Showbread (band)
Encyclopedia
Showbread is an American Christian
rock
band originating in Guyton, Georgia
. More specifically, the band lives in a small community within Guyton called Marlow. They formed in 1997. The band has gone through numerous lineup changes since its formation but maintains its two founding members, Josh Dies
and Patrick Porter. Dies being the primary songwriter and creative director behind Showbread, they have yet to change stylistically because of a difference in lineup. The band had two full time vocalists until Ivory Mobley's departure in 2007. Josh Dies
is also the author of "The Spinal Cord Perception
," "The Insect," and "Nevada". Showbread gained media attention when, in 2006, a fan made video for the song “Dead By Dawn” was featured on YouTube
. The video was seen by the band and posted on their own site, giving rise to controversy over Showbread's lyrical themes. According to former guitarist Matt Davis, the band's name comes from "a biblical reference that Jesus used to show how Christianity isn't so much about rules but about love."
church they attended. They began to play "goth punk" music and in turn, the church they attended was less than thrilled with the approach and told them to stop playing that form of music. Eventually, Showbread was left with only Patrick Porter, Josh Dies, and Ivory Mobley.
The band went through line-up changes, including the addition of Eddie Ortiz as vocalist, and began playing local and regional shows, which garnered the attention of musicians in other Georgia based Christian rock bands. It was through these meetings that the additions of Mike Jensen (guitar), Matt Davis (guitar), and John Giddens (synthesizer) took place. Ortiz left the group in 2001 but does appear as vocalist, and is credited, on the independently produced and released record The Dissonance of Discontent and plays guitars on the album "Goodbye Is Forever", he returned briefly to tour and run merch for the band in 2004. With their new line-up, Showbread toured independent of management, booking agents, and record labels for two years before signing to Tooth & Nail
/ Solid State Records
in 2004.
Showbread played at the Cornerstone Festival
in summer of that year and quickly gained a strong following. In fall 2004, they released their debut album for Tooth & Nail Records
, titled No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
. No Sir was produced by Sylvia Massy
, who has also worked with Prince, Tool
, and Johnny Cash
.
Showbread's Age of Reptiles
, was released on August 1, 2006. On this album, Showbread departed drastically from the spastic, screeching style of their previous albums, to a more alternative rock sound, while keeping with their trademark lyrical style and keytar.
Showbread announced on April 2, 2007 that Ivory Mobley would be leaving the band in May, his last show being Cornerstone Florida
. Ivory continues to be a close friend to the band and has even appeared on various songs for their records after his departure. Two months later, on July 13, 2007, they announced that they asked drummer Justin Oblinger to step down from the band. Oblinger was replaced by Ricky Holbrook, the former drummer of Our Heart's Hero
. Soon after the joint-release of Anorexia
and Nervosa
and shortly before the start of the band's "You Can't Save Yourself Tour", John "JG" Giddens, the keytar player, left the band to pursue other interests. Guitarist Matt Davis also left around this time, however Josh decided against announcing his departure. Matt Davis's guitar role was replaced by Landon Ginnings, also known by Landon D. Mise (formerly of The Wedding
) for the tour and JG's by Garrett Holmes. Both members were released after they completed the tour, but returned in 2009.
On March 29, 2010 Showbread announced signing with independent label Come&Live!. The band stated, "At this point in our lives as Showbread, we have decided to withdraw from many elements of the industry that have been a part of our band for years, sign with Come&Live! and trust God to provide ways for us to offer our music and our performances as free gifts in order to expand the scope of our ministry." As "musicinaries" the band relies completely on donations from supporters to fund recordings, tours, and basic sustenance.
2010 also marked the departure of guitarists Mike Jensen and Landon Ginnings, with the band continuing as a four-piece.
Showbread's next move was to tour with Abandon Kansas and The Wedding. After an extensive tour across the Country, they disembarked on an European Tour mere days ago, and is still over there for almost the next month (as of October 25, 2011).
Showbread is also coming out with a mixed album to Who Can Know It?, called Who Can Unknow It?, and soon will be releasing a new album called Cancer.
and the other Nervosa
. Many of the songs on each album share the same names, although the sound is different for each album. They also come with a different story to be read along with the song. The story comes in the form of a booklet in each of the albums. There are time markers above each section of text in the booklet to inform the listener when to read that section during the album. The music often matches the tone of the story in the album booklet in order to create a true multi-sensory experience.
