Street Dogs
Encyclopedia
Street Dogs are a punk rock
band originally from Boston, Massachusetts
. The band's current line-up includes Mike McColgan
, former lead singer of Dropkick Murphys
, Johnny Rioux
, Marcus Hollar, Tobe Bean III and Paul Rucker.
. In 2002, McColgan decided he could no longer stay away from music and formed Street Dogs. They first recorded a seven song-demo, which feature McColgan along with his former Dropkick Murphys bandmate Jeff Erna
on drums, Rob Guidotti on guitar and Bill Close on bass. They signed with CrossCheck Records in 2002, with Michelle Paulhus now on bass. By the time they started recording their first album, they yet again had someone else on bass, this time Johnny Rioux
. Savin Hill (which was produced by former The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
member Nate Albert
and featured guest appearances by Al Barr
and Ken Casey
from Dropkick Murphys) was a success and resulted in a supporting tour with Celtic punk
band Flogging Molly
.
The band underwent a complete shuffle in 2004 when McColgan took a leave of absence from his firefighting career to devote time to recording and promoting their second album Back to the World
.The Street Dogs at this time enlisted Marcus Hollar on lead guitar
, and expanded the range of their sound with the addition of rhythm guitarist Tobe Bean III. The drummer's spot was filled by Joe Sirois, formerly of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
Their second release, Back To The World, proved to be even more of a success for the band. It was hailed critically in the United States
, Europe
and Japan
and opened the doors to touring with the notable likes of Social Distortion
, Tiger Army
, Bad Religion
, Millencolin
(in Europe), The Bouncing Souls
(US And Japan) and The Briefs
. The band also toured on the Vans Warped Tour
in the summer of 2005 and embarked on their first headlining tours in the US and Europe.
2006 saw more shows, both headlining and opening for the likes of Rancid
, The Adolescents
and The Bouncing Souls
. Also in 2006, released their third album, Fading American Dream
. It was recorded earlier in the year with producer Ted Hutt
(Flogging Molly
, Madcap, The Bouncing Souls).
While on tour opening for Flogging Molly on February 27, 2007 show at the Sokol Auditorium
in Omaha, NE, bass player Johnny Rioux collapsed on stage due to an apparent seizure. McColgan stopped the show and called for paramedics. At the start of the Flogging Molly set, lead singer Dave King dedicated the show to Johnny and announced that he was all right and would be well enough to play the next night in St. Louis. Following that tour, more dates came headlining as well as European shows.
In February 2008, it was announced that the Street Dogs signed on to Hellcat Records
. Their fourth album, State of Grace
, for Hellcat, which they started recording in early February 2008, once again with Ted Hutt
was released on July 8, 2008.
At recent shows, Street Dogs have been promoting Oxfam America, a humanitarian organization fighting poverty and hunger. McColgan spoke to the crowd mid-set at the Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey in May 2008 about the organization while wearing an Oxfam t-shirt.
In support of State of Grace, the band toured at the Vans
Warped Tour 2008
as a main stage act. Following their Warped tour stint, the group set out on their successful fall State Of Grace headlining tour and then went to Europe for the European Eastpak Antidote tour.
The band released their fifth album, Street Dogs
, on August 31, 2010 on Hellcat Records.
On February 21, 2011 the band performed at an acoustic show with Tom Morello
, Tim McIlrath
, Wayne Kramer
, and Ike Reilly
in Madison, WI in support of the ongoing protests against Gov. Scott Walker's
proposed Budget Repair Bill.
The Street Dogs announced in March that they will be doing a five week stint on the 2011 Vans Warped Tour
, from June 24 until July 30. This will be their third time on the tour, after 2005 and 2008. Street Dogs will follow Warped with a European festival tour in August, and then Australia and Japan in October.
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 originally from Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The band's current line-up includes Mike McColgan
Mike McColgan
Michael "Mike" McColgan is best known as the original lead singer of the Irish American outfit Dropkick Murphys and the current lead singer of the Street Dogs....
, former lead singer of Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
, Johnny Rioux
Johnny Rioux
Johnny Rioux is a Boston-based musician. He is known for playing in and working with many punk rock bands from the Boston area. He currently plays bass guitar with the Street Dogs and has previously played with Roger Miret and the Disasters, The Bruisers and The Kickovers...
, Marcus Hollar, Tobe Bean III and Paul Rucker.
