The Riverboat Gamblers
Encyclopedia
The Riverboat Gamblers are a punk rock
band originally from Denton, Texas
but now residing in Austin, Texas
. They are currently signed to Volcom Entertainment
.
Their song "Don't Bury Me...I'm Still Not Dead" is featured in the video game Rock Band 3
.
), formed The Riverboat Gamblers with Fadi el-Assad ("Freddy Castro") (Lead Guitar
), and Mike Wiebe ("Wookie Sensation") (vocals
). Lillard's original intention was to emulate Virginia rockers The Candy Snatchers in direct contrast to the popular emo
music at the time, The Riverboat Gamblers' premiere show featured over-the-top songs relating to drinking
and of course, gambling
, tongue planted firmly in cheek. The Riverboat Gamblers continued to play house parties and shows throughout Denton and the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The Gamblers burst out of the Denton college scene in September 2001 on the back of their self-released 7" single "Jenna (Is A No Show)" Both 2001's self-titled release and 2003's Something to Crow About
were produced by Texas punk rocker Tim Kerr (Big Boys, Lord High Fixers).
After the warm reception of Something to Crow About
, the band soon relocated from Denton, Texas to Austin, Texas. The band first received attention from major record labels after their energetic and rowdy showcase at the 2003 South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas, but the band ultimately signed with indie label Gearhead Records. In 2005 they were signed to Volcom Entertainment
and performed a stint on the 2005 Warped Tour
, where the band was often noticed for its deranged live shows. The silliness of some of the earlier material has given way to a more complex breadth of material about America's maligned. They opened for Rancid and Rise Against in the summer of 2009.
They have also appeared on the soundtracks to the videogames Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
("Hey! Hey! Hey!"), Madden NFL 07
("On Again Off Again"), Skate 2
("Uh Oh!"), Rock Band 3
("Don't Bury Me... I'm Still Not Dead") and FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage
("True Crime"). In 2010 they performed on the Vans Warped Tour in the United States and the Eastpak Antidote Tour in Europe.
Previous members have included bassist Pat Lillard ("Spider"), guitarist Jeremy Diaz ("Smokey"), guitarist Colin Jones ("Colin Ambulance"), drummer Chris Adams ("Tuffy McKeller"), drummer Luke Abbey, and drummer Jesse Hamilton ("Jesse 3X"). Jeremy Diaz was the first to leave due to legal troubles in his home of Fort Worth. Clayton Mills, who also recorded their first demo, filled in for Jeremy for a short time as rhythm guitar. At a number of shows Mills also came on stage to form a 6-piece, 3-guitar band.
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 Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
but now residing in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. They are currently signed to Volcom Entertainment
Volcom Entertainment
Volcom Entertainment, officially founded in 1995, in Newport Beach, California, and currently based in Costa Mesa, CA is the brainchild of Volcom founder Richard Woolcott and theLINE's singer/guitarist Ryan Immegart. Ryan being Volcom's first sponsored snowboarder and having a love for music...
.
Their song "Don't Bury Me...I'm Still Not Dead" is featured in the video game Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
.
History
In 1997, former Blanks member Pat Lillard ("Spider Stewart") (BassBass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
), formed The Riverboat Gamblers with Fadi el-Assad ("Freddy Castro") (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 Mike Wiebe ("Wookie Sensation") (vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
). Lillard's original intention was to emulate Virginia rockers The Candy Snatchers in direct contrast to the popular emo
Emo (music)
Emo is a style of rock music characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional lyrics. It originated in the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D.C., where it was known as "emotional hardcore" or "emocore" and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace...
music at the time, The Riverboat Gamblers' premiere show featured over-the-top songs relating to drinking
Drinking
Drinking is the act of consuming water or a beverage through the mouth. Water is required for many of life’s physiological processes. Both excessive and inadequate water intake are associated with health problems.-Physiology:...
and of course, gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, tongue planted firmly in cheek. The Riverboat Gamblers continued to play house parties and shows throughout Denton and the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The Gamblers burst out of the Denton college scene in September 2001 on the back of their self-released 7" single "Jenna (Is A No Show)" Both 2001's self-titled release and 2003's Something to Crow About
Something to crow about
Something to Crow About is the second studio album from the punk rock band, The Riverboat Gamblers.-Track listing:#"Let's Eat"#"What's What"#"Rattle Me Bones"#"Hey! Hey! Hey!"#"Save You"#"Sparks & Shots"#"Ice Water"#"Ooh Yeah"...
were produced by Texas punk rocker Tim Kerr (Big Boys, Lord High Fixers).
After the warm reception of Something to Crow About
Something to crow about
Something to Crow About is the second studio album from the punk rock band, The Riverboat Gamblers.-Track listing:#"Let's Eat"#"What's What"#"Rattle Me Bones"#"Hey! Hey! Hey!"#"Save You"#"Sparks & Shots"#"Ice Water"#"Ooh Yeah"...
, the band soon relocated from Denton, Texas to Austin, Texas. The band first received attention from major record labels after their energetic and rowdy showcase at the 2003 South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas, but the band ultimately signed with indie label Gearhead Records. In 2005 they were signed to Volcom Entertainment
Volcom Entertainment
Volcom Entertainment, officially founded in 1995, in Newport Beach, California, and currently based in Costa Mesa, CA is the brainchild of Volcom founder Richard Woolcott and theLINE's singer/guitarist Ryan Immegart. Ryan being Volcom's first sponsored snowboarder and having a love for music...
and performed a stint on the 2005 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...