The album is being released for free at www.comeandlive.com. In addition, Showbread went on a free tour for the album, the Raw Rock Theology Tour.
In an interview with TVU Josh said everything about Showbread is changing except the name.
and Ivory Mobley that included elements of screaming, yelling, and singing. Combined with their frenetic live shows, they were often labelled a spazz rock band. Additionally, they utilized a keytar between 2004 and 2008 while John Giddens was the synthesizer player, as well as a few of the live shows in 2009 when Garret Holmes used a keytar. In keeping with their campaign for originality in the music scene, the band generally does not refer to their music as a particular genre; instead, they prefer the term "raw rock". Matt Davis, the band's former lead guitarist, stated, "No one ever knew what to say when people asked what style of music we were, so rather than come up with some hyphen filled moniker, we just started saying 'raw rock' and turned it into our campaign." Josh Dies also credits Ivory Mobley with the idea, stating "For the longest time we all used to live together and at some point like Ivory started saying raw all the time. Anytime something was good he’d go “that’s raw” and than like so it became to the point where we said raw for everything, anytime anything was great it was raw. At the same point, everyone was asking us what we call our music and no one knew what to say, just uh I don’t know what we call our music, it’s rock."
Because of their presence on Tooth and Nail records and use of screaming vocals, Showbread is constantly mistaken for a hardcore or "screamo
" band. On the bands Formspring account, singer Josh Dies explained:
Almost all of the songwriting (lyrically and musically) on Showbread's records are credited to singer Josh Dies. Exceptions include the song "Girls Torture Guys Cause They Can" from The Dissonance of Discontent which has lyrics and music written by Eddie Ortiz. On the same record, Ivory Mobley co-wrote the lyrics to a song called "Kaboom".
Showbread's lyrics are often introspective and inspire many different interpretations from different listeners, sometimes using unusual things to draw analogies to larger topics. For instance, the song "A Llama Eats a Giraffe (and Vice Versa)", the lead track for No, Sir, Nihilism is Not Practical, uses the two animals as symbols to represent conflicting views between Nihilism
and Christianity
, and how the two actually share similar ideologies. The lyrics in each album also contain similar symbolism, such as evisceration and gore in "No, Sir", and vomiting and reptiles in "Age of Reptiles". Literary references are another common trait on Showbread records. Songs like "The Bell Jar
", "Sampsa Meets Kafka", and "Naked Lunch
" all reference well-known novels.
Showbread uses metaphorical references to horror movies in their lyrics, as can be seen in the titles of some songs. For instance, "Welcome to Plainfield, Tobe Hooper" from No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
refers to American film director Tobe Hooper
, famous for the film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
and Plainfield refers to the hometown of serial killer Ed Gein
. The song "George Romero Will Be at Our Wedding" from Age of Reptiles
is a reference to another American director, George A. Romero
, famous for such films as Night of the Living Dead
. In "Dead by Dawn", the entire song deals with the Evil Dead movies. Their metaphorical use of symbolism is not limited to their lyrics, as they use the same style in interviews.
, becoming serious only when answering questions dealing with their faith. They have made many absurd claims, ranging from the accusations that Blindside
's members are vampire, werewolf, and zombie hunters, to accusations that Pillar's
band members are made of grass clippings. Despite the nature of many of these statements, it appears they were meant to be taken in a light-hearted manner.
Very open with their Christianity, the group has even been known to point out that the only serious things they will say during their set are those that deal with their beliefs. Showbread also give whimsical names to their headlining tours like "Kings Of Krunk" and "To'...Fo' Sho'" and even reportedly suggested that their 2006 tour with the band Roses Are Red
be titled "Dookie Eaters Anonymous," due to a re-occurring joke between vocalists Mobley and Porter.
They are known for wearing matching outfits when performing to promote their albums, such as red and black for No Sir, Nihilism is not Practical, black and green for Age of Reptiles, Doctor and Nurse outfits for Anorexia and Nervosa, and army shirts for The Fear of God.
, criticize patriotism as idolatry, boycott all companies that use sweatshops, all members are freewill theists
, some subscribe to open theism
and all members are teetotalers.
