Stacked Like Pancakes

Stacked Like Pancakes

Stacked Like Pancakes performing in May 2016
Background information
Origin Towson, Maryland, United States
Genres Ska,[1] brass-rock,[2] rock[3]
Years active 2007-present
Labels None (Independent)
Website http://stackedlikepancakes.com
Members Kellen McKay
Zach Foote
Alec Leventis
Michael Busch
Andy Dawson
Kevin Goren
Will Lopez
Past members Andrew Baker

Stacked Like Pancakes (often abbreviated as SLP) is an American fourth-wave ska band from Towson, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. The band was founded in 2007 by singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist Kellen McKay, who is the sole original member currently in the band.[4] Other members include bass-trombonist Zach Foote, trumpeter Alec Leventis, guitarist Michael Busch, trombonist Andy Dawson, drummer Kevin Goren, and bassist Will Lopez.[4] They have two self-released albums including We're Not Insane (2011) and THIS IS US (2015).[5]

History

Formation and debut album (2007-2011)

"Frontman Kellen McKay started the band in 2007, eager to put a ska band together in Carroll County, Maryland where many hadn't heard of ska before." During this time, SLP had their "first performances at high-school battle of the bands, city festivals, and first show at a concert venue."[5] McKay also wrote the first original song for the band, "Mr. Sane," which was the first song on the 11-track album We're Not Insane released July 30, 2011.[6]

Towson University (2011-2015)

Stacked Like Pancakes had seen "a myriad of band members" while McKay was in high-school,[4] and underwent a major personnel change when he arrived at Towson University where he studied percussion.[7] Several of the current members of SLP were friends or acquaintances of McKay through Towson[4] where most of the members have earned their respective degrees.[8] Guitarist Michael Busch studied jazz, which gave him "the technical proficiency to do what I want on my instrument and translate that to this band" and a focus on the feeling of the music and his playing. McKay earned his degree in classical percussion performance, while also taking "composition, dance lessons and vocal training too. All of it culminates to a better understanding of music and better means of writing of good music." He describes his college career as a liberating experience, enabling him "to be a lot more creative, take more risks and be confident taking those risks with writing music."[2]

The band's activeness was sporadic and inconsistent while the members were focusing on their degrees, even stating "the Ravens won the Superbowl" in their 2013 biography highlights. Other highlights include raising $1,363 on their first Kickstarter campaign,[9] headlining festivals including Launch Music Festival, embarking on their first self-booked tour, opening up for Kid Cudi at Towson University Tigerfest, and winning the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands to perform at the Vans Warped Tour in 2014.[5]

THIS IS US (2015-present)

After two consecutive years appearing at Vans Warped Tour in 2014 and 2015, SLP has garnered recognition from festival producer Kevin Lyman, saying "If you are a fan of ska.. I think the fourth or fifth wave has started."[10] Independent blogs have also identified SLP as a "surprise act" for drawing large crowds and coming "ready to work...it would not be a crazy notion to believe that these guys may be on the whole tour next year for how much buzz they are getting."[11]

During Summer 2015, SLP launched and fully funded a Kickstarter campaign to raise $10,000.[8][12] They exceeded their goal, raising $10,848 total and donating $1,000 to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America.[4] They released that album on December 24, 2015 and held a sold-out CD release show in Baltimore on January 9, 2016.[5] From May 7 to May 21, SLP embarked on their self-booked and headlining Spring Tour supporting THIS IS US, spanning the East coast.[5]

Stacked Like Pancakes broke out of the Atlantic coast region with their first nationwide tour in Fall 2016 with artists Reel Big Fish and Masked Intruder.[13] In a review of their performance in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania during this tour, Stacked Like Pancakes was highly acclaimed as "a band that demands your attention from the very first note. They were so lively, coordinated their dance moves, and had an animated frontman who jumped from speakers and into crowds. They effortlessly got the audience to sing along with them, and had everyone wrapped around their fingers."[14] Stacked Like Pancakes was the only other ska band on the bill besides Reel Big Fish.[14]

On March 22, 2017, the Vans Warped Tour and Full Sail University announced that Stacked Like Pancakes will be performing on the tour from July 16 to August 6.[15] Stacked Like Pancakes performed at Full Sail University alongside Memphis May Fire, Bless the Fall, Microwave, and Jule Vera for the Vans Warped Tour Kickoff Party.[16] Immediately following the Kickoff show, SLP completed their Spring Break tour throughout the southeast United States, including shows opening up for Katchafire and Bowling for Soup.[17] In an interview with Infectious Magazine, Stacked Like Pancakes talked about their Warped Tour 2017 announcement and alluded to the release of a third album.[18]

Origin and meaning of "Stacked Like Pancakes"

When asked about the origin of the band name, McKay says "There is absolutely no meaning whatsoever. It was the result of 30 seconds of brainstorming upon the inception of the band, and we just stuck with it."[4] McKay elaborates in their biography:

