Descendents (band)
Encyclopedia
The Descendents are an American punk rock
band from Hermosa Beach, California
. As of 2011, they have released six studio album
s, three live album
s, three compilation album
s and three EP
s. The Descendents broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different musicians. The band's current lineup is singer Milo Aukerman
, guitarist Stephen Egerton, bassist Karl Alvarez
and drummer Bill Stevenson.
, bassist Tony Lombardo
and drummer Bill Stevenson. Their first release—the only one with this lineup—was the new wavish
single "Ride the Wild"/"It's a Hectic World".
In 1980 they enlisted Stevenson's old schoolfriend Milo Aukerman
as a singer, and reappeared as a punk band, becoming a major player in the hardcore scene developing in Los Angeles at the time. Their first release with Aukerman, 1981's Fat EP, was a furious six-minute barrage of teen angst and humour, featuring such songs as "My Dad Sucks" and the eleven-second "Weinerschnitzel".
Their debut album the following year, Milo Goes to College
, was more melodic than many other hardcore records of the time. They sang about being (and wanting to be) rejected ("I'm Not A Loser", "I Wanna Be A Bear", "Parents"), girls ("Hope", "Myage", "Marriage", "Kabuki Girl"), fishing ("Catalina"), and other emotionally sensitive subjects. Songwriting was shared among the band members.
, while Bill Stevenson became the drummer for Black Flag
. The Descendents did not record again until 1985 with the album I Don't Want to Grow Up
. Much of the song-writing on this LP was much more sensitive than the band's earlier records, despite being peppered by songs such as "Pervert" and "No FB".
The band's lineup changed during the recording of I Don't Want to Grow Up. Navetta departed to become a fisherman in Oregon
, and Lombardo left because touring was incompatible with his career as a postal carrier. Ray Cooper, who had originally replaced Milo as vocalist, then replaced Navetta on guitar upon Milo's return, and Doug Carrion
(formerly of ANTI
) replaced Lombardo on bass.
Enjoy!, their next album (released in 1986) was not well received by critics. It was a mix of silly songs ("Enjoy", "Kids", "Orgofart", etc.), and emotional, mature songs such as "Get The Time" and a cover of "Wendy" by the Beach Boys. The band even experimented with thrash metal
on "Hürtin' Crüe".
After the Enjoy! tour, Ray Cooper got a job working in the emerging software scene and Doug Carrion left for other projects, eventually ending up in Dag Nasty
. Stevenson invited Stephen Egerton and Karl Alvarez
of Salt Lake City
's Massacre Guys to replace them, and the now permanent lineup of the Descendents was in place.
With the release of All, the Descendents introduced to the world the driving concept behind their career's work, from which the album derives its title, the philosophy of ALL. The song ALL was actually written at the time of the philosophy's conception around 1980, in the midst of the song-writing fury that produced a number of the tunes from the "Fat" EP, including "I Like Food." Stevenson co-wrote these songs with best friend/fishing buddy/Descendents "Fifth Member," Pat McQuiston. The two came up with the concept while working a late night on the water, and fishing and coffee (Enjoy's "Kids" and Everything Sucks's "Coffee Mug") remained themes for Descendents songs and spiritual aids in the quest for ALL, which they define quite conventionally as "the total extent." The idea of ALL as a concept beyond this conventional definition is one of endless self improvement. "The total extent" is an all-encompassing greatness, the pursuit of which is endless and impossible, but which is also the source of all real happiness. Thus, "No, All!," speaks to the fruits of this "endless quest," and "happiness is the pursuit of ALL" is the viable credo which is often lost in the midst of the Descendents' slightly more conventional dual-motif of off-beat humor and girls.
