Let's Go Bowling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Let's Go Bowling | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Origin |  California, United States |
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| Genre(s) | Ska punk | |
| Website | http://www.letsgobowling.com/ | |
Let's Go Bowling is a Third Wave Ska band hailing from the Greater San Joaquin Valley. Since the band's inception in 1986, the band's traditional ska style, barbershop harmonies, wisely crafted instrumentals, and its frantic live performances, helped set the standard for dress and culture for West Coast Ska, which in turn, set the groundwork for the Third Wave Movement in 1995.
Let's Go Bowling has shared the stage with many diverse musical acts, including Fishbone, No Doubt, Pearl Jam, Moe., Blues Traveler, David Byrne, The Skatalites, Reverend Horton Heat, the Young Dubliners, Shaggy, Steel Pulse, The Violent Femmes, and Busta Rhymes.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early history
It is hard to pinpoint exactly which was the first of the Third Wave Bands to emerge in the mid '80s. The clash between who were the "First" remains a topic of controversy to this day, but no one can deny that the roots of US Ska were deep on the West Coast. One such band, San Joaquin's Kyber Rifles, was founded by Mark Michel, who on bass, were playing shows and recording EPs as early as 1983. (Norwood Fisher credited Mark as being an influence on his playing in the 1980's.) This sound would become instrumental in bridging the gap between fellow musicians Darren Fletcher (a baseball standout at Selma High, nephew to Bobby Cox), Guitarist David Molina, Drummer Jason Ellam, Tenor Saxaphonist Dean Olmstead, Trumpeteer Jason Boyte, Trombonist Mark Berry, and frontman/trombonist David Weins. This was the nucleus of the Music To Bowl By era of Let's Go Bowling.
Music To Bowl By was recorded for Moon Ska Records in the winter of '89 - summer of '90. This captured the band at its pioneering stage, with emphasis on style and songwriting, unheard of in its current central valley contemporaries. (The Central Valley is home to some of the most influental Ska outfits of the later century, including Let's Go Bowling, as well as Kyber Rifles, Checkmate, and Los Hooligans). The band blended three part vocals, infused with a latin vibe, inherent in its frontman/vocalist David Molina. David Weins acted as the MC, as the boisterous trombone playing ruffian. "Music To Bowl By" is considered to be a Classic in all ska circles and a credit to the genre.
LGB, in support of their album, pressed for then-new label Moon Ska in NY, went out to tour, in support of their record, with labelmates that included The Toasters, Hepcat, Dance Hall Crashers, and the Slackers. Let's Go Bowling got the call to be the opening act for Bad Manners in 1991, which led to them being "the" chosen US opening band by all the original Two Tone acts, including The Specials, and The Selecter. After such success, the band disbanded briefly for a period of time, as members went their separate ways, to pursue other career avenues, leaving the band disfunct for a brief period of time in the early Nineties.
[edit] Mr Twist era
Mr. Twist was recorded the Summer '95 in Fresno, CA. With the help of Brian Dixon (The Aggrolites, Checkmate), the band went back to their old catalog, with such gems as "Hot-Buttered" "Mayhem," and the single "Spy Market," finding new life with a new line-up. The new line-up included Adam Lee (who, with Darren Fletcher, was briefly a part King Apparatus), Patrick Bush (a heavy influence on the new LGB sound), M. Rey DeLeon (trombonist prodigy, at the age of 18), and Gilbert Lopez on the tenor Saxophone. This also was the proper introduction of Paul Miskulin, who had replaced David Molina years prior, and had now had his forum to contribute his Soul-heavy, blues guitar to the already potent mix. This line-up of the band that would be the line-up to enjoy the most critical success of the band's career, in the Third Wave Explosion of 1996.
On the eve of the release of their second studio album in almost 5 years, LGB was dealt a tragic blow when news that original guitarist, David Molina, had died on December 27, 1995. The band, which included Javy Molina, David's brother, were about embark on a 6 week independent tour of the US.
On this tour, the support act was No Doubt. By the end of the tour and LGB's arrival on its home turf of Fresno, CA, "I'm Just A Girl" was breaking the radio airwaves for the first time. Things started to happen fast, and the new band had to act quickly, recruiting lead guitarist Lincoln Barr, formerley of the Santa Rosa Ska outfit The Conspiracy, which gave them a much needed edge in the guitar department.
In the summer of 1996, LGB released the single "Spy Market", which the video for was in heavy rotation on the new rock affiliate, MTV2, and was prominently featured on a special for MTV's 120 minutes, entitled "The Third Wave". Along with the Toasters, Let's Go Bowling was then dubbed, on national television, one of the flagship bands of the genre. The energy at the shows, from the audience and the band itself, was at an all time high.
The band was touring the US as a headlining band, whose national prominence had given them greater control over their live shows and opening acts. Ska was exploding in the West, where Sublime and No Doubt had become KROQ darlings. The OC, home to Reel Big Fish, Save Ferris, and The Aquabats (with the then unknown Travis Barker on Drums). Let's Go Bowling was the original West Coast ska band, and enjoyed the laurels bestowed upon them by these bands, who had cited Let's Go Bowling as an influence in interviews, and also in record releases (No Doubt thanked LGB in their release of "Tragic Kingdom").
