Gabe Saporta

Gabe Saporta
Saporta in April 2011
Background information
Birth name	Gabriel Eduardo Saporta
Born	(1979-10-11) October 11, 1979
Origin	Montevideo, Uruguay
Genres	Synthpop, alternative dance, synth punk, dance-pop, pop punk, punk rock, alternative rock
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Decaydance, Fueled by Ramen
Associated acts	Cobra Starship, Midtown, Humble Beginnings
Website	gabesaporta.com

Gabriel Eduardo "Gabe" Saporta (born October 11, 1979) is an Uruguayan musician, he is the lead singer and primary creative force behind the synthpop band Cobra Starship. He was previously the lead singer, bassist, and lyricist for the pop punk band Midtown.

Cobra Starship is signed to the Decaydance record label. The band Cobra Starship released their second album ¡Viva La Cobra! on October 23, 2007. Their third album, Hot Mess, was released on August 11, 2009, and debuted at #4 on Billboard 200 albums chart with sales of more than 42,000.^{[citation needed]}

Early life

Gabe Saporta was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, the oldest child of Diego and Jeanette Saporta. His parents' families, both Jewish, immigrated to South America from Europe during World War II.^[1] Both his parents are Uruguayan, although his father's family is Sephardic from Spain, and his mother's family is from Austria.^[1] His family immigrated to the United States when he was four, settling in Queens, New York, where his father sold scarves on the street before going to medical school for seven years. When his father completed his education, the family relocated to Springfield, New Jersey when Saporta was 12.^[1][2] When Saporta was 15, his parents divorced and he moved in with his father.^[1]

Saporta attended the Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union in West Orange, New Jersey.^[3][4] He developed an interest in music at the age of eight. Saporta was greatly influenced by hip hop music and later discovered an affinity towards punk and hardcore punk, listening to bands such as Gorilla Biscuits, NOFX and Lagwagon. These bands influenced him greatly, and as a teenager, he adopted a straight edge lifestyle.^[5]

Of his teenage years, Saporta recalled, "I was pretty much just as obnoxious as I am now, but louder. I went against the grain a little bit, and you always get in trouble when you do that...Teachers hated me."^[5] He and his friends formed a band and performed locally.^[1] The concerts grew in popularity in his small town, until about 500 people would attend each week. Saporta then joined another band, Humble Beginnings. Saporta attended Rutgers University and majored in philosophy.^[1]

Career

Saporta was a vocalist, lyricist and bassist in the band Midtown. The group released one EP and three LP albums: The Sacrifice of Life, Save the World Lose the Girl, Living Well Is The Best Revenge and Forget What You Know, respectively. The group eventually disbanded in 2005, but still maintain a significant following.

After the breakup of Midtown, Saporta formed Cobra Starship in 2005 after taking a trip to the deserts of Arizona. During this time, Saporta went on a "vision quest", spending time with Native American tribes and smoking peyote.^[1] He began to create his vision for a new band, a melodic style of music heavily influenced by synthpop and hip-hop.^[1] Upon returning home, Saporta rented a house in the Catskill Mountains and began writing what would become the band's debut album, While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets. He posted a parody response to Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" titled "Hollaback Boy" on Myspace. The song gained Saporta notoriety on the internet and he eventually signed to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's label, Decaydance Records.^[6]

Midtown's management company soon set Saporta up with an opportunity to record a song for the soundtrack to the 2006 Snakes on a Plane. Along with members of The Academy Is..., Gym Class Heroes, and The Sounds, Saporta recorded "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)", which became a minor hit.^[7] During the recording of While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets, Saporta began recruiting new members to complete the group's lineup. He first enlisted drummer Nate Novarro, whom he met on tour while Novarro sold merchandise for fellow touring act Hidden in Plain View.^[1] After seeing Saporta in Entertainment Weekly, guitarist Ryland Blackinton and bassist Alex Suarez, who lived in the same apartment building as Midtown drummer Rob Hitt, emailed Saporta asking to join the group. The lineup was completed by keytarist Elisa Schwartz, who was later replaced by Victoria Asher.^[8]

The official line-up of Cobra Starship is Alex Suarez, Victoria Asher, Nate Novarro, and Ryland Blackinton. Victoria Asher replaced the group's original keytarist, Elisa Schwartz.

The group's second album, ¡Viva La Cobra!, was released on October 23, 2007. The album includes the hit song "Guilty Pleasure" (the video budget was spent on a sports car for the group so they made a 'home edition' video).

The third Cobra Starship studio album, titled Hot Mess, was released on August 11, 2009. The album includes the band's hit song "Good Girls Go Bad," which also features vocals by Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester, which was released digitally on May 11, 2009.

On October 21, 2009, Gabe Saporta and Cobra Starship took their first trip via a private jet,^[9] which the group Tweeted about enthusiastically. The trip was to Bloomington, Indiana, to attend a charity concert event at Indiana University, which also featured DJ Girl Talk. The event was Victoria's Secret's PINK Nation B-Town Bash, which took place on October 22, 2009 and benefited Middle Way House, a local shelter for victims of domestic violence. Indiana University students competed against five other institutions during the summer to host the event, which raised $5,000 for Middle Way House.^[10]

On June 5, 2010 Gabe appeared on MTV's When I Was 17, in which he discussed his lifestyle as a teenager. He made his acting debut in the finale of Gossip Girl's season 5.^[11]

In March 2013, Gabe featured on "Make It Out This Town", the first single by American rapper Eve's fourth album Lip Lock.

Personal life

Saporta is a vegetarian and an active member of PETA.^[12]

Saporta submitted his face for the "Faces of Mars" event for Thirty Seconds to Mars, and is now featured on one of the many different album covers of their third album This Is War.^[13]

Saporta stated in an interview for Alternative Press Magazine that he and his five year girlfriend, Bianca Dueñas, had called it quits in 2011. Saporta began dating fashion designer Erin Fetherston later that year. As of February 2013, the couple were engaged. On May 26, 2013, the couple married.

Saporta has a brother, Ricardo, as well as two step-siblings, Sarah and Erik.

Guest vocals

Gabe Saporta was featured on the songs:

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gabe Saporta.

• Gabe Saporta official website
• New York Times article about Gabe Saporta
• Gabe Saporta on Twitter