In 2006, a fan made video for the song “Dead By Dawn” featured on YouTube
was seen by the band and posted on their own site. In turn, this video was misinterpreted by some as an actual Showbread music video which brought attention to the subject matter and lyrics of “Dead By Dawn”. Certain Christian groups retaliated on web forums calling the band “satanic” and insisting that “the only reason these degenerates should be allowed in a church is if it is to get them saved”. The album, No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
, was even briefly pulled from some Christian music retailers in the wake of the backlash. However, upon further investigation of the accusations and those that made them, the album was restocked and the controversy dismissed. After a period of silence, on September 7, 2006 the band reposted (after their website crashed) a Statement on their site discussing the debate between Christian morality and secular media in defense of their music and the beliefs they stand for. From the Statement, Josh Porter concluded with:
Despite their blatant evangelical and biblical messages, Showbread's albums "Anorexia" and "Nervosa" were banned from Christian retail outlets because of the overall "dark" nature of much of the story and scenes involving rape, animal cruelty and abortion.
In the late July/August 2009, not long before the release of The Fear of God
, the band was the subject of controversy among certain Catholics who found the band's depiction of a pope on the album cover to be offensive. Josh Dies addressed these concerns on the band's Wordpress blog.
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band originating in Guyton, Georgia
Guyton, Georgia
Guyton is a city in Effingham County, Georgia, United States. The population was 917 at the 2000 census, although a 2008 estimate by the Census Bureau places the population above 1,900. Guyton is part of the Savannah Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. More specifically, the band lives in a small community within Guyton called Marlow. They formed in 1997. The band has gone through numerous lineup changes since its formation but maintains its two founding members, Josh Dies
Josh Dies
Joshua S. Porter, better known by his stage name Josh Dies is an American singer, songwriter, musician and author. He is widely known as the vocalist and songwriter for the band Showbread...
and Patrick Porter. Dies being the primary songwriter and creative director behind Showbread, they have yet to change stylistically because of a difference in lineup. The band had two full time vocalists until Ivory Mobley's departure in 2007. Josh Dies
Josh Dies
Joshua S. Porter, better known by his stage name Josh Dies is an American singer, songwriter, musician and author. He is widely known as the vocalist and songwriter for the band Showbread...
is also the author of "The Spinal Cord Perception
The Spinal Cord Perception
The Spinal Cord Perception is the first novel from Josh Porter who is known mostly for his role as Josh Dies, the singer/songwriter for the band Showbread. In late 2006, Porter announced that he had written the novel and would be releasing it independently to be sold via his website before it...
," "The Insect," and "Nevada". Showbread gained media attention when, in 2006, a fan made video for the song “Dead By Dawn” was featured on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. The video was seen by the band and posted on their own site, giving rise to controversy over Showbread's lyrical themes. According to former guitarist Matt Davis, the band's name comes from "a biblical reference that Jesus used to show how Christianity isn't so much about rules but about love."
History
The band was formed in 1997 by Patrick Porter and Travis Riner. Their purpose was to create a praise and worship group fit to play Sunday mornings at the Southern BaptistSouthern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
church they attended. They began to play "goth punk" music and in turn, the church they attended was less than thrilled with the approach and told them to stop playing that form of music. Eventually, Showbread was left with only Patrick Porter, Josh Dies, and Ivory Mobley.
The band went through line-up changes, including the addition of Eddie Ortiz as vocalist, and began playing local and regional shows, which garnered the attention of musicians in other Georgia based Christian rock bands. It was through these meetings that the additions of Mike Jensen (guitar), Matt Davis (guitar), and John Giddens (synthesizer) took place. Ortiz left the group in 2001 but does appear as vocalist, and is credited, on the independently produced and released record The Dissonance of Discontent and plays guitars on the album "Goodbye Is Forever", he returned briefly to tour and run merch for the band in 2004. With their new line-up, Showbread toured independent of management, booking agents, and record labels for two years before signing to Tooth & Nail
Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today...
/ Solid State Records
Solid State Records
Solid State Records is a Christian record label, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore and metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, they have signed several bands that don't label themselves as Christian,...
in 2004.
Showbread played at the Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
in summer of that year and quickly gained a strong following. In fall 2004, they released their debut album for Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records
Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today...
, titled No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical is an album by the band Showbread. A music video was made for the song "Mouth Like A Magazine".-Track listing:# "A Llama Eats a Giraffe " - 3:51# "Dead By Dawn" - 3:54# "Mouth Like a Magazine" - 4:12...