LGB, whose tourmates included The Specials, Bad Manners, and The Selecter, hooked up with swing auters Cherry Poppin' Daddies, for a tour of the US in 1997. It was at this time, that the Ska explosion had opened the door for the Swing Scene, which included the Daddies, who recruited M. Rey DeLeon as a touring Trombonist, and Tom Mattot, who was the LGB soundman since '93, and an Oregon native, as their Front Of House Soundman.
[edit] Freeway Lanes era
With things really going on, Let's Go Bowling released a live record for Asian Man Records (Mike Park's Skankin' Pickle label) entitled Freeway Lanes. This captured the band at its most innovative, with the band performing freely, and capturing golden moments of interaction between the band, and its beloved scene. It is at this time, that the band started to become more free form, and detached with the rigidness of its structure, and would routinely stretch out its Skatalite covers into 15 minute episodic affairs. M.Rey's solos over "Man In The Street" and "The Reburial of Marcus Garvey" were highly innovative in its use of delay to create a richochet of brass, inpsired by Dub music. These solos would extend, and lend themselves to Gilbert Lopez's Tenor Saxophone innuendoes, forming huge, parallel, harmonic ideas, completely improvised, and helped break down the barriers of what could be done within a previously stale, formulatic ska medium. Also included were tributes to its predecessors The Untouchables' "Live and Let Dance" and The Equators' "More Than A Person". Also included is a composition by 20 year old M. Rey DeLeon, entitled "Sock Monkey March", a blistering and ominous march, intended to be a send up of old Esquivel compositions, and an ode to their manager, Richard "Cord" Burke (Who some say resembles a sock monkey in flight).
LGB toured in support of their live record as part of The Spirit of Unity tour, sponsored by Teva, whose tourmates included Steel Pulse, Ghetto Youth (the Marley kids), Buju Banton, Beres Hammond, Third World, and Shaggy.
In 1998, Let's Go Bowling was the opening act for both The Reverend Horton Heat and for the reunion tour of Men At Work, playing to packed houses all around the U.S.
Let's Go Bowling, feeling the imminent pressure to release a follow up to Mr. Twist, amidst the great success of its contemporaries, recruited Stoker (drummer for Dexy's Midnight Runners & General Public, and producer for Hepcat and Ice Cube) to man the boards of its first release for its brand new label, Liberation Records. To conform to a more radio friendly sound, the band recruited Glen Parrish, a Fresno musician about town, to become its third lead vocalist and lead guitarist. The collaboration of the entire band, with Adam Lee providing a healthy dose of new punk infused material, and Patrick Bush lending his Dub sensibilites to the mix, with the "radio" pop stylings of Parrish, and the Blues heavy, vegas-inspired soul of Miskulin. Lincoln Barr left the band to tour with Neville Staples of The Specials, and M. Rey DeLeon, left the band to pursue his music career in Los Angles. The band was at a creative clash, and within that confusion, Stay Tuned was released. The album was met with mixed reviews, and was met with harsh cirticism from their original "True Tone" fan base.
Let's Go Bowling still plays its traditional material for its still adoring fans. LGB assembled a Sweet 16th for its anniversary in March 2003, which played host to a Central Valley scooter rally, in its honor. The band still has original members Darren Fletcher and Mark Michel, as well as LGB founding member Dean Olmstead, and longtime members Patrick Bush, Paul Miskulin, and Adam Lee.
[edit] Band members
Founding Members
- Darren Fletcher (1986-present) Keyboards/Vocals
- Mark Michel (1986-present) Bass/Vocals
Guitarist/Vocalist
- David Molina (1986-1992)
- Paul Miskulin (1993-present)
- Glen Parrish (1998-present)
Lead Guitarist
- Chris Ridge (1994-1995)
- Lincoln Barr (1996-1998)
Saxophones
- Martin Stuart (1986-1991) Alto
- Dean Olmstead (1988-1992, 2000-present) Tenor
- Gilbert Lopez (1993-1998) Tenor
- Dakota - (1998)
- Erik Dvorak (1994-present) Baritone
Trumpet
- Pete Nicholson (1986-1987)
- Dan Dorval (1987-1988)
- Jason Boyte (1988-1992)
- Patrick Bush (1993-present)
Trombone
- Mark Berry (1986-1991)
- Geoff Belau (1987-1988)
- David Weins (1987-1994)
- M. Rey DeLeon (1995-2000)
- Robert Ruffner (2001-present)
Drums
- Jerry Mora (1986-1988)
- Jason Ellam (1988-1992)
- Scott Abels (1992)
- Adam Sebastian Lee (1993-present) Bass(1991-1992)
Co-Frontman
- Javier Molina (1986-1988, 1996)
[edit] Discography
- Music To Bowl By (1991)
- "Does The Spiral Live" 1995
- Mr. Twist (1996)
- Freeway Lanes (1998)
- Stay Tuned (2004)