(later replaced by Scott Reynolds, who was followed by Chad Price) and reformed under the name All
, and continued the legacy until 1995, when they reformed again with Milo Aukerman, now a full-time research biochemist, to record and tour in support of the album Everything Sucks
, a bit of a return to their early-80s punk style (with Frank Navetta and Tony Lombardo making appearances on "Dog House" and "Eunuch Boy"). A reunion of sorts occurred at All
's quasi-annual Stockage
festival in Fort Collins
, Colorado
, in the spring of 2002. Frank Navetta joined Tony Lombardo and Bill Stevenson to play songs from when they were a trio, before Aukerman joined the group.
EP and their newest full length Cool to Be You
, which is among their more emotional releases to date. Containing songs not just about the regular Descendents lyrical themes, but also political commentary ("'Merican") and a more mature view on relationships, ("Talking", "Anchor Grill") and break-ups ("She Don't Care").
Until 2010, the future of the Descendents was uncertain, as the Descendents now are scattered all across the country. Aukerman apparently is living in Newark, Delaware
, Stevenson and Alvarez live in Fort Collins and Egerton lives with family in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. Stevenson currently runs The Blasting Room
recording studio in Fort Collins while Egerton hones his recording chops at Armstrong Recording Studio in Tulsa. 'Merican's "I Quit" leaves only question marks as to whether Milo will ever return again to record or tour with the Descendents. Meanwhile, All remains dormant with two albums left on the back burners as works in progress. Bill Stevenson is drumming for his new band, Only Crime as well as an outings with bassist Alvarez in The Last and Evan Dando's Lemonheads.
The Descendents had collaborated with Vans
in mid-2006 to create a Descendents signature shoe.
In November 2006, Tony Hawks Downhill Jam was released for Nintendo
's Wii
console sporting a rerecorded version of the song "Myage", originally released on the Descendent's debut album, "Milo Goes to College." This has raised more questions as to the band's recording of a new album, as it was supposedly recorded in 2006. According to the forum administrator of DescendentsOnline.com, the band's official website, "we initially planned to use the original version of myage, but as the deadline grew near, and for whatever reason, SST Records
had not responded to the Tony Hawk
people's inquiries about using the original, Bill put this new version together just in time using Milo's vocals compiled from various alternate recordings of "Myage" that we had on hand, and Bill just playing everything else himself, due to the deadline." All instruments on this version were performed by Bill Stevenson.
In October 2008, founding member Frank Navetta died after "becoming ill over the course of a few days".
As of August 2010, according to their official website, the Descendents have reunited again and will be playing one show in Austin, TX, in November and three shows in Australia in December on the No Sleep Til Festival
. It was the band's first Australian visit.
On October 29, 2010, Transmission Entertainment announced that the Descendents would be headlining the 5th annual Fun Fun Fun Fest
in Austin
Texas
November 5–7, 2010.
The band was booked to replace the Sunday headlining spot previously held by Devo
, who had to cancel due to injuries to guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh
.
On November 17, 2010 it was announced that the Descendents have been confirmed to play the Groezrock Festival-2011. The festival will take place in Gestel, a part of Meerhout, Belgium. The event is set for April 22 & 23. The Belgian festival is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2011. The Descendents will also be playing two shows in England at the Sheperd's Bush Empire on the 25 and 26 April, which will be their first visit to the UK since the "Everything Sucks" tour.
On December 19, 2010 Descendents played an historic set at Brisbane's RNA Showgrounds. Aukerman's voice had blown out after performing the previous two shows on the No Sleep Til Tour. To help with vocals, the band invited Fat Mike and Eric Melvin
of NOFX
, Matt Skiba
and Derek Grant
of Alkaline Trio
, Al Barr
of Dropkick Murphy's, Jay Whalley and Tom Crease of Frenzal Rhomb
and Descendents road manager Jason Allen to help sing some songs, the fans dubbed it All Star Punk Karaoke and Descendents Karaoke. Aukerman also crowd surfed and let members of the audience sing. The band then proceeded to play an encore of two Black Flag
songs (Nervous Breakdown and Jealous Again) with Alvarez on vocals, Aukerman on bass, Stevenson on guitar and Egerton on drums.