. No Sir was produced by Sylvia Massy
Sylvia Massy
Sylvia Massy is an entrepreneur, record producer, and studio engineer in the United States. Massy is perhaps best recognized for her work on 1993's Undertow, the full-length double platinum-selling debut for Los Angeles rock band Tool.-History:...
, who has also worked with Prince, Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, and Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
.
Showbread's Age of Reptiles
Age of Reptiles (Showbread album)
Age of Reptiles is an album by the band Showbread. It was released on August 1, 2006. It sold over 4,000 copies in its first week making it the first Showbread album to chart on the Billboard 200 at #198.-Reaction of Fans:...
, was released on August 1, 2006. On this album, Showbread departed drastically from the spastic, screeching style of their previous albums, to a more alternative rock sound, while keeping with their trademark lyrical style and keytar.
Showbread announced on April 2, 2007 that Ivory Mobley would be leaving the band in May, his last show being Cornerstone Florida
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
. Ivory continues to be a close friend to the band and has even appeared on various songs for their records after his departure. Two months later, on July 13, 2007, they announced that they asked drummer Justin Oblinger to step down from the band. Oblinger was replaced by Ricky Holbrook, the former drummer of Our Heart's Hero
Our Heart's Hero
Our Heart's Hero is an American Christian pop rock band founded in 2004. The group's touring members include Nick Joyce, Jeremy Toler, Jacob Lawrence, Benji Smith and Kody Christian....
. Soon after the joint-release of Anorexia
Anorexia (album)
Anorexia is an album by the band Showbread. It was released on May 13, 2008 simultaneously with its companion album Nervosa . Anorexia is the first of a two-CD collection entitled Anorexia Nervosa, which is an accompaniment to the short story Anorexia Nervosa which comes pacakged with the records...
and Nervosa
Nervosa (album)
Nervosa is an album by the band Showbread. It was released on May 13, 2008 simultaneously with its companion album Anorexia. Nervosa second in a two-CD collection entitled Anorexia Nervosa, which is an accompaniment to the short story Anorexia Nervosa which comes packaged within the records...
and shortly before the start of the band's "You Can't Save Yourself Tour", John "JG" Giddens, the keytar player, left the band to pursue other interests. Guitarist Matt Davis also left around this time, however Josh decided against announcing his departure. Matt Davis's guitar role was replaced by Landon Ginnings, also known by Landon D. Mise (formerly of The Wedding
The Wedding (band)
The Wedding is a Christian band from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Musically, The Wedding fuses elements of Christian punk, Christian rock, Alternative Contemporary Christian, pop punk, ska, piano rock, and post-hardcore with their pop rock base...
) for the tour and JG's by Garrett Holmes. Both members were released after they completed the tour, but returned in 2009.
On March 29, 2010 Showbread announced signing with independent label Come&Live!. The band stated, "At this point in our lives as Showbread, we have decided to withdraw from many elements of the industry that have been a part of our band for years, sign with Come&Live! and trust God to provide ways for us to offer our music and our performances as free gifts in order to expand the scope of our ministry." As "musicinaries" the band relies completely on donations from supporters to fund recordings, tours, and basic sustenance.
2010 also marked the departure of guitarists Mike Jensen and Landon Ginnings, with the band continuing as a four-piece.
Showbread's next move was to tour with Abandon Kansas and The Wedding. After an extensive tour across the Country, they disembarked on an European Tour mere days ago, and is still over there for almost the next month (as of October 25, 2011).
Showbread is also coming out with a mixed album to Who Can Know It?, called Who Can Unknow It?, and soon will be releasing a new album called Cancer.
Anorexia Nervosa
On March 4, 2007 Showbread posted on their official website that they would be writing a new record in the spring that they hope to record in the fall and release in 2008. On May 1, 2007, the band's blog became home to bizarre videos and messages filled with codes and hidden messages leading to more clues and hidden messages about the band's new record. Fans worked together to connect the puzzle pieces that they believe coincide with the new album. Anorexia Nervosa was announced by the band to be released May 13, 2008. The "album" was released as two separate albums, one called AnorexiaAnorexia (album)
Anorexia is an album by the band Showbread. It was released on May 13, 2008 simultaneously with its companion album Nervosa . Anorexia is the first of a two-CD collection entitled Anorexia Nervosa, which is an accompaniment to the short story Anorexia Nervosa which comes pacakged with the records...
and the other Nervosa
Nervosa (album)
Nervosa is an album by the band Showbread. It was released on May 13, 2008 simultaneously with its companion album Anorexia. Nervosa second in a two-CD collection entitled Anorexia Nervosa, which is an accompaniment to the short story Anorexia Nervosa which comes packaged within the records...
