Biography
Formed in Chicago back in 1989, the Blue Meanies maintained their eccentric, high-octane ska-punk approach, which also incorporated jazz and funk touches across the years. Their first release arrived in 1991 with the single "Grandma Shampoo"/"Dickory Dock," launching a lengthy catalog produced by an ever-shifting roster of players. Even as membership turned over repeatedly, the group preserved its core sound on the studio albums Pave the World (1992), Kiss Your Ass Goodbye (1995), and Full Throttle (1997), plus the live recording Sonic Documentation of Exhibition and Banter (1998). Upon signing to MCA Records, a stable seven-piece configuration—John Paul Camp III on saxophone and vocals, Sean Dolan on guitar, Jimmy Flame on trumpet and vocals, Chaz Linde on keyboard and vocals, Dave Lund on bass and vocals, Billy Spunke on vocals and megaphone, and Bob Trondson on drums—held together, even though 22 musicians had come and gone since the start. Late in 2000 the band delivered its fifth album, The Post Wave, and also appeared on a split single with Alkaline Trio issued by Thick that same year. Following a stretch of touring behind the record, exhaustion set in and members gradually turned toward separate projects. The Blue Meanies reconvened briefly in 2004 for a pair of sold-out hometown performances at the Metro and Double Door, then returned once more in 2006 for Chicago’s Riot Fest.
Albums