History
In 1998, McColgan left Dropkick Murphys to pursue a life-long dream of becoming a firefighter for the Boston Fire DepartmentBoston Fire Department
The Boston Fire Department provides fire protection services for Boston, Massachusetts, USA. In addition to fire protection, the Boston Fire department also provides basic emergency medical services and respond to a variety of emergencies such as, but not limited to, motor vehicle accidents,...
. In 2002, McColgan decided he could no longer stay away from music and formed Street Dogs. They first recorded a seven song-demo, which feature McColgan along with his former Dropkick Murphys bandmate Jeff Erna
Jeff Erna
Jeff Erna is an American drummer, most notable for being the original drummer for Dropkick Murphys .While with the Dropkick Murphys, he played drums on their Boys on the Docks EP . He also played on The Early Years, Fire and Brimstone, Tattoos and Scally Caps and Dropkick Murphys/Ducky Boys Split 7...
on drums, Rob Guidotti on guitar and Bill Close on bass. They signed with CrossCheck Records in 2002, with Michelle Paulhus now on bass. By the time they started recording their first album, they yet again had someone else on bass, this time Johnny Rioux
Johnny Rioux
Johnny Rioux is a Boston-based musician. He is known for playing in and working with many punk rock bands from the Boston area. He currently plays bass guitar with the Street Dogs and has previously played with Roger Miret and the Disasters, The Bruisers and The Kickovers...
. Savin Hill (which was produced by former The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. Since the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer Ben Carr have remained constant members...
member Nate Albert
Nate Albert
Nathan Albert is an American musician best known as a guitarist for ska-core band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. He left them to go to Brown University in 2000. Soon he started a new band, The Kickovers, that released one album, Osaka, and disbanded in 2003.On July 15, 2008 he was named the Vice...
and featured guest appearances by 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....
and Ken Casey
Ken Casey
Ken Casey is the bass guitarist and a vocalist of the Boston Celtic punk group Dropkick Murphys. Casey was one of the original members, starting it in 1996 with Rick Barton and Mike McColgan. He is the only original member of the Dropkick Murphys left in the band, though drummer Matt Kelly joined...
from Dropkick Murphys) was a success and resulted in a supporting tour with Celtic punk
Celtic punk
Celtic punk is punk rock mixed with traditional Celtic music. The genre was founded in the 1980s by The Pogues, a band of punk musicians in London who celebrated their Irish heritage. Celtic punk bands often play covers of traditional Irish folk and political songs, as well as original compositions...
band Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish-descendant band from Los Angeles, California, that is currently signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.-Early years:...
.
The band underwent a complete shuffle in 2004 when McColgan took a leave of absence from his firefighting career to devote time to recording and promoting their second album Back to the World
Back to the World (Street Dogs album)
Back to the World is the second album from punk band Street Dogs. The album was produced by Nate Albert, formerly of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones...
.The Street Dogs at this time enlisted Marcus Hollar on lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, and expanded the range of their sound with the addition of rhythm guitarist Tobe Bean III. The drummer's spot was filled by Joe Sirois, formerly of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
Their second release, Back To The World, proved to be even more of a success for the band. It was hailed critically in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and opened the doors to touring with the notable likes of Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
, Tiger Army
Tiger Army
Tiger Army is an American psychobilly band that was formed in 1995 in Berkeley, California. Its constant member and lead song writer is Nick 13. The band have released a total of four studio albums.-History:...
, 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...
, Millencolin
Millencolin
Millencolin is a punk rock band that was formed in October 1992 by Nikola Šarčević, Mathias Färm, and Erik Ohlsson in Örebro, Sweden. In early 1993, drummer Fredrik Larzon joined the band...
(in Europe), The Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls are a punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1987. By the time of their acknowledgment by the national punk rock scene, they had reignited a "pogo" element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-hearted songs, a model followed by various other local...
(US And Japan) and The Briefs
The Briefs
The Briefs are a punk rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 2000 and originally consisting of Daniel J. Travanti , Steve E. Nix , Lance Romance and Chris Brief . They play punk rock music, influenced by acts such as Buzzcocks, The Undertones and The Adverts...
. The band also toured on the Vans Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
in the summer of 2005 and embarked on their first headlining tours in the US and Europe.
2006 saw more shows, both headlining and opening for the likes of Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
, The Adolescents
The Adolescents
The Adolescents are an American punk band formed in 1980 in Fullerton, California. It is a punk supergroup, made up of early members of Agent Orange and Social Distortion. They are often credited as one of the leading bands of the 1980s hardcore punk scene....
and The Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls
The Bouncing Souls are a punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1987. By the time of their acknowledgment by the national punk rock scene, they had reignited a "pogo" element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-hearted songs, a model followed by various other local...