, where the band was often noticed for its deranged live shows. The silliness of some of the earlier material has given way to a more complex breadth of material about America's maligned. They opened for Rancid and Rise Against in the summer of 2009.
They have also appeared on the soundtracks to the videogames Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, abbreviated to THAW, is a video game that was released for the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo GameCube and PC on October 18, 2005. Part of the Tony Hawk series, the game was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision.The PC version of the game was ported and...
("Hey! Hey! Hey!"), Madden NFL 07
Madden NFL 07
Madden NFL 07 is the 2007 edition of the popular Madden NFL series. It is the first in the video game series to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles. Former Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander is on the cover.-Features:...
("On Again Off Again"), Skate 2
Skate 2
Skate 2 is a sandbox skateboarding video game developed by EA Black Box and distributed by Electronic Arts as a sequel to the 2007 game, Skate. Skate 2 was released in January 2009 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.-Plot:...
("Uh Oh!"), Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3
Rock Band 3 is a music video game, developed by Harmonix Music Systems. The game was initially published and distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts, respectively, with Mad Catz taking over both roles a year later. It is the third main game in the Rock Band series...
("Don't Bury Me... I'm Still Not Dead") and FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage
FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage
Hypers Maurice Branscombe commended the game for "looking and playing better than ever before". However, he criticized the game for its soundtracks and stated that "its load times are too long"....
("True Crime"). In 2010 they performed on the Vans Warped Tour in the United States and the Eastpak Antidote Tour in Europe.
Band members
- Mike Wiebe ("Teko Buller" or "Wookie Sensation") - 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...
- Fadi el-Assad ("Freddy Castro") - Lead GuitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Ian McDougall - 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...
- Rob Marchant - BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Sam Keir ("About That") - Drums
Previous members have included bassist Pat Lillard ("Spider"), guitarist Jeremy Diaz ("Smokey"), guitarist Colin Jones ("Colin Ambulance"), drummer Chris Adams ("Tuffy McKeller"), drummer Luke Abbey, and drummer Jesse Hamilton ("Jesse 3X"). Jeremy Diaz was the first to leave due to legal troubles in his home of Fort Worth. Clayton Mills, who also recorded their first demo, filled in for Jeremy for a short time as rhythm guitar. At a number of shows Mills also came on stage to form a 6-piece, 3-guitar band.
Discography
- Mean Motormachine/Jenna (Is a No Show) 7" (self-released) (2001)
- The Riverboat Gamblers (Beatville/Vilebeat Records) (2001)
- Something to Crow AboutSomething to crow aboutSomething to Crow About is the second studio album from the punk rock band, The Riverboat Gamblers.-Track listing:#"Let's Eat"#"What's What"#"Rattle Me Bones"#"Hey! Hey! Hey!"#"Save You"#"Sparks & Shots"#"Ice Water"#"Ooh Yeah"...
(Gearhead Records) (2003) - Backsides (Beatville/Vilebeat Records) (2004)
- To the Confusion of Our Enemies (Volcom Entertainment/No Idea) (2006)
- Underneath the Owl (Volcom Entertainment) (2009)
- Smash/Grab EP (Paper + Plastic) (2011)
- That's Entertainment! Split 7" w/ Electric Eel ShockElectric Eel ShockElectric Eel Shock are a three-piece garage metal band, formed in Tokyo in the late 1990s. They first toured the United States in 1999 and have been touring the world ever since.-Early years of EES:...
(Gearhead Records) (2004) - A Tribute To The Big Boys Split 7" w/Throw RagThrow RagThrow Rag is a four piece punk rock band from the Salton Sea, California. Formed in 1993, Throw Rag has been fronted by Sean Wheeler aka Captain Sean Doe aka Diamond Boss aka Sun Trash since the inception of the band...
(Date Shake Records) - Riverboat Gamblers/Generators 7" (Pirates Press)
- Keep Me From Drinking/No Fair B-sides 7" (Volcom Entertainment)
- Chemical X DVD Music Video Compilation (Geykido Comet RecordsGeykido Comet RecordsGeykido Comet Records began as a small and humble bedroom operation in 1998 seeing the first release in January 1999: Intro5pect 7-inch EP "Education"....
) - Purplish Rain SPIN RECORDS PRESENTS Compilation "Lets Go Crazy" (2009)
- "Knowledge" an Operation Ivy song covered with Radio Havanna,Jim Lindberg(ex-pennywise) & The Black Pacific on iTunes. 100% of the proceeds from the song are going to Skate-aid, which uses the sport to help kids in high conflict areas.(2011)
External links
- The Riverboat Gamblers official home page
- The Riverboat Gamblers MP3s, Tour Dates, Discography
- The Riverboat Gamblers official MySpace page
- The Riverboat Gamblers fan page on Facebook
- Plots & Schemes 2006 Tour with Dead To Me
- CrashCam Films (CrashCam Films home page) - filmmaker Bob RayBob RayBob Ray is an independent American filmmaker based out of Austin, Texas.In 1994 Ray founded the production company CrashCam Films. CrashCam Films' first productions were narrative Super 8 mm films and music videos...
's Austin, Texas based production company that created music videos for The Riverboat Gamblers' songs "What's What" - The Riverboat Gambler's Interview and Live Footage