Fat City Reprise
Encyclopedia
Fat City Reprise is a four-piece rock band from South Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
.
The name Fat City Reprise is derived from Hunter S. Thompson
's failed bid for sheriff of Pitkin County
, Colorado
in 1970. Thompson was threatening to change the name of Aspen
, Colorado to Fat City to deter outside investors from gentrificating the town.
, keys
), Eric Cifone (drums
), Nick Anastasi (lead guitar
), Tony Trov
(vocals, bass guitar
), and Thomas J. Perko (vocals, guitar). In the time between their formation and the debut release, Fat City Reprise, Cifone was kicked out of the band because he had an emergency appendectomy and was unable to attend a few practice sessions. He was replaced first by James McCloskey (October 2004 - December 2005) and then by Jason Miraglia in March 2006. Trov left the group in late 2005 to pursue other avenues, such as his serialized comic, The Black Cherry Bombshells
. He was replaced by the band's longtime friend, Mike Vivas. When Perko left the band in late 2006, Anastasi remained the band's only guitar player, forming their current and most well-known incarnation as the quartet consisting of Anastasi, Miraglia, Pedano, and Vivas.
In February 2008, the Roots invited Fat City Reprise to perform at their Pre-Grammy party at the Key Club
in Los Angeles
where they performed with Patrick Stump
, Seal
, Travis Barker
, MC Lyte
, Doug E. Fresh
, Bilal, Corinne Bailey Rae
, and Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes
. The band planned a West Coast Tour around the show and found so much success in California
that they relocated from Philadelphia to Los Angeles
.
In October 2009 Nick Anastasi and Michael Vivas left the band. They were replaced by Kevin Alvey (Bass) and Jimmy McHugh (Guitars, Background Vocals). Currently Fat City Reprise is planning a national tour upon the Winter 2010 release of their new album Pirate Radio.
and many other artists record, including R. Kelly
, Justin Timberlake
, Jill Scott
, Vivian Green
, and many others. It was the first recording that the band made while working with their manager and CEO of Lowe Records, Mike Lowe.
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
The name Fat City Reprise is derived from Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
's failed bid for sheriff of Pitkin County
Pitkin County, Colorado
Pitkin County is one of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of the late Colorado Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin. The county population was 14,872 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Aspen...
, 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 1970. Thompson was threatening to change the name of Aspen
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
, Colorado to Fat City to deter outside investors from gentrificating the town.
Formation
Formed in early 2003, Fat City Reprise's original line-up consisted of Frank Pedano (vocalsSinging
Singing 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...
, keys
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
), Eric Cifone (drums
Drum kit
A 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 ....
), Nick Anastasi (lead guitar
Guitar
The 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...
), Tony Trov
Tony Trov
Tony Trov is an American writer, film maker, musician and artist best known for the serialized comic Moon Girl.-Early life:Tony Trov is a native of Philadelphia PA and graduated from Girard Academic Music Program in 2001...
(vocals, bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), and Thomas J. Perko (vocals, guitar). In the time between their formation and the debut release, Fat City Reprise, Cifone was kicked out of the band because he had an emergency appendectomy and was unable to attend a few practice sessions. He was replaced first by James McCloskey (October 2004 - December 2005) and then by Jason Miraglia in March 2006. Trov left the group in late 2005 to pursue other avenues, such as his serialized comic, The Black Cherry Bombshells
The Black Cherry Bombshells
The Black Cherry Bombshells is a webcomic from DC imprint Zuda Comics, created by Johnny Zito and Tony Trov, illustrated by Sacha Borisich and colors by John Dallaire. It was selected as winner of Zuda's March 2008 competition.- Synopsis :...
. He was replaced by the band's longtime friend, Mike Vivas. When Perko left the band in late 2006, Anastasi remained the band's only guitar player, forming their current and most well-known incarnation as the quartet consisting of Anastasi, Miraglia, Pedano, and Vivas.
Lowe Records
Under the line-up of Anastasi (Guitars), Miraglia (Drums), Pedano (Lead Vocals, Keys), Perko (Guitar), and Vivas (Bass, Background Vocals), the band began working with Mike Lowe of Lowe Records. They recorded and released their debut album at Larry Gold's Studio, the self titled Fat City Reprise in May 2007. Halfway through the recording of the album, Perko departed. Any tracks retaining his guitar playing are credited on the album artwork. Lyrics and music are credited as "All songs by Fat City Reprise" because every member of Fat City Reprise gets equal credit for songs produced during the time they were in the band, no matter how large or small their contribution to the finished product may be.In February 2008, the Roots invited Fat City Reprise to perform at their Pre-Grammy party at the Key Club
Key Club
Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where they performed with Patrick Stump
Patrick Stump
Patrick Vaughn Stump is an American singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, and music critic. He is the composer, lead singer, and multi-instrumentalist of Fall Out Boy, an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, and is also a solo artist...
, Seal
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
, Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
, MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
, Doug E. Fresh
Doug E. Fresh
Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
, Bilal, Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....
, and Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes
Gym Class Heroes is an American hip hop rock band from Geneva, New York. They have collaborated with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump on numerous occasions, notably for providing backing vocals on the song "Cupid's Chokehold." Stump also produced the majority of their album The Quilt.The group formed...
. The band planned a West Coast Tour around the show and found so much success in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
that they relocated from Philadelphia to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
In October 2009 Nick Anastasi and Michael Vivas left the band. They were replaced by Kevin Alvey (Bass) and Jimmy McHugh (Guitars, Background Vocals). Currently Fat City Reprise is planning a national tour upon the Winter 2010 release of their new album Pirate Radio.
Fat City Reprise
Released in May 2007, this was the bands first full-length studio album. It was recorded and mixed in Larry Gold’s Studio 215, where the RootsThe Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
and many other artists record, including R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Jill Scott
Jill Scott
Jill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
, Vivian Green
Vivian Green
Vivian Green is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter and pianist.-Early life:Green was born May 22, 1979 in the East Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and took an interest in singing, playing the piano, and songwriting at a very young age. At the age of thirteen, she...
, and many others. It was the first recording that the band made while working with their manager and CEO of Lowe Records, Mike Lowe.
- Take Me Dancin' (2:26)
- Cowgirl (3:15)
- You're Fired (3:28)
- People Like You (3:28)
- Waste (3:29)
- Cool Cat (3:28)
- Sheep Skin (3:41)
- Long Gone (4:13)
- Taste of Mexico (2:40)
- The Same Old Song (3:47)