. Many of the songs on each album share the same names, although the sound is different for each album. They also come with a different story to be read along with the song. The story comes in the form of a booklet in each of the albums. There are time markers above each section of text in the booklet to inform the listener when to read that section during the album. The music often matches the tone of the story in the album booklet in order to create a true multi-sensory experience.
The Fear of God
On August 11, 2009, Showbread released the album The Fear of God. Recording began in April at RadioStar Studios in Weed, CA. Frontman Josh Dies has said in a recent interview, "This is a record we've wanted to make for a long time but in the past we've had so many opinions in the band that made it difficult. It's about energy, and passion, and aggression. It has a punk rock spirit to it.. There are elements of all the Showbread styles involved, but put together in a new and interesting way... It isn't about trying to be anything but raw and just letting it all come out....."Who Can Know It?
On November 16, 2010 Showbread released the album Who Can Know It?. Recording started late September in Weed, CA.The album is being released for free at www.comeandlive.com. In addition, Showbread went on a free tour for the album, the Raw Rock Theology Tour.
In an interview with TVU Josh said everything about Showbread is changing except the name.
Musical and Lyrical Style
During the first half of the band's career, their trademark was the alternating vocals between Josh DiesJosh Dies
Joshua S. Porter, better known by his stage name Josh Dies is an American singer, songwriter, musician and author. He is widely known as the vocalist and songwriter for the band Showbread...
and Ivory Mobley that included elements of screaming, yelling, and singing. Combined with their frenetic live shows, they were often labelled a spazz rock band. Additionally, they utilized a keytar between 2004 and 2008 while John Giddens was the synthesizer player, as well as a few of the live shows in 2009 when Garret Holmes used a keytar. In keeping with their campaign for originality in the music scene, the band generally does not refer to their music as a particular genre; instead, they prefer the term "raw rock". Matt Davis, the band's former lead guitarist, stated, "No one ever knew what to say when people asked what style of music we were, so rather than come up with some hyphen filled moniker, we just started saying 'raw rock' and turned it into our campaign." Josh Dies also credits Ivory Mobley with the idea, stating "For the longest time we all used to live together and at some point like Ivory started saying raw all the time. Anytime something was good he’d go “that’s raw” and than like so it became to the point where we said raw for everything, anytime anything was great it was raw. At the same point, everyone was asking us what we call our music and no one knew what to say, just uh I don’t know what we call our music, it’s rock."
Because of their presence on Tooth and Nail records and use of screaming vocals, Showbread is constantly mistaken for a hardcore or "screamo
Screamo
Screamo, though used loosely to generally describe music that features screamed vocals, is actually a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s...
" band. On the bands Formspring account, singer Josh Dies explained:
"When you look at Showbread records on amazon.com, it recommends Demon Hunter and The Almost. When you listen to a Showbread Pandora radio station, it plays Underoath and Norma Jean as similar artists. I've never listened to these types of bands or thought of Showbread as having anything in common with them musically. Perhaps because of Tooth And Nail, or the bands we've toured with, many our listeners don't realize we're aping bands like Nine Inch Nails, Flaming Lips, Nirvana and Aerosmith and that we don't have any kind of emo band on the influential palette. When the only rock music you listen to is hardcore and screamo, I suppose your basis of comparison is pretty limited.
Almost all of the songwriting (lyrically and musically) on Showbread's records are credited to singer Josh Dies. Exceptions include the song "Girls Torture Guys Cause They Can" from The Dissonance of Discontent which has lyrics and music written by Eddie Ortiz. On the same record, Ivory Mobley co-wrote the lyrics to a song called "Kaboom".