It was announced that the Descendents would play at the Long Beach Arena opening for Rise Against
. This show was the band's first performance in the Los Angeles area since 1997. The line-up for the show was be Four Year Strong
opening, with the Descendents as the main support for Bad Religion
and Rise Against. The band was confirmed to be playing the 2011 Riot Fest Festival in Chicago, IL.
The Descendents played New York's Roseland Ballroom on Friday, September 23 and Philadelphia's Riot Fest on September 24, 2011.
Asked in October 2011 whether the Descendents will record new material, drummer Bill Stevenson
replied, "We've always got new songs; the big question is, when we are going to have time to do that, just because this year we are playing about 18 shows." In the same interview, vocalist Milo Aukerman
said, "Basically, I have limited amount of time I can do it, vacation days basically. Any recording we do would be at the expense of shows, so it's kind of one of these things like, well do you want to do more shows or do you want to sit down in a room and record? At some point, we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it, but for now we are just enjoying the shows so much. We do all have songs, I have written a few and I've never been that big of a songwriter, so if I can come up with two or three I'm pretty happy."
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band from Hermosa Beach, California
Hermosa Beach, California
Hermosa Beach is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,506 at the 2010 census, up from 18,566 at the 2000 census....
. As of 2011, they have released six studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s, three live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
s, three compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s and three EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s. The Descendents broke up and reformed several times over the years, sometimes with different musicians. The band's current lineup is singer Milo Aukerman
Milo Aukerman
Milo Aukerman is an American singer, songwriter and research biochemist. Aukerman is perhaps most widely known for being the lead singer of the early Los Angeles area punk rock band the Descendents, a group widely considered to be pioneers of modern "pop punk"...
, guitarist Stephen Egerton, bassist Karl Alvarez
Karl Alvarez
Karl Matthew Alvarez is the bass guitar player for both the Descendents and All, the band that resulted after the Descendents disbanded again in 1987....
and drummer Bill Stevenson.
Early years (1978-1983)
The Descendents were formed in 1978 by guitarist Frank NavettaFrank Navetta
Frank Navetta was a guitarist for the Southern California punk rock band Descendents. He was part of the band's original lineup and played with the band for six years. He formed the Descendents with Tony Lombardo and Bill Stevenson in 1979 and released the single "Ride the Wild"/"It's a Hectic...
, bassist Tony Lombardo
Tony Lombardo
Tony Lombardo was the bassist with the pioneering punk rock band Descendents between 1978 and 1985. Lombardo was part of the original Descendents lineup with guitarist Frank Navetta and drummer Bill Stevenson.-Early years with Descendents:...
and drummer Bill Stevenson. Their first release—the only one with this lineup—was the new wavish
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
single "Ride the Wild"/"It's a Hectic World".
In 1980 they enlisted Stevenson's old schoolfriend Milo Aukerman
Milo Aukerman
Milo Aukerman is an American singer, songwriter and research biochemist. Aukerman is perhaps most widely known for being the lead singer of the early Los Angeles area punk rock band the Descendents, a group widely considered to be pioneers of modern "pop punk"...
as a singer, and reappeared as a punk band, becoming a major player in the hardcore scene developing in Los Angeles at the time. Their first release with Aukerman, 1981's Fat EP, was a furious six-minute barrage of teen angst and humour, featuring such songs as "My Dad Sucks" and the eleven-second "Weinerschnitzel".
Their debut album the following year, Milo Goes to College
Milo Goes to College
Milo Goes to College is the debut album by the Manhattan Beach, California-based punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1982 through New Alliance Records...
, was more melodic than many other hardcore records of the time. They sang about being (and wanting to be) rejected ("I'm Not A Loser", "I Wanna Be A Bear", "Parents"), girls ("Hope", "Myage", "Marriage", "Kabuki Girl"), fishing ("Catalina"), and other emotionally sensitive subjects. Songwriting was shared among the band members.
