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Dance Hall Crashers

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Dance Hall Crashers
Lead singers Karina Deniké (foreground) and Elyse Rogers (1998)
Lead singers Karina Deniké (foreground) and Elyse Rogers (1998)
Background information
Also known asDHC
OriginBerkeley, California, United States
GenresSka punk, pop punk
Years active1989–1990; 1992–2004
LabelsMoon Ska, MCA, Pink and Black
MembersElyse Rogers
Karina Deniké
Jason Hammon
Mikey Weiss
Gavin Hammon
Past membersAndrew Champion
Scott Goodell
Ingrid Jonsson
Leland McNeely
Tim Armstrong
Matt Freeman
Joel Wing
Erik Larsen aka Erik Kolacek
Joey Schaaf
J. Grant Mcintire
Alex Baker
Dean Olmstead
Dave Camp
John Pantle
Mason St. Peters
Mike Park

Dance Hall Crashers (often abbreviated to DHC) was an American ska punk band formed in 1989 in Berkeley, California. Initially founded by former Operation Ivy members Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, the band has had a fluid lineup over its career, with the most recent lineup (last active in 2004) includes Elyse Rogers and Karina Deniké[a] on vocals, brothers Jason Hammon and Gavin Hammon on guitar and drums respectively, and Mikey Weiss on bass. They have released four studio albums, highlighted by the 1995 release Lockjaw which featured the minor hit song "Enough", produced by Rob Cavallo and featured in the film Angus.

Biography

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Early years

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The original incarnation of the Dance Hall Crashers (named after the Alton Ellis song "Dance Crasher") was formed in 1989 by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong, formerly of the seminal Bay Area ska-punk band Operation Ivy,[2] after both musicians expressed an interest in starting a band rooted in more traditional ska and rocksteady than what they had been playing with Operation Ivy. The first line-up featured Armstrong on vocals and Freeman on guitar, as well as drummer Erik Larsen (whom they specifically lured away from a rocksteady band called "The Liquidators"). The band also featured keyboardist Joey Schaaf, vocalists Ingrid Jonsson and Andrew Champion, guitarist Grant McIntire, and bassist Joel Wing.[citation needed]

The band experimented with various songs and styles until they played their first show at 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley in 1989. Shortly after their debut, however, Freeman and Armstrong left to pursue other interests, mainly another punk-based ska project called Downfall.[citation needed]

After numerous membership changes which eventually left only the original drummer Larsen and bassist Wing, DHC solidified a line-up with dual vocalists Karina Deniké Schwarz and Elyse Rogers, guitarists Jason Hammon and Jaime McCormick, and drummer Gavin Hammon (Jason's brother). Following a period of steady gigging, DHC finally caught a break after being booked at an all-ska Earth Day festival at Berkeley's Greek Theatre in 1990, opening for Bad Manners. During this time they would occasionally open for The Toasters playing alongside other up-and-coming ska bands, including Let's Go Bowling.[3][4] That year, the band recorded their debut album for Moon Ska Records, though trouble within the band led to a break-up soon after.[5] Elyse Rogers revealed in a 1993 interview with the Honolulu Star-Bulletin prior to a show in Hawaii that part of the reason for the band's breakup was a result of much of the band being under 21 years of age at that time, which prohibited those members from leaving the backstage area during shows.[6]

Breakthrough

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Their debut album became a word-of-mouth underground hit even with the band disbanded, and the group reunited in 1991 at Slim's for a sold-out performance.[5] In 1992, bowing to fan pressure, DHC reunited for a one-off series of gigs (occasionally playing alongside Hepcat),[7][8] but after the positive response to their performance, the band chose to reform on a permanent basis. In 1993, to commemorate their reunion, Moon Records released a CD compilation of the band's entire body of work from 1989 to 1992, appropriately titled 1989–1992.[9] The August 1993 lineup consisted of co-vocalists Elyse Rogers and Karina Schwarz (Denike), Jason Hammon and Scott Goodell on guitar and saxist Dean Olmstead; Rogers was also serving as Hepcat’s manager.[10] A revised lineup in April 1994 added Jason Hammon's brother Gavin on drums, Mikey Weiss (drums), plus John Pantle and Mason St. Peters (horn section). "Go", which would later be incorporated into Lockjaw, was released exclusively to Hawaii in early-1994 as a cassette single.[11]

As the band began touring nationally by the mid-1990s, the line-up changed once again, now featuring Rogers, Denike, Hammon, his brother Gavin Hammon on drums, guitarist Scott Goodell and bassist Mikey Weiss.[5] In 1995, DHC were the very first group signed to MCA Records subsidiary 510 records, and issued their second LP Lockjaw the same year.[9] Lockjaw was the first DHC release without a horn section, and had a harder, guitar-driven pop punk sound than the band's prior recordings.[5] The album's single, "Enough", was featured on the soundtrack to the film Angus, and the accompanying music video received moderate airplay on MTV's 120 Minutes. Weiss recalls that he was working in a record store when Lockjaw was released; curious customers would ask about the band or their sound, and the other employees would point him out as the bass player.[12]