. Also in 2006, released their third album, Fading American Dream
Fading American Dream
Fading American Dream is the third album by the Street Dogs. It was released on October 24, 2006 by Brass Tacks Records, a division of DRT Entertainment.The album was released both with and without a bonus DVD.-Track listing:...
. It was recorded earlier in the year with producer Ted Hutt
Ted Hutt
Ted Hutt is a British music producer, musician, and song writer residing in Los Angeles, CA. He was the original guitar player and one of the founding members for Flogging Molly...
(Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish-descendant band from Los Angeles, California, that is currently signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.-Early years:...
, Madcap, The Bouncing Souls).
While on tour opening for Flogging Molly on February 27, 2007 show at the Sokol Auditorium
Sokol Auditorium
The Sokol Auditorium is located at 2234 South 13th Street in the Little Bohemia neighborhood of south Omaha, Nebraska. It is a local icon for its historical context, as well as modern musical performances and gymnastics....
in Omaha, NE, bass player Johnny Rioux collapsed on stage due to an apparent seizure. McColgan stopped the show and called for paramedics. At the start of the Flogging Molly set, lead singer Dave King dedicated the show to Johnny and announced that he was all right and would be well enough to play the next night in St. Louis. Following that tour, more dates came headlining as well as European shows.
In February 2008, it was announced that the Street Dogs signed on to Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an off-shoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz carp Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, the latter of whom is generally responsible for...
. Their fourth album, State of Grace
State of Grace (album)
State of Grace is the fourth album by the Street Dogs. It was released on July 8, 2008. It was produced by Ted Hutt and is the band's first album on Hellcat Records. It includes a cover of the The Skids' "Into the Valley"...
, for Hellcat, which they started recording in early February 2008, once again with Ted Hutt
Ted Hutt
Ted Hutt is a British music producer, musician, and song writer residing in Los Angeles, CA. He was the original guitar player and one of the founding members for Flogging Molly...
was released on July 8, 2008.
At recent shows, Street Dogs have been promoting Oxfam America, a humanitarian organization fighting poverty and hunger. McColgan spoke to the crowd mid-set at the Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey in May 2008 about the organization while wearing an Oxfam t-shirt.
In support of State of Grace, the band toured at the 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...
Warped Tour 2008
Warped Tour 2008
Warped Tour 2008 was the 2008 installment of the annual Summer Warped Tour music festival. Vans Shoes was again the tour's primary sponsor.-Main stage:*The Academy Is...*Against Me! *All That Remains...
as a main stage act. Following their Warped tour stint, the group set out on their successful fall State Of Grace headlining tour and then went to Europe for the European Eastpak Antidote tour.
The band released their fifth album, Street Dogs
Street Dogs (album)
-Credits:*Mike McColgan – vocals*Johnny Rioux – bass*Marcus Hollar – lead guitar*Tobe Bean III - rhythm guitar*Paul Rucker – drums...
, on August 31, 2010 on Hellcat Records.
On February 21, 2011 the band performed at an acoustic show with Tom Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
, Tim McIlrath
Tim McIlrath
Timothy "Tim" James McIlrath is an American punk rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder for the American punk rock band Rise Against. McIlrath is known to support animal rights and actively promotes PETA with his band...
, Wayne Kramer
Wayne Kramer (guitarist)
Wayne Kramer is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and film and television scorer....
, and Ike Reilly
Ike Reilly
Ike Reilly is a musician from Libertyville, Illinois.In 2003 Reilly and bandmates Tommy O'Donnell, Ed Tinley, Dave Cottini, Phil Karnats assumed the name The Ike Reilly Assassination and released "Sparkle in the Finish."The band is well-known by fans of TJ & Dave, an improv duo that performs...
in Madison, WI in support of the ongoing protests against Gov. Scott Walker's
Scott Walker (politician)
Scott Kevin Walker is an American Republican politician who began serving as the 45th Governor of Wisconsin on January 3, 2011, after defeating Democratic candidate Tom Barrett, 52 percent to 47 percent in the November 2010 general election...
proposed Budget Repair Bill.
The Street Dogs announced in March that they will be doing a five week stint on the 2011 Vans Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
, from June 24 until July 30. This will be their third time on the tour, after 2005 and 2008. Street Dogs will follow Warped with a European festival tour in August, and then Australia and Japan in October.