First hiatus and reformation (1984-1986)
Milo Aukerman really was off to college, embarking on an education that would take him as far as a doctorate in biochemistryBiochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, while Bill Stevenson became the drummer for Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
. The Descendents did not record again until 1985 with the album I Don't Want to Grow Up
I Don't Want to Grow Up
I Don't Want to Grow Up is the second album by the Manhattan Beach, California-based punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1985 through New Alliance Records...
. Much of the song-writing on this LP was much more sensitive than the band's earlier records, despite being peppered by songs such as "Pervert" and "No FB".
The band's lineup changed during the recording of I Don't Want to Grow Up. Navetta departed to become a fisherman in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and Lombardo left because touring was incompatible with his career as a postal carrier. Ray Cooper, who had originally replaced Milo as vocalist, then replaced Navetta on guitar upon Milo's return, and Doug Carrion
Doug Carrion
From the moment Doug Carrions mom took him to the legendary Light House in Hermosa Beach, California to see Jazz for the first time at the age of 9, his passion became music. He taught himself to play guitar and began his career in music as a musician - playing in underground favorites such as...
(formerly of ANTI
Anti
Anti may refer to:* Anti , the ferryman who carried Isis to Set's island in Egyptian mythology* Anti, or Campa, a tribe of South American Indians* ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival, a yearly international live-art festival held in Kuopio, Finland...
) replaced Lombardo on bass.
Enjoy!, their next album (released in 1986) was not well received by critics. It was a mix of silly songs ("Enjoy", "Kids", "Orgofart", etc.), and emotional, mature songs such as "Get The Time" and a cover of "Wendy" by the Beach Boys. The band even experimented with thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
on "Hürtin' Crüe".
After the Enjoy! tour, Ray Cooper got a job working in the emerging software scene and Doug Carrion left for other projects, eventually ending up in Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty was a Washington D.C. punk band formed in 1985 by guitarist Brian Baker of Minor Threat, drummer Colin Sears and bassist Roger Marbury, both of Bloody Mannequin Orchestra, and vocalist Shawn Brown...
. Stevenson invited Stephen Egerton and Karl Alvarez
Karl Alvarez
Karl Matthew Alvarez is the bass guitar player for both the Descendents and All, the band that resulted after the Descendents disbanded again in 1987....
of Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
's Massacre Guys to replace them, and the now permanent lineup of the Descendents was in place.
All (1987)
The group released All in (1987), which, despite "Van", "ALL-O-Gistics" and the one-second "All", was the Descendents most mature 1980s album, and featured emotional songs such as "Coolidge", "Cameage" and "Clean Sheets". This would be the band's final album before their seven-year hiatus. On the reunion tour, the band that five years before had claimed that they "couldn't sell out a telephone booth" were selling out nearly every show.With the release of All, the Descendents introduced to the world the driving concept behind their career's work, from which the album derives its title, the philosophy of ALL. The song ALL was actually written at the time of the philosophy's conception around 1980, in the midst of the song-writing fury that produced a number of the tunes from the "Fat" EP, including "I Like Food." Stevenson co-wrote these songs with best friend/fishing buddy/Descendents "Fifth Member," Pat McQuiston. The two came up with the concept while working a late night on the water, and fishing and coffee (Enjoy's "Kids" and Everything Sucks's "Coffee Mug") remained themes for Descendents songs and spiritual aids in the quest for ALL, which they define quite conventionally as "the total extent." The idea of ALL as a concept beyond this conventional definition is one of endless self improvement. "The total extent" is an all-encompassing greatness, the pursuit of which is endless and impossible, but which is also the source of all real happiness. Thus, "No, All!," speaks to the fruits of this "endless quest," and "happiness is the pursuit of ALL" is the viable credo which is often lost in the midst of the Descendents' slightly more conventional dual-motif of off-beat humor and girls.