A re-issue of 1989–1992 was released as The Old Record in late 1996 on Fat Wreck Chords' Honest Don's label. DHC's second MCA record, Honey, I'm Homely!, was released in 1997. This proved to be the band's breakthrough album, peaking at No. 22 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers. The leading singles "Lost Again" and "Mr. Blue" enjoyed steady rotation on local and college radio stations across the United States, and music videos were filmed for both tracks.[citation needed]

The band toured extensively throughout the mid to late 1990s, both as a headliner and opening for bands such as The Mighty Mighty Bosstones,[9] Bad Religion,[13] and The Lemons.[14] In addition, the band played festivals such as the Warped Tour and Lilith Fair. Due to the heavy touring schedule, Scott Goodell bowed out from his guitar duties in 1996; the band asked Phil Ensor from Limp and later, Billy Bouchard to stand in for live shows until the need for a second guitarist was nixed and Hammon handled all guitar parts himself.[citation needed]

Hiatus and reunions

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In 1998, DHC released their last release with MCA, the EP Blue Plate Special. The EP contained a short collection of songs recorded for other compilations/soundtracks, unreleased and remixed material, and a CD-ROM of photos and the band's four music videos.[15] In 1999, the band signed with independent label Pink and Black Records, releasing their fourth LP Purr in 1999[16] and the live album The Live Record: Witless Banter and 25 Mildly Antagonistic Songs About Love in 2000.[17][b]

DHC started playing less frequently in the early 2000s as band members either pursued higher education or moved on with their careers outside the band. They limited their performances to West Coast and Hawaiian shows and occasional appearances at events such as the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.[19][20][21] In November 2004, the band recorded a show at the Hollywood House of Blues which was later released on DVD by Kung Fu Records as part of their The Show Must Go Off! series. Although the performance included an unreleased song and made mention of the band working on a new studio album, the show proved to be DHC's last performance to date as the band has since gone on hiatus. Although they have not explicitly stated having broken up, there has been no announcement of any future plans to resume touring or recording. The band continues to be active on social media as of 2023.[22]

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The band is referenced (alongside Unwritten Law) in the lyric "Yeah my girlfriend likes UL and DHC" on Blink-182's 1998 single "Josie".

Multiple Dance Hall Crashers songs have been featured in movies/films:

Song Album Movie Reference
"Enough" Lockjaw Angus [23]
"Don't Wanna Behave" Lockjaw Bio-Dome [23]
"I Want It All" Honey, I'm Homely! Home Alone 3 [24]
"She's Trying" Blue Plate Special The Show [15]
"Lady Luck" Blue Plate Special Meet the Deedles [15]

Members

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Current

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  • Elyse Rogers – vocals, manager
  • Karina Deniké – vocals
  • Jason Hammon – guitar
  • Mikey Weiss – bass
  • Gavin Hammon – drums

Former

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  • Mat Snyder – trombone[25]
  • Tim Armstrong – vocals
  • Andrew "Andrew Champion" Ataie – vocals
  • J. Grant McIntire – guitar
  • Alex Baker – bass
  • Phil Ensor – guitar[1]
  • Billy Bouchard – guitar
  • Matt Freeman – vocals, bass
  • Scott Goodell – guitar
  • Jeremy Goody – trumpet
  • Damien Rasmussen – percussion[25]
  • Ingrid Jonsson – vocals
  • Erik Larsen, aka Erik Kolacek – drums
  • Jaime McCormick – guitar
  • Leland McNeely
  • Gavin DiStasi – trumpet[25]
  • Dave Camp† – guitar[6]
  • Joey Schaaf – keyboard
  • Mike Shawcross – drums[citation needed]
  • Joel Wing – bass
  • Harvey Hawks – trumpet[25]
  • Kincaid Smith – trumpet
  • Jason Bermak – saxophone[25]
  • Efren Santana – saxophone
  • Joshi Marshall – saxophone[25]
  • Matt Morrish – saxophone[26]
  • Dean Olmstead – saxophone[6]
  • John Pantle - horns[11]
  • Mason St. Peters - horns[11]
  • Mike Park - horns[26]
  • T-Bone Willy - horns[26]

Discography

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Studio albums

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EPs

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  • Blue Plate Special EP (1998), MCA

