Conshafter

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Conshafter is an alternative rock band from Richmond, Virginia. Conshafter began with two rowing mates and friends from UNC-Chapel Hill, Dave Cykert and Chris Konstantinos, when they got together and began playing. During rowing competitions, they could not help but laugh at a fellow rower's name when he was called or announced, Conshafter; this young lad became the name basis for their band (not Cornshafter, as they were introduced as once by mistake).

The band was formed under the official name of Conshafter in 2000 with Chris Konstantinos performing lead vocals, Dave Cykert playing guitar and doing backing vocals, and Ben Vanderneck on bass. They recorded their first full length album, "your day job," in 2001 under their independent recording company, Dork Epiphany Recordings.

They followed that album with their more noticed "fear the underdog." in 2004 (which was also recorded under Dork Epiphany Recordings). By the time "fear the underdog." was being recorded, Rob Teague (who participated in a few of the songs in the first album) fully replaced Ben Vanderneck on bass and began to do some more backing vocals for many of the songs. Craig Nelson (also being a former part-time member) became the band's official drummer (although it is said that Conshafter has gone through 8 different drummers throughout its short career) as well as an off and on guitarist for a number of their songs. 2006 saw another lineup change as Travis Wilson (drums) and Sarah McCalla (bass, vocals) replaced Nelson and Teague permanently. Over 150 commercial & college radio stations have spun singles from Fear The Underdog. Veteran hip-hop producer Keith Shocklee, best known for his work with Public Enemy, recorded and produced the Conshafter song "Autopilot."

Around the time of the release of Fear the Underdog. Conshafter had entered a local Richmond radio station contest, the Y101 Rock Off (from local radio rock station WDYL-Y101) and won a slot in Richmond's Y101 Birthday Bash. Conshafter has played alongside The Kicks, Puddle of Mudd, The Killers, The Von Bondies, and HIM (band), among others.

The band has been mentioned in French, German, and Italian magazine articles. MTV's MADE has used three of their songs (Serotonin, Joey Ramone, and Maturity) in the "Surfer girl" and "BMX girl" episodes. The band was also selected for headlining NEMO Festival & MidPoint Music Festival. SPIN.com, the online version of Spin Magazine, featured Conshafter as "Artist of the Day" for December 13, 2006.

Conshafter's "Con-Man" logo appears on Weezer's Rivers Cuomo's guitar in the "Dope Nose" music video. John Heyn loved Conshafter's Heavy Metal Parking Lot (since he was the director of the independent film with the same name) so much that he decided to request use of it in his Heavy Metal Parking Lot DVD.

Conshafter has recently completed a music video with WideScreen Productions for their single "The Big Set-Up" and toured with Billionaire Boys Club, The Upwelling, Wheatus and Breaking Laces. The band's third full-length album, entitled "A Slow Drive Off a High Dive" is set to be released in January 2007.