Second hiatus and reformation (1988-2003)
Milo left after the back-to-back "All" and "Finall" tours in 1987 and the remaining Descendents reformed with singer Dave SmalleyDave Smalley
Not to be confused with Dave Smalley Dave Smalley is an American musician, best known as the punk bands DYS, Dag Nasty, All and singer/guitarist with Down By Law. He is known for his influence on pop punk music and his early contributions to the emo genre...
(later replaced by Scott Reynolds, who was followed by Chad Price) and reformed under the name All
ALL (band)
All is an American punk band originally from Los Angeles, currently residing in Fort Collins, Colorado, formed by Descendents members Bill Stevenson, Karl Alvarez, and Stephen Egerton.-Formation and Cruz Records Years:...
, and continued the legacy until 1995, when they reformed again with Milo Aukerman, now a full-time research biochemist, to record and tour in support of the album Everything Sucks
Everything Sucks (Descendents album)
Everything Sucks is the fifth studio album by the punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1996 through Epitaph Records. It was their first album of new studio material since 1987's All, after which singer Milo Aukerman had left the band to pursue a career in biochemistry...
, a bit of a return to their early-80s punk style (with Frank Navetta and Tony Lombardo making appearances on "Dog House" and "Eunuch Boy"). A reunion of sorts occurred at All
ALL (band)
All is an American punk band originally from Los Angeles, currently residing in Fort Collins, Colorado, formed by Descendents members Bill Stevenson, Karl Alvarez, and Stephen Egerton.-Formation and Cruz Records Years:...
's quasi-annual Stockage
Stockage
The Stockage Festival was originally a day of rock held April 13, 2002 in Fort Collins, Colorado, with members of the punk bands Descendents, ALL, and Black Flag. The event featured performances by the original three-piece Descendants line-up and a performances from seminal Southern California band...
festival in Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, in the spring of 2002. Frank Navetta joined Tony Lombardo and Bill Stevenson to play songs from when they were a trio, before Aukerman joined the group.
Recent history (2004-present)
In 2004 the band released the 'Merican'Merican
Merican is an EP by the punk rock band the Descendents, released February 10, 2004. It was the band's first release for Fat Wreck Chords and served as a pre-release to their sixth studio album Cool to Be You, released the following month...
EP and their newest full length Cool to Be You
Cool to Be You
Cool to Be You is the sixth studio album by the punk rock band the Descendents, released in 2004 through Fat Wreck Chords. It was their first album of new studio material since 1996's Everything Sucks, which had been released through Epitaph Records...
, which is among their more emotional releases to date. Containing songs not just about the regular Descendents lyrical themes, but also political commentary ("'Merican") and a more mature view on relationships, ("Talking", "Anchor Grill") and break-ups ("She Don't Care").
Until 2010, the future of the Descendents was uncertain, as the Descendents now are scattered all across the country. Aukerman apparently is living in Newark, Delaware
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
, Stevenson and Alvarez live in Fort Collins and Egerton lives with family in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. Stevenson currently runs The Blasting Room
Blasting Room
The Blasting Room is a recording studio in Fort Collins, Colorado, built by members of Descendents, ALL, and Black Flag, including punk drummer Bill Stevenson....
recording studio in Fort Collins while Egerton hones his recording chops at Armstrong Recording Studio in Tulsa. 'Merican's "I Quit" leaves only question marks as to whether Milo will ever return again to record or tour with the Descendents. Meanwhile, All remains dormant with two albums left on the back burners as works in progress. Bill Stevenson is drumming for his new band, Only Crime as well as an outings with bassist Alvarez in The Last and Evan Dando's Lemonheads.
The Descendents had collaborated with Vans
Vans
Vans is an American based manufacturer of sneakers, skateboarding shoes, BMX shoes, snowboarding boots and other shoe types.- History :On March 16, 1966, at 704 E. Broadway, in Anaheim, California, brothers Paul Van Doren, James Van Doren, and three other partners opened up their first store...
in mid-2006 to create a Descendents signature shoe.
