Representative Albums: "Slapstick," "Lookit!," "Live from the Fireside Bowl"
Biography
Rowdy ska-punk outfit Slapstick managed to not only inspire a legion of kids to start their own bands in the mid-'90s, but their popularity and influence on the third wave ska revival was felt long after the band's mere three-year existence was over. Slapstick formed in 1993 and the raucous group quickly saw itself sitting at the top of the underground Chicago punk scene. Comprised of Brendan Kelly (vocals), Dan Andriano (bass/vocals), Peter Anna (trombone), Matt Stamps (guitar), Dan Hanaway (trumpet/vocals), and Rob Kellenberger (drums/vocals), the guys appeared on various compilations and released one full-length album during their short run. Recorded in the fall of 1995, Lookit! was released early the next year on Skankin' Pickle's own Dill Records. When Mike Park quit Skankin' Pickle, he formed his own label (Asian Man Records) and Slapstick was one of four bands he took with him. However, almost as quickly as they began, the band suddenly broke up in 1996. Slapstick reunited once on November 23, 1997 for a packed one-off benefit show at Chicago's Fireside Bowl. The band wound up playing another show right after the first as well, due to the night's overwhelming turnout. Asian Man issued an eponymous compilation record in 1997 that contained all of the band's recorded songs, which included eight unreleased tracks. Following Slapstick's demise, its members went on to join and/or create a plethora of acts, including: the Lawrence Arms, Tuesday, the Broadways, Alkaline Trio, the Honor System, Colossal, Duvall, Less Than Jake, Smoking Popes, and The Falcon. In June 2006, the live DVD Reunion Show appeared on Asian Man, documenting Slapstick's last performance from the Fireside Bowl with additional commentary by Kelly and Kellenberger. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide
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Slapstick was a punk-ska fusion band formed in Chicago by a group of friends from the Elgin area. The group took some cues from the seminal ska/punk outfit Operation Ivy and the guttural punk vocals of Crimpshrine, but developed their own unique style. The group was active from 1993 to 1996 on Asian Man Records.
The only Slapstick release still in print is a self-titled 25-track CD called Slapstick containing nearly every Slapstick song recorded. Slapstick held two reunion shows to raise money for a friend of Brendan's; the second show was recorded by Dan Andriano's father and can be purchased on DVD through Asian Man Records. The DVD features commentary by Brendan and Rob.
Breakup and legacy
Slapstick broke up because we couldn't write songs together anymore. Dan or I would bring a song in and Matt, Danny and Rob wouldn't like it. Conversely, those three would bring in songs and Dan and I wouldn't like them. The creative process stagnated. it has a lot to do with the fact that none of us really ever liked ska a lot. It was a phase for all of us and once we got through the phase, writing ska became hard to do (not to mention silly). We had different ideas about what direction Slapstick should go, and there was no other resolution. We are all still great friends though.
The members of Slapstick went on to form a number of notable groups. Andriano, Stamps and Kellenberger formed Tuesday. Likewise, Kelly and Hanaway formed The Broadways with Rob DePaola and Tricky Dick guitarist Chris McCaughan. Tuesday eventually broke up in 1998 when Andriano joined Matt Skiba in Alkaline Trio. The Broadways also broke up in 1998 with Kelly and McCaughan starting The Lawrence Arms, still active today. A little later, Hanaway and DePaola started The Honor System. In 2004, Andriano, Kelly, Neil Hennesey and Todd Mohney formed the supergroupThe Falcon.
The Lawrence Arms recently performed a Slapstick and Broadway song at the Asian Man Records 11th anniversary show after years of refusing, and occasionally mocking, fans' requests to play them at shows. They have since added "Broken Down" from the Slapstick days as well as Broadways' songs "15 Minutes" and "Kitchen Floor" to setlists on their 2007 tour, where they headline shows with American Steel and their own side-projects, Sundowner and The Falcon, as support. They continue to play these songs here and there at live shows.
