Dramarama

Dramarama fused hard rock force, alternative rock intelligence, power pop craftsmanship, and punk rock drive, positioning the group for what looked like an imminent commercial breakthrough on multiple occasions across their eleven-year run. Surprisingly, that breakthrough stayed out of reach, even as the band built a strong audience in their home state of New Jersey and on the West Coast; their near-hit single “Anything Anything (I'll Give You)” earned recognition from Los Angeles alternative station KROQ-FM as the most requested track in the outlet’s history.

John Easdale founded the band in Wayne, NJ, in 1983, serving as lead vocalist and primary songwriter. Before securing outside support, Dramarama issued a single and a five-song EP on their own. A French label then financed a complete album that drew on songs from those earlier independent releases. Cinema Verite appeared in 1985 and included “Anything Anything,” which gained traction once Chameleon Records acquired the record for domestic distribution.

The musicians moved to California ahead of their follow-up effort, Box Office Bomb, which drew strong critical notices without translating into noticeably higher sales. While finishing work on their fourth studio album, Vinyl, in 1991, Chameleon Records collapsed. As the group searched for funds to complete the recording, Elektra finally offered the major-label contract they had long sought. Yet the breakthrough success of Nirvana that same year did not open radio doors in a way that suited Dramarama’s sound, which remained distant from grunge, leaving the 1993 release Hi-Fi Sci-Fi unable to reach listeners beyond the band’s loyal core audience.

After a final performance at Asbury Park’s the Stone Pony in 1994, Dramarama disbanded. John Easdale resurfaced four years later with a solo album. The group’s appearance on VH1’s Bands Reunited in 2004 led the members—excluding bassist Chris Carter—to regroup and record material originally planned for an Easdale solo project. Everybody Dies reached stores in 2005.