Pennywise (band)
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Pennywise is an American punk band that was formed in 1988; the name comes from a Stephen King horror novel, It, in which Pennywise the Dancing Clown is a monster.
All Pennywise studio albums have been released by Epitaph Records, a label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz.
Biography
Early career and rise to fame (1988-1995)
In 1989, in the band's original incarnation, the band consisted of Jim Lindberg (vocals), Fletcher Dragge (guitar), Byron McMackin (drums) and Jason Thirsk (bass). They released two EPs, Wildcard (1988) and A Word From the Wise (1989)Each of the band members had played in other bands in the Hermosa Beach, California area and attended the same high school. The group signed to Epitaph Records in 1990 and released Pennywise in 1991; the album quickly spread throughout the punk community, earning the band some nation-wide recognition. Lyrics in the album endorsed a positive mental attitude, helping promote progressive ideals for Generation X. Lindberg left the band soon after the debut and Thirsk took his place on vocals, with Randy Bradbury taking Thirsk's place on bass. Lead singer of The Vandals, Dave Quackenbush also took over on vocals for a brief stint in 1992 while Thirsk remained on bass. Lindberg married but returned to the group in 1992.
With Lindberg back, Pennywise released Unknown Road (1993), which was an underground hit and established the band as a force in punk music. By 1995, punk bands like the Offspring, Green Day and Rancid had hit the mainstream and Pennywise was invited to join several major labels. The band refused and stuck with Epitaph Records, releasing About Time in 1995; the album was another indie hit.
Aftermath of Thirsk's death (1996-2003)
In 1996, Pennywise began recording their fourth album; Thirsk left to try to quit drinking; he was successful but then committed suicide after a relapse on July 29, 1996.After Jason Thirsk's death, the band released Full Circle (1997) and Straight Ahead (1999). This was followed by a live LP, Live at the Key Club (2000) and Land of the Free? (2001). After that came From the Ashes (2003)and in 2005 "the fuse".
Recent history (2004-present)
2004 saw the re-release of their only video called Home Movies in 2004 for a DVD version. The video was originally released in 1995 and has been out of print since 1997.The band's eighth album, The Fuse, was released in Europe on June 27 and in North America on August 9, 2005. Also during that year, they released digitally-remastered versions of their older albums: Pennywise, Unknown Road, About Time and Full Circle on March 8.
After the release of The Fuse, there were some rumors of a break up after their Australian tour was cancelled. However, frontman Jim Lindberg has later denied that statement and decided to keep the band active.
As of May 2006, Pennywise is currently taking a break and will start/continue writing their ninth studio album, which is likely to be released in 2007. However, at the moment, no details about the album are known and plans to record it have been announced.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Label | US Peak | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Wildcard | Self-released | DNC* | EP |
| 1989 | A Word from the Wise | Self-released | DNC* | EP |
| 1990 | Wildcard/A Word From the Wise | Theologian | DNC* | Compilation, contains material of their self-released EPs |
| 1991 | Pennywise | Epitaph | DNC* |
|
| 1993 | Unknown Road | Epitaph | DNC* | Was remastered on March 8, 2005 |
| 1995 | About Time | Epitaph | 96 |
|
| 1997 | Full Circle | Epitaph | 79 |
|
| 1999 | Straight Ahead | Epitaph | 62 | |
| 2000 | Live @ the Key Club | Epitaph | 198 | Live |
| 2001 | Land of the Free? | Epitaph | 67 | |
| 2003 | From the Ashes | Epitaph | 54 | |
| 2005 | The Fuse | Epitaph | 78 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
| US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | UK | |||
| 1993 | "Homesick" | - | - | - | - | Unknown Road |
| 1995 | "Same Old Story" | - | - | - | - | About Time |
| 1997 | "Society" | - | - | - | - | Full Circle |
| 1999 | "Alien" | - | 36 | - | - | Straight Ahead |
| 2000 | "Victim of Reality" | - | - | - | - | Straight Ahead |
| 2001 | "Fuck Authority" | - | 38 | - | - | Land of the Free? |
| 2001 | "Divine Intervention" | - | - | - | - | Land of the Free? |
| 2002 | "My God" | - | - | - | - | Land of the Free? |
| 2003 | "Yesterdays" | - | - | - | - | From the Ashes |
| 2005 | "Disconnect" | - | - | - | - | The Fuse |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Format | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Home Movies | VHS/DVD | Was re-released on November 9, 2004 for the DVD version. Was unavailable since 1997. |
Members
Current lineup
- Jim Lindberg - vocals
- Fletcher Dragge - guitars
- Randy Bradbury - bass
- Byron McMackin - drums
Former members
- Jason Thirsk - bass (died July 29, 1996)
Trivia
- Pennywise owes it's success to Hakim Kebir. He was a former classmate who gave them the idea to start the band. Hakim currently lives in Lomita, a small town near Hermosa Beach.
- "It's What You Do With It" in About Time, "Homesick" in Unknown Road, and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" in Pennywise are featured in Matt Hoffman Pro BMX.
- "Society", in Full Circle is featured in the video game Tony Hawk Pro Skater.
- "Greed", in Straight Ahead is featured in Dave Mirra's Freestyle BMX.
- "Rise Up", in From the Ashes is featured in the video game Burnout 3.
- "Stand Up", in The Fuse is featured in the video game Burnout Revenge.
- "Knocked Down", in The Fuse is featured in the video game EA Sports NHL 06.
- "Competition Song", in The Fuse is featured in the video game SSX On Tour.
- "Now I Know" in "From The Ashes" is feat. in video game MTX Mototrax.
- "No Reason Why", "Fun And Games", and "Living for Today" in Pennywise were featured in skate film Plan B Skateboards-Questionable Video in the skatepark section, the slam section and Danny Way's part respectively.
External links
- [The Official Website] — Official Website
- [The Largest Fansite] — Fansite
- [The German/Austrian Fansite]
- [Spanish Fansite]
- [Pennywise discography from Music City]
- [All Music Guide entry for Pennywise]
- [Pennywise Discography] at Discogs
- [Pennywise Polish Website]
| Pennywise |
| Jim Lindberg | Fletcher Dragge | Randy Bradbury | Byron McMackin | Jason Thirsk |
| Discography |
| Albums and extended plays: Pennywise | Unknown Road | About Time | Full Circle | Straight Ahead | Land of the Free? | From the Ashes | The Fuse | Wildcard | A Word from the Wise |
| Compilatin albums: Wildcard/A Word from the Wise | Live @ the Key Club |
| VHS/DVDs: ''Home Movies |
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