'How did you come up with the name?' is definitely the question we’re asked the most when we play shows... I really like band names with catchy abbreviations and chant-able acronyms... S-L-P stays with people - especially because it's associated with a popular breakfast food... I’ve learned for myself that it doesn’t matter how deep of a meaning or back-story there is with your band name – what matters most is the quality of the music you create and the connections you make with the people who come out to shows to hear it. The band name is a part of the image, but creating good music and sharing an experience with [our audience] matters first and foremost.[5]

Reddit users also pointed out McKay's possible history[19] as an online gamer for the first-person shooter Counter-Strike,[20] where there was once a team called Stacked Like Pancakes.[21] When asked if the band ever thought about changing their name, they had already incorporated and "established it pretty well... so there was no going back."[4]

Musical style and influence

McKay grew up listening to ska before high school.[4] While their original inspirations developed from ska, SLP feels more comfortable identifying themselves as a brass-rock band[2] - a genre of which they made up.[22] Although some believe SLP is "reminiscent of what Reel Big Fish looked like in their early days,"[23] McKay has said the band internally believes they are "not so much a ska band anymore, even though we will still probably always have those influences in our music."[2]

Our roots are in ska and I fell in love with Reel Big Fish. I think when the band first started and I wrote that first album, I really wanted to be Reel Big Fish. So if you listen to the first album, the songs are ridiculous. But over time, as my admiration for different types of music grew, and I wrote the second album, it was my own personal discovery for what Stacked Like Pancakes should sound like... The lyrical content has been consistent and growing as things have happened in my life. It’s a ska movement with its roots there, but really rock is what’s coming out. I think we’ve kind of coined the term “brass rock.” It feels good to say that, but who cares what our genre is? We’re just going to keep writing music and keep playing whatever feels right.[18]

SLP lists their musical influences on their website as a band that reinvigorates "the sounds of classic ska," drawing from a multitude of bands such as "Reel Big Fish, twenty one pilots, Foo Fighters, Cage the Elephant, and an untraceable amount of other artists and genres."[5]

On the stage, SLP "piles on boisterous horns and punk rock attitude to create high energy music."[5]

Discography

Band members

References

  1. ↑ "Stacked Like Pancakes - "This Is Us". CD Baby.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Interview: Stacked Like Pancakes | Infectious Magazine". www.infectiousmagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  3. ↑ "Stacked Like Pancakes". iTunes Artist.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sun, Baltimore. "Singer of Towson's Stacked Like Pancakes on ska, touring and Reel Big Fish". Retrieved 2016-07-29.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Biography - Stacked Like Pancakes". Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  6. ↑ "We're Not Insane by Stacked Like Pancakes on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  7. ↑ "Musician, Composer, Entrepreneur - Kellen McKay". Kellen McKay. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  8. 1 2 Bradshaw, Megan (2015-05-08). "Stacked Like Pancakes looking to Kickstart studio album, Crohn’s disease research". News. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  9. ↑ "The Pancake Project". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  10. ↑ "Kevin Lyman on Twitter". Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  11. ↑ "16 Surprise Acts of Warped Tour 2015". babetalk.tv. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  12. ↑ "THIS IS US - A New Album supporting the CCFA". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  13. ↑ "Concert Review: Reel Big Fish "Turn Off the Radio 20th Anniversary Tour"". www.mediamikes.com. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
  14. 1 2 radio, About the Author Fally Afani Fally Afani is an award-winning journalist with a career spanning more than 15 years in media She has worked extensively in; television; newspapers; magazines; Email, more Twitter Facebook Instagram. "Photo Gallery: Reel Big Fish / PPL MVR / Stacked Like Pancakes". I Heart Local Music. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
  15. ↑ "Vans Warped Tour". Vans Warped Tour. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  16. ↑ Photopass Mag (2017-03-22), Vans Warped Tour 2017 Linup Announcement Preview, retrieved 2017-03-23
  17. ↑ "Stacked Like Pancakes". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  18. 1 2 "INTERVIEW: Stacked Like Pancakes – Daytona Beach, FL – Infectious Magazine". infectiousmagazine.com. Retrieved 2017-04-07.
  19. ↑ "Legit-Proof.com". legit-proof.com. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  20. ↑ "Stacked like Pancakes -- Money Sucks [Alternative/Acoustic] (2015) • /r/listentothis". reddit. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  21. ↑ "CEVO - Empowering Gamers, Growing Communities". CEVO. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  22. ↑ "Stacked Like Pancakes - The greatest brass-rock band to ever exist, because we made that genre up.". Stacked Like Pancakes. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  23. ↑ "Reel Big Fish celebrates 20th anniversary of ‘Turn the Radio Off’ at Aggie Theatre". Rocky Mountain Collegian. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
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