Showbread's lyrics are often introspective and inspire many different interpretations from different listeners, sometimes using unusual things to draw analogies to larger topics. For instance, the song "A Llama Eats a Giraffe (and Vice Versa)", the lead track for No, Sir, Nihilism is Not Practical, uses the two animals as symbols to represent conflicting views between Nihilism
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, and how the two actually share similar ideologies. The lyrics in each album also contain similar symbolism, such as evisceration and gore in "No, Sir", and vomiting and reptiles in "Age of Reptiles". Literary references are another common trait on Showbread records. Songs like "The Bell Jar
The Bell Jar
The Bell Jar is American writer and poet Sylvia Plath's only novel, which was originally published under the pseudonym "Victoria Lucas" in 1963. The novel is semi-autobiographical with the names of places and people changed...
", "Sampsa Meets Kafka", and "Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch is a novel by William S. Burroughs originally published in 1959. The book is structured as a series of loosely-connected vignettes. Burroughs stated that the chapters are intended to be read in any order...
" all reference well-known novels.
Showbread uses metaphorical references to horror movies in their lyrics, as can be seen in the titles of some songs. For instance, "Welcome to Plainfield, Tobe Hooper" from No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical is an album by the band Showbread. A music video was made for the song "Mouth Like A Magazine".-Track listing:# "A Llama Eats a Giraffe " - 3:51# "Dead By Dawn" - 3:54# "Mouth Like a Magazine" - 4:12...
refers to American film director Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the horror film genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ; the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King film adaptation...
, famous for the film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is a 1974 American independent horror film directed and produced by Tobe Hooper, who cowrote it with Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen, who respectively portray Sally Hardesty, Franklin Hardesty, the...
and Plainfield refers to the hometown of serial killer Ed Gein
Ed Gein
Edward Theodore "Ed" Gein - July 26, 1984) was an American murderer and body snatcher. His crimes, committed around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin, gathered widespread notoriety after authorities discovered Gein had exhumed corpses from local graveyards and fashioned trophies and keepsakes...
. The song "George Romero Will Be at Our Wedding" from Age of Reptiles
Age of Reptiles (Showbread album)
Age of Reptiles is an album by the band Showbread. It was released on August 1, 2006. It sold over 4,000 copies in its first week making it the first Showbread album to chart on the Billboard 200 at #198.-Reaction of Fans:...
is a reference to another American director, George A. Romero
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and editor, best known for his gruesome and satirical horror films about a hypothetical zombie apocalypse. He is nicknamed "Godfather of all Zombies." -Life and career:...
, famous for such films as Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
. In "Dead by Dawn", the entire song deals with the Evil Dead movies. Their metaphorical use of symbolism is not limited to their lyrics, as they use the same style in interviews.
Traits
Showbread is known for giving ridiculous statements in the press and in interviews. Most interviews, regardless of purpose, vary from light hearted nonsense to outright absurdityAbsurdity
An absurdity is a thing that is extremely unreasonable, so as to be foolish or not taken seriously, or the state of being so. "Absurd" is an adjective used to describe an absurdity, e.g., “this encyclopedia article is absurd”. It derives from the Latin absurdusm meaning "out of tune", hence...
, becoming serious only when answering questions dealing with their faith. They have made many absurd claims, ranging from the accusations that Blindside
Blindside
Blindside is a post-hardcore band from Tumba, Sweden. They formed in 1994 as Underfree and kept that name for two years before releasing their debut EP in 1996.-A Thought Crushed My Mind:...
's members are vampire, werewolf, and zombie hunters, to accusations that Pillar's
Pillar (band)
Pillar is a Christian rock band currently located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their sixth studio album, Confessions, was released in 2009.- Formation and independent albums :...
band members are made of grass clippings. Despite the nature of many of these statements, it appears they were meant to be taken in a light-hearted manner.
Very open with their Christianity, the group has even been known to point out that the only serious things they will say during their set are those that deal with their beliefs. Showbread also give whimsical names to their headlining tours like "Kings Of Krunk" and "To'...Fo' Sho'" and even reportedly suggested that their 2006 tour with the band Roses Are Red
Roses Are Red (band)
Roses Are Red was an alternative rock band formed in Rochester, New York. The band was signed to Trustkill Records.-Biography:...
be titled "Dookie Eaters Anonymous," due to a re-occurring joke between vocalists Mobley and Porter.
They are known for wearing matching outfits when performing to promote their albums, such as red and black for No Sir, Nihilism is not Practical, black and green for Age of Reptiles, Doctor and Nurse outfits for Anorexia and Nervosa, and army shirts for The Fear of God.
