Bigwig

Forming in 1995, Bigwig injected a sharp, sarcastic punk edge along New Jersey's eastern coastline. Taking cues from Rich Kids on LSD and Propagandhi while sidestepping anarcho-politics, the original lineup of Tom Petta on vocals and guitar, John on bass, Josh on guitar, and Dan on drums moved rapidly into recordings. Noticed by Fearless Records after an introduction from Strung Out's Jim Cherry, the group landed on several compilations plus two EPs ahead of their debut full-length, un Merry Melodies, which Fearless issued in 1997. After two years of intense road work, Stay Asleep surfaced on Kung Fu Records in 1999. Returning to Fearless, they delivered the quicker and more aggressive An Invitation to Tragedy in August 2001, an album whose mix was handled by Ryan Greene of Lagwagon and No Use for a Name renown. Successive lineup shifts, including temporary stints by Jeremy Hernandez and Max Béchard—who later launched Near Miss—and a series of injuries limited live activity and stretched the wait between releases to five years. Once a stable roster of Petta, Zak on bass, Jeff Powers on guitar, and Keith on drums locked in, Bigwig finally unveiled the robust Reclamation in February 2006.