In November 2006, Tony Hawks Downhill Jam was released for Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
console sporting a rerecorded version of the song "Myage", originally released on the Descendent's debut album, "Milo Goes to College." This has raised more questions as to the band's recording of a new album, as it was supposedly recorded in 2006. According to the forum administrator of DescendentsOnline.com, the band's official website, "we initially planned to use the original version of myage, but as the deadline grew near, and for whatever reason, SST Records
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment...
had not responded to the Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
people's inquiries about using the original, Bill put this new version together just in time using Milo's vocals compiled from various alternate recordings of "Myage" that we had on hand, and Bill just playing everything else himself, due to the deadline." All instruments on this version were performed by Bill Stevenson.
In October 2008, founding member Frank Navetta died after "becoming ill over the course of a few days".
As of August 2010, according to their official website, the Descendents have reunited again and will be playing one show in Austin, TX, in November and three shows in Australia in December on the No Sleep Til Festival
No Sleep Til Festival
The No Sleep Til Festival was a music festival that was held across Australia and New Zealand in December 2010. The Festival was headlined by Megadeth, who played their album Rust in Peace in its entirety. Other bands included were NOFX, Dropkick Murphys, and Parkway Drive...
. It was the band's first Australian visit.
On October 29, 2010, Transmission Entertainment announced that the Descendents would be headlining the 5th annual Fun Fun Fun Fest
Fun Fun Fun Fest
Fun Fun Fun Fest is an annual music festival held in Austin, Texas. Started in 2006, the festival brings together many progressive and underground musicians with a focus on indie rock, punk rock/hardcore, and hip hop/DJ....
in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
November 5–7, 2010.
The band was booked to replace the Sunday headlining spot previously held by Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, who had to cancel due to injuries to guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh
Bob Mothersbaugh
Robert Leroy "Bob" Mothersbaugh, Jr.,, or "Bob 1", is the lead guitar player and occasional vocalist for Devo and younger brother of lead vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh...
.
On November 17, 2010 it was announced that the Descendents have been confirmed to play the Groezrock Festival-2011. The festival will take place in Gestel, a part of Meerhout, Belgium. The event is set for April 22 & 23. The Belgian festival is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2011. The Descendents will also be playing two shows in England at the Sheperd's Bush Empire on the 25 and 26 April, which will be their first visit to the UK since the "Everything Sucks" tour.
On December 19, 2010 Descendents played an historic set at Brisbane's RNA Showgrounds. Aukerman's voice had blown out after performing the previous two shows on the No Sleep Til Tour. To help with vocals, the band invited Fat Mike and Eric Melvin
Eric Melvin
Eric Scott Melvin is an American musician and the rhythm guitarist in the California punk band NOFX. He has been in the band from its beginnings in the early 1980s to the present day. Eric has been known for his dreadlocks that vary in color each time NOFX performs...
of NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
, Matt Skiba
Matt Skiba
Matthew Thomas Skiba is the lead singer and guitarist of Alkaline Trio.-Early life and family:...
and Derek Grant
Derek Grant
Derek Grant is the drummer for punk band Alkaline Trio, where he replaced Mike Felumlee. He was previously a member of The Suicide Machines, Telegraph, Gyga, Thoughts of Ionesco, Remainder, Walls of Jericho, The Exceptions and Broken Spoke, a side band with Royce Nunley and Jay Navarro...
of Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band that formed in McHenry, Illinois, in 1996. The band's line-up consists of Matt Skiba , Dan Andriano , and Derek Grant...
