The Box Social
Encyclopedia
The Box Social was an American
rock band
from the Midwestern United States
based in Madison, Wisconsin
, the state's capital in the south-central region, that broke up in November 2008. While usually classified as pop rock
or power pop
, the band drew influences from grunge
, country
, and alternative
genres, citing bands such as Nirvana
, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Replacements, and REM as their major forebears.
c. 2002 by singer/songwriter Nick Junkunc, drummer
Brian Peoplis, and bassist
Mike Ewing. The band's name is a reference to a The Simpsons
episode in which Marge
tells Homer
"no par-tays, no shindigs, no keggers, no hootenannies, no , no , no box socials!" in order to keep him from holding parties at Mr. Burns's home.
After approximately 10 shows in Milwaukee suburbs, Nick Woods created a Web site for the group, Woods later joined the band as lead guitar. The new lineup (Junkunc/Woods/Peoplis/Ewing) performed their first at a party in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
in May 2003.
In June 2003, the band recorded their first set of demos called What, Too Soon? Released and sold to their friends in a run of 100 CD-R
copies. They have since sold out and have not been repressed. The band began performing on a more regular basis in basements within Milwaukee's Riverwest Neighborhood. No Karma Recordings founder Michael Wojtasiak saw the band and kept in touch.
The Box Social recorded their second disc Golly Gee Whiz! in July 2004, subsequently released by Mike Graff and Qdot Records in a run of 150 CD-R
copies. The covers were designed, silkscreened and numbered by hand in Madison by an artist duo The Little Friends of Printmaking. The band sold the majority of them before the remaining 10-20 copies were stolen when the band performed at Onopa Brewing Co.
In August 2004, the band went on their first tour, lasting a week, with six performances in St. Paul
, , Kansas City
, St. Louis, Peoria
, and Chicago
.
In September 2004, Junkunc and Ewing joined Woods at UW-Madison, while Peoplis remained in Milwaukee. The band fired Mike Ewing soon thereafter, and began searching for a new bassist - Zach Rapport filled in until Matt Kuehl joined mid-month.
In January 2005, the new lineup went on their second tour - an 11-day trip to New York City
and back, and performed live on 91.7 WMSE
. The band made a second trip out to NYC that spring to perform as house band for the Banished To Siberia comedy showcase, before returning home and recording their EP
Blown To Bits with Shane Olivo at Bobby Peru's Recording Studio. The album was released worldwide by No Karma Recordings in October 2005 as a limited pressing of 1,000 CDs. Soon after recording the EP, the band fired Matt Kuehl, and replaced him with Adam Melberth that September.
In January 2006, Junkunc, Woods, Melberth and Peoplis went on an 11-day trip to the Southern and East-Central United States, performing in Kansas City
, Oklahoma City
, Texas
, Louisiana
, Tennessee
, Arkansas
and Indiana
among others. The band parted ways with Adam Melberth in March, 2006. Peoplis's friend Dave Griesbach replaced him that month.
The band began recording demos for what would become the full-length album Get Going in April 2006 with engineers Shane Olivo and Justin Perkins. After a 3-week tour that took the band through the Rocky Mountains
and up the West Coast, the group returned home to begin pre-production with Dave Rieley, who later recorded the album's 11 songs at Rax Trax and Chicago Recording Company
in Chicago, IL over the Winter of 2006 and 2007. The album was co-released on June 9, 2007 by Bright Ideas and No Karma Recordings on an unlimited basis.
The band has toured extensively throughout the continental United States and has made notable appearances at such popular music events such as the Vans Warped Tour, Summerfest
, and CMJ Music Festival. They have been voted Best Band in Wisconsin by viewers of FuseTV, and Best Emerging Artist by Summerfest attendees.
The Box Social agreeably disbanded in late October 2008, citing diverging personal agendas as the primary cause for the split.
The Onion
Delusions of Adequacy
Nashville Scene
Culture Bunker
Shepherd Express
Independent Clauses
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
based in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, the state's capital in the south-central region, that broke up in November 2008. While usually classified as pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
or power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
, the band drew influences from grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, and alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
genres, citing bands such as Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Replacements, and REM as their major forebears.
History
The Box Social was founded in Mequon, WisconsinMequon, Wisconsin
Mequon is a city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. It had a population of 21,823 at the 2000 census, and an estimated population of 23,739 in July 2009...
c. 2002 by singer/songwriter Nick Junkunc, drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Brian Peoplis, and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Mike Ewing. The band's name is a reference to a The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode in which Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
tells Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
"no par-tays, no shindigs, no keggers, no hootenannies, no , no , no box socials!" in order to keep him from holding parties at Mr. Burns's home.
