| Thelonious Monster | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Years active | 1983–1994 2004–present |
| Associated acts | The Bicycle Thief, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, Fishbone, Porno For Pyros, The Nymphs |
Thelonious Monster is a post-punk rock band from Los Angeles, led by singer-songwriter Bob Forrest. Active from 1983 to 1994, and again since 2004, the band has released five original studio albums. Despite never achieving mainstream success, a number of largely popular acts cite them as influential.
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Members included Forrest on vocals; bass player Jon Huck, guitarists Chris Handsome, Dix Denney and Mike Martt, and drummer Pete Weiss. They were a popular live attraction in the underground rock clubs of Hollywood in the 1980s and put out a series of critically acclaimed albums, but never achieved major commercial success. Their name is a pun on jazz musician Thelonious Monk.[1]
In 1988, guitarist John Frusciante auditioned for Thelonious Monster but the Red Hot Chili Peppers were so impressed by Frusciante's musical ability that they ended up getting him to join their band.
After several years of sporadic activity and side projects by Forrest, Thelonious Monster reunited in 2004 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California and at the Sunset Junction Street Fair in Los Angeles, and released their first new album in 12 years. California Clam Chowder would feature guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, who was also a member of Forrest's short-lived band, The Bicycle Thief. Klinghoffer would eventually go on to replace John Frusciante in the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In 2009 Thelonious Monster reunited for their first shows in five years. The band played a show at The Echo in Los Angeles as a warm-up for dates on Warped Tour, and a show at Pappy And Harriet's in Pioneertown, California.
Former members of Thelonious Monster will be featured in the 2011 documentary Bob and the Monster, which details the life and career of Bob Forrest.