, Al Barr
Al Barr
Alexander Martin "Al" Barr is the lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys. He was also a founder and lead singer for The Bruisers, which he helped form in 1988 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. His first band circa 1984, was called D.V.A....
of Dropkick Murphy's, Jay Whalley and Tom Crease of Frenzal Rhomb
Frenzal Rhomb
Frenzal Rhomb are an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1992 with mainstay Jason Whalley on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. In 1996, Lindsay McDougall joined the line-up on lead guitar and backing vocals. Two of the group's albums have peaked into the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Chart, A...
and Descendents road manager Jason Allen to help sing some songs, the fans dubbed it All Star Punk Karaoke and Descendents Karaoke. Aukerman also crowd surfed and let members of the audience sing. The band then proceeded to play an encore of two Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
songs (Nervous Breakdown and Jealous Again) with Alvarez on vocals, Aukerman on bass, Stevenson on guitar and Egerton on drums.
It was announced that the Descendents would play at the Long Beach Arena opening for Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
. This show was the band's first performance in the Los Angeles area since 1997. The line-up for the show was be Four Year Strong
Four Year Strong
Four Year Strong is an American pop punk band from Worcester, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jackson Massucco...
opening, with the Descendents as the main support for Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
and Rise Against. The band was confirmed to be playing the 2011 Riot Fest Festival in Chicago, IL.
The Descendents played New York's Roseland Ballroom on Friday, September 23 and Philadelphia's Riot Fest on September 24, 2011.
Asked in October 2011 whether the Descendents will record new material, drummer Bill Stevenson
Bill Stevenson
John William "Bill" Stevenson is an American musician and record producer. He is the drummer and frequent songwriter for the California punk rock group Descendents. In late December 1981 he played a few concerts with Black Flag because their drummer ROBO was detained in England after a tour there...
replied, "We've always got new songs; the big question is, when we are going to have time to do that, just because this year we are playing about 18 shows." In the same interview, vocalist Milo Aukerman
Milo Aukerman
Milo Aukerman is an American singer, songwriter and research biochemist. Aukerman is perhaps most widely known for being the lead singer of the early Los Angeles area punk rock band the Descendents, a group widely considered to be pioneers of modern "pop punk"...
said, "Basically, I have limited amount of time I can do it, vacation days basically. Any recording we do would be at the expense of shows, so it's kind of one of these things like, well do you want to do more shows or do you want to sit down in a room and record? At some point, we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it, but for now we are just enjoying the shows so much. We do all have songs, I have written a few and I've never been that big of a songwriter, so if I can come up with two or three I'm pretty happy."
Discography
Studio albums- Milo Goes to CollegeMilo Goes to CollegeMilo Goes to College is the debut album by the Manhattan Beach, California-based punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1982 through New Alliance Records...
(1982) - I Don't Want to Grow UpI Don't Want to Grow UpI Don't Want to Grow Up is the second album by the Manhattan Beach, California-based punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1985 through New Alliance Records...
(1985) - Enjoy! (1986)
- All (1987)
- Everything SucksEverything Sucks (Descendents album)Everything Sucks is the fifth studio album by the punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1996 through Epitaph Records. It was their first album of new studio material since 1987's All, after which singer Milo Aukerman had left the band to pursue a career in biochemistry...
(1996) - Cool to Be YouCool to Be YouCool to Be You is the sixth studio album by the punk rock band the Descendents, released in 2004 through Fat Wreck Chords. It was their first album of new studio material since 1996's Everything Sucks, which had been released through Epitaph Records...