Live albums

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  • The Live Record: Witless Banter & 25 Mildly Antagonistic Songs About Love (2000), Pink and Black[b]
  • Live at the House of Blues (2005), (The Show Must Go Off! live DVD)

Compilations

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  • 1989–1992 (1993), Moon Records (includes most of contents of first two releases, and some single/compilation material)
  • The Old Record (1996), Honest Don's Records (reprint of 1989–1992 with the song "Time To Ease Up" excluded)

Demos

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Notes

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  1. ^ Deniké derives from Adenike (one of Karina's middle names).[1]
  2. ^ a b Recorded at The Troubadour in November 1999[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b Elyse Rogers, Karina Deniké, Mikey Weiss, Phil Ensor, Gavin Hammon (December 5, 1998). "Aaron Wolfe and the DHC #2". crashers.com (Interview). Interviewed by Aaron Wolfe. Archived from the original on 1998-12-05 – via Wayback Machine.{{cite interview}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    See also: Dance Hall Crashers (Articles)
  2. ^ Livermore, Larry (15 March 2012). "Scene Of The Crime". Larry Livermore [blog]. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  3. ^ "LA Weekly Calendar (March 8, 1990)". LA Weekly. March 8, 1990. p. 86. Retrieved October 13, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Exhibits". The San Francisco Examiner. December 23, 1990. p. 163. Retrieved October 13, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c d Boehm, Mike (January 13, 1996). "Crashers' Course: Dance Hall's Path Furthers Young America's Education in a Hybrid of Ska-Pop-Punk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  6. ^ a b c Berger, John (March 18, 1993). "Ska Band Skates on Harder Age". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. pp. 33, 35. Retrieved October 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
    Page 35
  7. ^ "333 Eleventh Street (Show Schedule)". The San Francisco Examiner. June 14, 1992. p. 220. Retrieved October 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Connick's '25' and 'Eleven' Dragged Down by His 88s". The Los Angeles Times. November 22, 1992. p. 204. Retrieved October 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b c Thompson, Dave (2000). Alternative Rock. San Francisco: Miller Freeman Books. pp. 314–315. ISBN 0-87930-607-6. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  10. ^ Kehrer, Bobb (August 11, 1993). "Haven't Heard Ska? Check Out the Dance Hall Crashers". The Belleville News-Democrat. Belleville, IL. p. 22. Retrieved October 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c Berger, John (April 1, 1994). "Crash and Yearn". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. p. 17. Retrieved October 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Jason Hammon, Elyse Rogers, and Mikey Weiss (1995). "Dance Hall Crashers" (Interview). Interviewed by Jeff Jolley. Rational Alternative Digital. Retrieved 6 July 2018.{{cite interview}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Dancehall (sic) Crashers Breeze Into Town for All-Age Concert". The Review-Herald. January 22, 1997. p. 27. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Lencioni, Marisa (June 4, 1996). "Lemons' New Twist". The News Tribune. pp. 45, 46. Retrieved October 15, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
    Page 46
  15. ^ a b c Dedrick, Jay (December 27, 1998). "Blue Plate Special (Dance Hall Crashers)". The Post-Standard. Syracuse, NY. p. 139. Retrieved October 18, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Locey, Bill (5 November 1999). "Lauging the Blues". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  17. ^ Elyse Rogers (7 April 2000). "With Female Flair". Los Angeles Times (Interview). Interviewed by Bill Locey. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  18. ^ Baron, Neil (January 7, 2000). "Crashing the Hilton". Reno Gazette-Journal. p. 77. Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Chun, Gary C.W. (December 28, 2001). "Spunky Ska Troupe Recalls Carefree '90s". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. p. 79 – via newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Catlin, Roger (February 7, 2002). "Music to Fan Olympic Flames". Hartford Courant. pp. 41, 42 – via newspapers.com.
    Page 42
  21. ^ Paiva, Derek (October 17, 2003). "Crash Landing". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. pp. 106, 107 – via newspapers.com.
    Page 107
  22. ^ "Dance Hall Crashers (DHC) - Facebook". Facebook.com.
  23. ^ a b Minge, Jim (February 4, 1996). "Dance Hall Crashers Like to Cut Loose on Stage". Omaha World-Herald. p. 148. Retrieved October 10, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Kaplan, Michael (February 8, 1998). "Movies (Home Alone 3)". The Los Angeles Times. p. 395. Retrieved October 14, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
    Note: Song mislabeled as "All I Want."
  25. ^ a b c d e f "Dance Hall Crashers – 1989-1992". discogs.com.
  26. ^ a b c Karina Deniké (October 3, 2023). "Ep. 40: Karina Deniké Discusses Dance Hall Crashers "Go" - YouTube". YouTube.com (Interview). Interviewed by Chris DeMakes (Less Than Jake). Retrieved October 19, 2024.
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