Ideological Views
Showbread openly advocate Christian pacifismChristian pacifism
Christian pacifism is the theological and ethical position that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Christian pacifists state that Jesus himself was a pacifist who taught and practiced pacifism, and that his followers must do likewise.There have been various notable...
, criticize patriotism as idolatry, boycott all companies that use sweatshops, all members are freewill theists
Open theism
Open theism is a recent theological movement that has developed within evangelical and post-evangelical Protestant Christianity as a response to certain ideas that are related to the synthesis of Greek philosophy and Christian theology...
, some subscribe to open theism
Open theism
Open theism is a recent theological movement that has developed within evangelical and post-evangelical Protestant Christianity as a response to certain ideas that are related to the synthesis of Greek philosophy and Christian theology...
and all members are teetotalers.
Controversies
Despite their open statements concerning their Christian faith, Showbread has endured intense criticism from some Christians who feel certain aspects of their music to be offensive and repugnant in terms of Christian morality.In 2006, a fan made video for the song “Dead By Dawn” featured on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
was seen by the band and posted on their own site. In turn, this video was misinterpreted by some as an actual Showbread music video which brought attention to the subject matter and lyrics of “Dead By Dawn”. Certain Christian groups retaliated on web forums calling the band “satanic” and insisting that “the only reason these degenerates should be allowed in a church is if it is to get them saved”. The album, No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical is an album by the band Showbread. A music video was made for the song "Mouth Like A Magazine".-Track listing:# "A Llama Eats a Giraffe " - 3:51# "Dead By Dawn" - 3:54# "Mouth Like a Magazine" - 4:12...
, was even briefly pulled from some Christian music retailers in the wake of the backlash. However, upon further investigation of the accusations and those that made them, the album was restocked and the controversy dismissed. After a period of silence, on September 7, 2006 the band reposted (after their website crashed) a Statement on their site discussing the debate between Christian morality and secular media in defense of their music and the beliefs they stand for. From the Statement, Josh Porter concluded with:
"Showbread is a Christian band. As I tell you from the stage in dark musty concert venues each night, dressed in silly outfits, covered in sweat and in a tired voice. This means that we as a band believe in Jesus Christ, we believe the Bible to be the living word of God, we believe in love."
Despite their blatant evangelical and biblical messages, Showbread's albums "Anorexia" and "Nervosa" were banned from Christian retail outlets because of the overall "dark" nature of much of the story and scenes involving rape, animal cruelty and abortion.
In the late July/August 2009, not long before the release of The Fear of God
The Fear of God
The Fear of God is the eighth studio album by American band Showbread. The album was released on August 11, 2009 through Tooth & Nail Records. The Fear of God was produced by Sylvia Massy, who had previously produced Showbread's 2004 and 2006 albums No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical and Age of...
, the band was the subject of controversy among certain Catholics who found the band's depiction of a pope on the album cover to be offensive. Josh Dies addressed these concerns on the band's Wordpress blog.
Side Projects
Members of the band, both past and present, are involved in different side projects.- Current vocalist Josh DiesJosh DiesJoshua S. Porter, better known by his stage name Josh Dies is an American singer, songwriter, musician and author. He is widely known as the vocalist and songwriter for the band Showbread...
has a solo career under the name DIES, which focuses on industrial music. He has three releases: Aesthetics of Violence (2007), TalonsTalons (EP)Talons is the first solo EP recorded by Josh Dies. The album was released under DIES. The EP contains "re-imaginings" of two Showbread songs: "Never An Oceanographer" and "Age of Insects"...
EP (2009), and Scalene (2011).
- Current vocalist Josh Dies and bassist Patrick Porter are involved in a side project with former Five Iron FrenzyFive Iron FrenzyFive Iron Frenzy is a Christian ska band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1995 and disbanded in 2003. The band announced they were recording new material on November 22, 2011....
vocalist Reese RoperReese RoperMichael Reese Roper is an independent filmmaker and the former lead singer and chief song writer of the third-wave ska band Five Iron Frenzy. After Five Iron Frenzy disbanded in 2003, Reese released a single album using the moniker Roper. He is also part of the band Brave Saint Saturn, who released...
entitled "The Thieves Guild". The group has not released any known albums, nor have they performed many live shows.
- Current and former members are involved in a horror punkHorror punkHorror punk is a music genre that mixes Gothic and punk rock sounds with morbid imagery and lyrics, which are often influenced by horror films...
band named "Knife to Meet You". They released a demo entitled Three Track Demo Tape in 2009.