Current
- Mike McColganMike McColganMichael "Mike" McColgan is best known as the original lead singer of the Irish American outfit Dropkick Murphys and the current lead singer of the Street Dogs....
– vocals (2002–present) - Johnny RiouxJohnny RiouxJohnny Rioux is a Boston-based musician. He is known for playing in and working with many punk rock bands from the Boston area. He currently plays bass guitar with the Street Dogs and has previously played with Roger Miret and the Disasters, The Bruisers and The Kickovers...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2003–present) - Marcus Hollar – lead 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...
(2004–present) - Tobe Bean III – rhythm 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...
(2004–present) - Paul Rucker – drumDrum 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 ....
s (2007–present)
Former
- Rob Guidotti – 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...
(2002–2004) - Jeff ErnaJeff ErnaJeff Erna is an American drummer, most notable for being the original drummer for Dropkick Murphys .While with the Dropkick Murphys, he played drums on their Boys on the Docks EP . He also played on The Early Years, Fire and Brimstone, Tattoos and Scally Caps and Dropkick Murphys/Ducky Boys Split 7...
– drums (2002–2004) - Joe SiroisJoe SiroisJoe Sirois is an American drummer who played with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones from 1991 until their hiatus in 2003. He also played drums for the Boston based band Street Dogs from 2004 to 2007 when he reunited with the Bosstones....
– drums (2004–2007) - Bill Close - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2002) - Michelle Paulhus - bass (2002–2003)
Albums
- Savin Hill (2003)
- Back to the WorldBack to the World (Street Dogs album)Back to the World is the second album from punk band Street Dogs. The album was produced by Nate Albert, formerly of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones...
(2005) - Fading American DreamFading American DreamFading American Dream is the third album by the Street Dogs. It was released on October 24, 2006 by Brass Tacks Records, a division of DRT Entertainment.The album was released both with and without a bonus DVD.-Track listing:...
(2006) - State of GraceState of Grace (album)State of Grace is the fourth album by the Street Dogs. It was released on July 8, 2008. It was produced by Ted Hutt and is the band's first album on Hellcat Records. It includes a cover of the The Skids' "Into the Valley"...
(2008) - Street DogsStreet Dogs (album)-Credits:*Mike McColgan – vocals*Johnny Rioux – bass*Marcus Hollar – lead guitar*Tobe Bean III - rhythm guitar*Paul Rucker – drums...
(2010)
Singles/EPs
- Demo (2002)
- Round One (split EP with The Dents) (2004)
- Includes two tracks by Street Dogs, "Savin Hill" from Savin Hill and "One Of a Kind" exclusive to this release
- Tale of Mass Deception (2004)
- Includes two songs from Back to the World, "In Defense of Dorchester" and "Tale of Mass Deception", and two from Savin Hill, "Declaraion" and "Borstal Breakout"
- "Two Angry Kids" (2009)
- A digital single, includes "Two Angry Kids" from State of Grace and the exclusive b-side "Broke Down Inside"
Compilation appearances
- Fat City Presents: Bands We Like, Vol. 1 (2003)
- Includes the demo version of "Cut Down on the 12th" from Savin Hill
- Old Skars and Upstarts 2004 (2004)
- Includes "Lock and Loaded", previously a vinyl-only bonus track on Savin Hill
- Fat City Presents: Bands We Like, Vol. 2 (2005)
- Includes an alternate version of "Unions and the Law" from Back to the World
- Old Skars and Upstarts 2005 (2005)
- Includes "Drink Tonight"
- "Atticus: Dragging the Lake Volume III" (2005)
- Includes "In Defense of Dorchester"
- Backyard City Rockers 4 (2007)
- Includes "Decency Police"
- Warped Tour 2005 Tour Compilation (2005)
- Includes "You Alone"
- Warped Tour 2008 Tour CompilationWarped Tour 2008 Tour CompilationThe Warped Tour 2008 Tour Compilation is the thirteenth installment in the annual compilation series accompanying the Warped Tour. The cover is a photograph of Underoath singer Spencer Chamberlain. The 2008 Warped Tour Compilation was produced by Jon Pebsworth and Mike Pelak.- Track listing :...
(2008)- Includes "Mean Fist"
- New NoiseNew NoiseNew Noise is a compilation album by American record label Epitaph. The album features 14 tracks by artists either currently signed with Epitaph or had released their tracks included under the label. It was released worldwide on June 15, 2010 via digital download...
(2010)- Includes "Rattle and Roll"