After approximately 10 shows in Milwaukee suburbs, Nick Woods created a Web site for the group, Woods later joined the band as lead guitar. The new lineup (Junkunc/Woods/Peoplis/Ewing) performed their first at a party in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Menomonee Falls is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, and is part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population was 35,626 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous village in Wisconsin. It is the fourth largest community in Waukesha County...
in May 2003.
In June 2003, the band recorded their first set of demos called What, Too Soon? Released and sold to their friends in a run of 100 CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
copies. They have since sold out and have not been repressed. The band began performing on a more regular basis in basements within Milwaukee's Riverwest Neighborhood. No Karma Recordings founder Michael Wojtasiak saw the band and kept in touch.
The Box Social recorded their second disc Golly Gee Whiz! in July 2004, subsequently released by Mike Graff and Qdot Records in a run of 150 CD-R
CD-R
A CD-R is a variation of the Compact Disc invented by Philips and Sony. CD-R is a Write Once Read Many optical medium, though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session....
copies. The covers were designed, silkscreened and numbered by hand in Madison by an artist duo The Little Friends of Printmaking. The band sold the majority of them before the remaining 10-20 copies were stolen when the band performed at Onopa Brewing Co.
In August 2004, the band went on their first tour, lasting a week, with six performances in St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, , Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, St. Louis, Peoria
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
In September 2004, Junkunc and Ewing joined Woods at UW-Madison, while Peoplis remained in Milwaukee. The band fired Mike Ewing soon thereafter, and began searching for a new bassist - Zach Rapport filled in until Matt Kuehl joined mid-month.
In January 2005, the new lineup went on their second tour - an 11-day trip to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and back, and performed live on 91.7 WMSE
WMSE
WMSE is a non-commercial radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, playing a wide-ranging eclectic music format run by volunteer DJ's. The station is part of the Milwaukee School of Engineering .-Early history of MSOE stations:...
. The band made a second trip out to NYC that spring to perform as house band for the Banished To Siberia comedy showcase, before returning home and recording their 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...
Blown To Bits with Shane Olivo at Bobby Peru's Recording Studio. The album was released worldwide by No Karma Recordings in October 2005 as a limited pressing of 1,000 CDs. Soon after recording the EP, the band fired Matt Kuehl, and replaced him with Adam Melberth that September.
In January 2006, Junkunc, Woods, Melberth and Peoplis went on an 11-day trip to the Southern and East-Central United States, performing in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, 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...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
among others. The band parted ways with Adam Melberth in March, 2006. Peoplis's friend Dave Griesbach replaced him that month.
The band began recording demos for what would become the full-length album Get Going in April 2006 with engineers Shane Olivo and Justin Perkins. After a 3-week tour that took the band through the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
and up the West Coast, the group returned home to begin pre-production with Dave Rieley, who later recorded the album's 11 songs at Rax Trax and Chicago Recording Company
Chicago Recording Company
Chicago Recording Company, or CRC, is a recording studio in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1975.Boasting twelve studios and a DVD authoring suite, CRC is the largest recording company in the midwest...
in Chicago, IL over the Winter of 2006 and 2007. The album was co-released on June 9, 2007 by Bright Ideas and No Karma Recordings on an unlimited basis.
The band has toured extensively throughout the continental United States and has made notable appearances at such popular music events such as the Vans Warped Tour, Summerfest
Summerfest
Summerfest is a yearly music festival held at the Henry Maier Festival Park along the lakefront in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The festival lasts for 11 days, is made up of 11 stages with performances from over 700 bands, and since the mid-1970s has run from late June through early July, usually...
, and CMJ Music Festival. They have been voted Best Band in Wisconsin by viewers of FuseTV, and Best Emerging Artist by Summerfest attendees.
The Box Social agreeably disbanded in late October 2008, citing diverging personal agendas as the primary cause for the split.
Members
| Current Members | Past Members |
|---|---|
| Nick Junkunc - Vocals/Guitar | Adam Melberth (Bass, 2005–2006) |
| Dave Griesbach - Bass/Vocals | Matt Kuehl (Bass, 2004–2005) |
| Nick Woods - Guitar | Mike Ewing (Bass, 2002–2004) |
| Brian Peoplis - Drums |
Discography
| Title | Description | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Get Going | 11 tracks, unlimited run | Bright Ideas / No Karma |
| Blown To Bits | 5 tracks, 1,000 CDs out of print | No Karma Recordings |
| Golly Gee Whiz! | 6 tracks, 150 CD-R copies, out of print | Qdot Records |
| What, Too Soon? | 5 tracks, 100 CDR copies, out of print | self-released |
Notable Press
Hybrid MagazineThe Onion
Delusions of Adequacy
Nashville Scene
Culture Bunker
Shepherd Express
Independent Clauses