huntington Beach area of Orange County. As a teenager he learned to play drums and began performing in local garage bands.

[edit] Joining the Vandals

In 1981, at age 18, Escalante joined the punk rock band the Vandals, becoming their first permanent drummer. He would remain the sole constant member of the band throughout their career. They released their debut EP Peace Thru Vandalism in 1982 through Epitaph Records. In 1984 Escalante and the other band members appeared in the Penelope Spheeris film Suburbia and released their first album When in Rome Do as the Vandals. In 1987 they appeared in another Spheeris film, Dudes. By 1989 Escalante had moved from the drums into the bass guitar position, which he would continue to occupy for the rest of the band's career.

[edit] Conflict over band ownership

In 1989 a conflict ensued between Escalante and several ex-members of the Vandals over the rights to the band's name and material. Epitaph Records relinquished the copyrights and master tapes to Peace Thru Vandalism to Escalante, and the EP was reissued along with When in Rome as a single CD with the credit "all words and music by Joe Escalante". Original vocalist Steven Ronald "Stevo" Jensen and guitarist Jan Nils Ackermann, both of whom had since left the band, asserted that most of the songs on Peace Thru Vandalism had been written before Escalante joined the group. Exact details concerning the contest over rights to the band's name and music are debated, and conflicting reports are given by different parties. Escalante has stated that the older members relinquished control of the band's name and rights to him in exchange for permission to play an "original Vandals" reunion show, but the others deny that this agreement took place.[1] In any case, Escalante maintained legal control over the rights to the Vandals' name and catalogue and continued to perform under the name, recruiting new members to continue the band.

[edit] Re-forming the Vandals

Escalante and new vocalist Dave Quackenbush set about finding new members for the Vandals, recruiting guitarist Warren Fitzgerald and drummer Josh Freese. In 1990 this lineup released the album Fear of a Punk Planet, establishing themselves amongst an emerging new crop of southern California punk rock bands. This lineup would remain consistent throughout the rest of the band's career and would release numerous albums, tour the world extensively, and form their own record label.

[edit] Television career

Escalante received his B.A. from UCLA and his J.D. from Loyola Law School, where he specialized in anti-trust litigation. After graduating in 1992 he became a talent and program negotiator in the department of business affairs for the CBS Television Network. He used money from his job to finance the Vandals and his television connections to allow them to play on late-night rock shows. He hosted a number of music programs during his time with the network and negotiated contracts with acting talent. After four years he left CBS to tour full time with the Vandals and operate his record label Kung Fu Records.

[edit] Marriage

Around this time Escalante married. His wife, Sandra Escalante, appeared briefly in the 2005 film Cake Boy which he directed (she appears as a member of the counseling group). The two now live together in the Hollywood Hills.

[edit] Kung Fu Records and legal practice

In 1995 the Vandals signed a record deal with Nitro Records and released the album Live Fast, Diarrhea. The album brought increased attention to the band and Escalante toured with them internationally. He directed their music video for "I Have a Date," and would continue to direct the band's videos throughout the rest of their career. The band released 3 more albums on Nitro over the next 5 years, with Escalante participating on all of them.

In 1996 Escalante and Warren Fitzgerald started the record label Kung Fu Records, initially in order to release a debut album by the band Assorted Jelly Beans. Escalante named the album after his study of Kung Fu San Soo. Over the next several years Escalante took over operations of the label, signing acts such as the Ataris, Ozma, and Tsunami Bomb, as well as re-releasing some of the Vandals' more obscure records. He funded the label by opening a law practice and using his industry contacts to build a roster of music clients. Under Escalante's leadership Kung Fu grew into a success with distribution and promotion deals in Europe and Japan, and by 2000 had grown into a strong enough label that the Vandals moved their operations there fully.

[edit] Directing and producing

Using his experience in the television industry, Escalante formed Kung Fu Films (an offshoot of the record label) in 2000, and produced and starred in the indpendent film That Darn Punk. He also continued to produce and direct music videos for the Vandals and for other acts on the Kung Fu label. In 2002 he launched the DVD live concert series The Show Must Go Off. He directed the independent film Cake Boy in 2005 and is presently in pre-production to direct a documentary of the band Social Distortion.

[edit] Bullfighting

In the late 1990s Escalante took an interest in the sport of bullfighting, taking lessons in Mexico and performing as an amateur. This led to matador-themed artwork on the Vandals' 2000 album Look What I Almost Stepped In.... Escalante continues to take lessons and participate in the sport and is considered an amateur toreador.

[edit] Legal controversies with ex-bandmates

In 2003 ex-Vandals members Steven Jensen, Jan Nils Ackermann, Chalmer Lumary, and Steve Pfauter initiated legal actions against Escalante, alleging that he had mismanaged the band's back catalogue and had witheld royalties that were owed them.[2] They claimed that Escalante had misappropriated their intellectual property and had not paid them royalties due from the licensing of several early Vandals songs for use in commercials and films. Lawsuits ensued, resulting in an out-of-court settlement which left Escalante in control of the Vandals' back catalogue.

[edit] Radio hosting

In June of 2005 Escalante retired from legal practice after 12 years in the profession. During this time he also began hosting the call-in show Barely Legal Radio on the Los Angeles/Orange County radio station Indie 103.1 FM, where he dispensed entertainment and legal advice to aspiring musicians. In May of 2006 he became the station's drive-time morning show host, replacing former Mighty Mighty Bosstones singer Dicky Barrett.

[edit] Philosophical and political views

Escalante has mentioned in interviews that he is a Christian and attends church. He has been labeled by some contemporaries in the music community as a political and moral conservative, which has prompted some criticism from members of the punk community, traditionally known for its liberal values.

[edit] Works

[edit] Discography with the Vandals

[edit] Trivia

[edit] References

  1. ^ Steve Hochman. "Credit Theft or Just Bad Blood Between Vandals?," Los Angeles Times, 6 April 2003, sec. E, p. 43
  2. ^ Steve Hochman. "Credit Theft or Just Bad Blood Between Vandals?," Los Angeles Times, 6 April 2003, sec. E, p. 43

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[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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