The Stompers are a Massachusetts-based rock band that formed in East Boston, Massachusetts in 1977. The group formed after lead vocalist/guitarist Sal Baglio and drummer Mark Cuccinello were joined by Stephen Gilligan on bass and Dave Friedman on keyboards. On November 7, 1977, the band played their first gig in Beverly, Mass.
The newly formed group played in Boston area bars such as The Rathskeller and Jonathan Swift's. After toiling in a sweaty apartment, the group released its first vinyl single, 1978's Coast to Coast/I'm in Trouble on Double Eagle Records. The song was later used in the John Sayles movie Return of the Secaucus 7.
On January 3, 1979, The Stompers became one of the first unsigned acts to perform at The Paradise. The group performed to rave reviews and was even asked to appear at a return engagement. Boston radio station WCOZ featured The Stompers on a compilation called Best of Boston Beat Volume 1 with the group's song "This is Rock n Roll." By the end of 1979, The Stompers were the first unsigned act to appear on the cover of industry trade magazine Performance.
In 1980, The Stompers toured with both The Beach Boys and The J. Geils Band. The following year, the song Shutdown was featured on a second WCOZ compilation, Best of Boston Beat Volume 2, and via a fan ballot, earned them the right to compete in the "Rock to Riches" competition. After winning that competition, the band signed an album deal with Boardwalk Records. Unfortunately, Boardwalk Records filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which resulted in the group's self-titled album being delayed until 1983. The single, Never Tell an Angel, reached number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In July 1983, Cuccinello left the group and was replaced by drummer Lenny Shea and pianist Jeremy Brown. Polygram Records later acquired The Stompers in bankruptcy court and re-released the album under the title One Heart for Sale, including a single by the same title. The Stompers once again fell victim to a record label after Polygram fired their entire promotional staff and didn't pay the new promoters.
Despite the run-around from Polygram, in 1985 The Stompers released the single East Side Girl without major label promotion. The song's video was in heavy rotation for two months. Also, the songs Coast to Coast and Rock, Jump, and Holler were featured in the 1985 cult classic Fraternity Vacation.
In 1987, the bands' tenth anniversary concert was played at The Channel in Boston, Ma. and was featured in the documentary Live Your Dreams for Real. In 1990, The Stompers released a collection of previously unreleased material, Unfinished Business on Fast Track Records. The Stompers continued to perform live, including show's on Boston's City Hall Plaza, and released 1994's Greatest Hits...Live".
In 2000, The Stompers original lineup of Baglio, Gilligan, Friedman, Shea, and Brown, reunited and released the 21-song compliation Record Album. The following year, the group released two more albums, The Stompers (containing the original 1982 studio recordings) and Live Scrapbook 1979-1983. In 2009, "STOMPILATION" was released.
The soundtrack of Adam Sandler's Grown Ups (2010) includes the song "American Fun" during the ending credits.
Currently the band continues to perform a limited number of shows each year and will celebrate their 34th anniversary in November 2011.
The Stompers official website: [1]