Hi-Fives
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The Hi-Fives is an American rock and roll band from the San Francisco Bay Area.
[edit] Members
- Chris Imlay -- Guitar and Vocals
- John Denery -- Guitar and vocals
- Jess Hilliard -- Bass guitar
- Julie -- Drums
- Evan Mendell (Mendel) -- Drums
- Steve Faine -- Bass Guitar
- Gary Gutfeld -- Drums
[edit] History
The band was formed in 1994 after drummer Al Sobrante left the previous incarnation, The Ne'er Do Wells. Sobrante was replaced by drummer Julie, formerly of Red #9. Julie remained with the band through the recording of the first Lookout! Records album Welcome To My Mind. The title track was a minor hit on college radio and modern rock stations.
Julie left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by Evan from Benicia. The band was asked to open for Green Day during the 1994 Dookie tour, along with Pansy Division. Evan left the band after the tour and was replaced by Danny Seelig from The Phantom Surfers.
The band won a category in the 1996 Bay Area Music Awards ("Bammies") for "Outstanding Alternative Pop/Rock Group" and embarked on a tour in the United States and Japan with the Mr. T Experience. While on U.S. tour with The Queers, Jess and Danny both quit the band onstage after a fight. They returned to record the second album And A Whole Lotta You, but both were soon replaced with Steve Faine, previously of Decal and The Stimmies; and Gary Gutfeld of Redemption 87.
The 1998 album Get Down followed but the band never quite recovered from the loss of Hilliard, who was really the heart and soul of the band. John Denery got married and moved to Hawaii, while Chris Imlay became an art director for such magazines as Gearhead and MacAddict. The band played a couple of shows in 2005, & is playing a show in January 2008 supporting the Mr. T Experience.
