1997 is a band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in October 2005.
History
Several of 1997's members previously played in the Chicago bands Constance, Funeral Etiquette, and October Fall.[1] The name 1997 has been discussed widely, but via the band's MySpace blog, they have rejected all claims of the name's origination. They have since stated that the name came from the younger brother of Caleb Pepp (main vocals/guitar) as a suggestion for a previous band they had started. They began practicing together in October 2005, and after strong local performances signed with Victory Records in 2006. Victory issued their debut album, entitled A Better View of the Rising Moon, in April 2007, as the group toured the US with The Audition and The Graduate. Keyboardist/vocalist Kerri Mack left the group in April 2007 after recording the album, and was replaced with keyboardist/vocalist Alida Marroni.[1] The group benefited heavily from online buzz; it was named band of the day by SPIN on April 27, 2007,[2] and has received many reviews from press sites.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] In the fall of 2007, the group toured the US with Aiden, Still Remains, and Drop Dead, Gorgeous.[14]
The band's second album, "On the Run," was released on May 27, 2008, again on Victory records. The band toured in support of the album, playing several dates on the 2008 Vans Warped Tour on Skate Ramp Stage and the Kevin Says Stage. On August 5, 2008 the band posted an entry on their MySpace Blog informing fans that Alida Marroni and Alan Goffinski had parted with the group on July 28. The first signs of trouble apparently came after the band failed to appear for a hometown show in Chicago in support of their sophomore album. The band asked keyboard and vocalist Alida to leave the band because friendship between her and the band fell through, and boyfriend Alan Goffinski, the band's bassist, left with her. Alida was replaced by female vocalist Arthi Meera, who, after only planning to tour with the band until they found a replacement, has now been made a permanent member. Matt Wysocki, the band's photographer, and photographer for many other various Victory Records artists, joined the band as their bassist in September 2008.
The band have started recording their third album, titled Notes From Underground, with a scheduled release date of October 13, 2009. As of October 2009, Matt Wysocki was replaced as bassist by Brian Osters.
Currently, the band is working on turning a short bus into their touring bus, fully equipped with bunk beds.
Members
- Current members
- Kevin Thomas - vocals, tambourine
- Nick Coleman - drums
- Caleb Pepp - guitar, vocals
- Cody Josephson - harmonica, guitar
- Arthi Meera - keyboards, vocals
- Brian Osters - Bass
- Former members
- Kerri Mack - Keyboards, glockenspiel, vocals
- Alan Goffinski - Bass
- Alida Marroni - Keyboards, glockenspiel, vocals
- Matt Wysocki - Bass/Photographer
Discography
References
- ^ a b Biography, Allmusic.com
- ^ 1997. SPIN, April 27, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Scott Frazier, Album Review, AntiMusic.com. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Album Review. Music Emissions. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Paul Bruens, Album Review. Driven Far Off, April 30, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Megan Rooney, Album Review. Daily Nebraskan, April 20, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Sarah Boger, Album Review. Band Vibe, June 21, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Andrew Luu, Album Review. New University Online, May 14, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Jake Kilroy, Album Review. Daily Titan, April 26, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Matthew Montgomery, Album Review. Music Geek, April 15, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Nathan Blaney, Album Review. TransformOnline, June 1, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Jessie Kelsey, Album Review. The Spectrum (Buffalo, NY), April 16, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Paul Schultz, Album Review. The Trades, May 31, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007.
- ^ Tour Dates. Blistering magazine. Accessed September 27, 2007.
External links