Band members
| (1997–1998) Original |
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|---|---|
| (1999) Dissonance Of Discontent Era |
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| (2002) Life, Kisses... Era |
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| (2004–2006) ...Nihilism... and Age of Reptiles Era |
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| (2008) Anorexia Nervosa Era |
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| (2008) live shows only |
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| (2009) Fear Of God Era |
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| (2009) live shows only |
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| (2010) Come & Live Era |
|
Current members
- Josh DiesJosh DiesJoshua S. Porter, better known by his stage name Josh Dies is an American singer, songwriter, musician and author. He is widely known as the vocalist and songwriter for the band Showbread...
- 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...
, 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... - Patrick Porter - Bass GuitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Garrett Holmes - SynthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, 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... - Drew Porter - Drums
Former members
- Emmett Belagorska - 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...
(1997) - Casey Belagorska- 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...
(1997) - Davy Minor- BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1997) - Eddie Ortiz- 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...
and 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...
(1997–2001) - Travis Riner- 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...
(1997–2001) - Chris Nunnaly- SynthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
(1997–2003) - Marvin Reilly- 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 ....
(1997–2005) - Ivory "TAE" Mobley- 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...
(1997–2008) - Matt Davis- 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...
(2001–2008) - John Giddens- KeytarKeytarA keytar is a relatively lightweight keyboard that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement compared to conventional keyboards, which are placed on stands...
(2003–2008) - Justin "Big O" Oblinger- 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 ....
(2006–2007) - Ricky Holbrook Drums (2007–2009)
- Landon Ginnings 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...
(2008–2009) - Mike Jensen 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...
(2001–2010)
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label | Chart peaks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
US Christ |
|||
| 1998 | The Dissonance of Discontent | Self-released | — | — | — |
| 1999 | Goodbye is Forever | — | — | — | |
| 2003 | Life, Kisses, and other Wasted Efforts | Steel Roots | — | — | — |
| 2004 | No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical is an album by the band Showbread. A music video was made for the song "Mouth Like A Magazine".-Track listing:# "A Llama Eats a Giraffe " - 3:51# "Dead By Dawn" - 3:54# "Mouth Like a Magazine" - 4:12... |
Solid State Solid State Records Solid State Records is a Christian record label, a division of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore and metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, they have signed several bands that don't label themselves as Christian,... |
— | — | — |
| 2006 | Age of Reptiles Age of Reptiles (Showbread album) Age of Reptiles is an album by the band Showbread. It was released on August 1, 2006. It sold over 4,000 copies in its first week making it the first Showbread album to chart on the Billboard 200 at #198.-Reaction of Fans:... |
Tooth & Nail Tooth & Nail Records Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in the U.S. state of California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington, where it is situated today... |
198 | 9 | 14 |
| 2008 | Anorexia Anorexia (album) Anorexia is an album by the band Showbread. It was released on May 13, 2008 simultaneously with its companion album Nervosa . Anorexia is the first of a two-CD collection entitled Anorexia Nervosa, which is an accompaniment to the short story Anorexia Nervosa which comes pacakged with the records... |
— | 22 | 18 | |
| Nervosa Nervosa (album) Nervosa is an album by the band Showbread. It was released on May 13, 2008 simultaneously with its companion album Anorexia. Nervosa second in a two-CD collection entitled Anorexia Nervosa, which is an accompaniment to the short story Anorexia Nervosa which comes packaged within the records... |
— | 23 | 19 | ||
| 2009 | The Fear of God The Fear of God The Fear of God is the eighth studio album by American band Showbread. The album was released on August 11, 2009 through Tooth & Nail Records. The Fear of God was produced by Sylvia Massy, who had previously produced Showbread's 2004 and 2006 albums No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical and Age of... |
— | 12 | 21 | |
| 2010 | Who Can Know It? Who Can Know It? Who Can Know It? is the ninth studio album by American rock band Showbread. The album was released on November 16, 2010 through non-profit record label Come&Live!. Who Can Know It? was produced by Sylvia Massy, who had previously produced Showbread's albums No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical, Age of... |
Come & Live! | — | — | — |
| 2012 | Cancer | — | — | — | |
| "—" indicates that the album did not chart | |||||