Adam West

Adam West took its name from the performer forever identified with his role as Batman in the campy 1960s television series. The group formed in Washington, DC, late in 1991 with the goal of reviving the raw punk energy of the Misfits and the Stooges in their hometown. Early shows soon followed along the East Coast, featuring the initial roster of Jake Starr on vocals, Bill Crandall, Ray Wiley on guitar, Phil Munds on bass, and Tom Barrick, though that configuration proved short-lived. A constantly shifting membership yielded multiple singles on the band’s own Fandago Records, among them a fan-club-only cover of the Misfits’ “Cool/Cough” and the subsequent “Halloween/She,” plus a four-song EP for Messiah Complex Records and a split release with Bubblegum Crisis. Their debut full-length, Mondo Royale, finally appeared in 1997. By then a steadier lineup had settled around Derrick Baranowsky on guitar, Steve on bass, Tom Barrick on drums, and the sole remaining original member, vocalist Jake Starr; that year also brought split EPs with Mazinga, the BellRays, and the Candy Snatchers along with assorted tracks on various compilations. The following year the band issued its second album, 13 De Luxe, again on its own imprint. Entering the new millennium, Adam West comprised Starr, Barrick, Steve, bassist Johnny May, and guitarist Kevin Hoffman. A fresh arrangement with Telegraph led to the winter 2002 release of Right On!.