(2004)
Band members
| 1979 "Ride the Wild" / "It's a Hectic World" |
|
|---|---|
| 1980–82 Fat EP Milo Goes to College Milo Goes to College Milo Goes to College is the debut album by the Manhattan Beach, California-based punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1982 through New Alliance Records... |
Milo Aukerman Milo Aukerman is an American singer, songwriter and research biochemist. Aukerman is perhaps most widely known for being the lead singer of the early Los Angeles area punk rock band the Descendents, a group widely considered to be pioneers of modern "pop punk"... – vocals |
| 1982–83 |
|
| 1985–86 I Don't Want to Grow Up I Don't Want to Grow Up I Don't Want to Grow Up is the second album by the Manhattan Beach, California-based punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1985 through New Alliance Records... |
|
| 1986–87 Enjoy |
Doug Carrion From the moment Doug Carrions mom took him to the legendary Light House in Hermosa Beach, California to see Jazz for the first time at the age of 9, his passion became music. He taught himself to play guitar and began his career in music as a musician - playing in underground favorites such as... – bass |
| 1987-88 All Liveage Liveage Liveage! is a live album by the Los Angeles-based punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1987 through SST Records. It was their first live album and was recorded during their Spring 1987 tour in support of All and their Summer 1987 "FinALL" tour... Hallraker: Live 1996–97 Everything Sucks Everything Sucks (Descendents album) Everything Sucks is the fifth studio album by the punk rock band the Descendents, released in 1996 through Epitaph Records. It was their first album of new studio material since 1987's All, after which singer Milo Aukerman had left the band to pursue a career in biochemistry... Sessions Live Plus One Live Plus One Live Plus One is a live album by the punk rock bands All and the Descendents, released in 2001 through Epitaph Records. A double album, it includes one disc by All recorded March 30 and 31 at the Starlight in Fort Collins, Colorado, and a second disc by the Descendents recorded October 10–14, 1996... 2002–04 'Merican 'Merican Merican is an EP by the punk rock band the Descendents, released February 10, 2004. It was the band's first release for Fat Wreck Chords and served as a pre-release to their sixth studio album Cool to Be You, released the following month... Cool to Be You Cool to Be You Cool to Be You is the sixth studio album by the punk rock band the Descendents, released in 2004 through Fat Wreck Chords. It was their first album of new studio material since 1996's Everything Sucks, which had been released through Epitaph Records... 2010–present |
Karl Alvarez Karl Matthew Alvarez is the bass guitar player for both the Descendents and All, the band that resulted after the Descendents disbanded again in 1987.... – bass |
Current members
- Bill Stevenson – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1979–83, 1984–88, 1995–97, 2002–04, 2010–present) - Milo AukermanMilo AukermanMilo Aukerman is an American singer, songwriter and research biochemist. Aukerman is perhaps most widely known for being the lead singer of the early Los Angeles area punk rock band the Descendents, a group widely considered to be pioneers of modern "pop punk"...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(1980–84, 1985–88, 1995–97, 2002–04, 2010–present) - Karl AlvarezKarl AlvarezKarl Matthew Alvarez is the bass guitar player for both the Descendents and All, the band that resulted after the Descendents disbanded again in 1987....
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1987–88, 1995–97, 2002–04, 2010–present) - Stephen Egerton – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(1987–88, 1995–97, 2002–04, 2010–present)
Past members
- Tony LombardoTony LombardoTony Lombardo was the bassist with the pioneering punk rock band Descendents between 1978 and 1985. Lombardo was part of the original Descendents lineup with guitarist Frank Navetta and drummer Bill Stevenson.-Early years with Descendents:...
– bass guitar (1979–84) - Frank NavettaFrank NavettaFrank Navetta was a guitarist for the Southern California punk rock band Descendents. He was part of the band's original lineup and played with the band for six years. He formed the Descendents with Tony Lombardo and Bill Stevenson in 1979 and released the single "Ride the Wild"/"It's a Hectic...
– guitar (1979–84) - Ray Cooper – guitar, vocals (1982–87)
- Doug CarrionDoug CarrionFrom the moment Doug Carrions mom took him to the legendary Light House in Hermosa Beach, California to see Jazz for the first time at the age of 9, his passion became music. He taught himself to play guitar and began his career in music as a musician - playing in underground favorites such as...
— bass guitar (1986–87)
External links
- Descendents Online
- Flipside Interview - Descendents interview from 1986
- Suburban Voice Interview - Descendents interview from 1985