Mikey, who played bass and sang, along with guitarist Cliffy—both sharing the Huntington surname—discovered their common upbringing in Baltimore, Maryland, and a shared passion for the Ramones alongside the Good Book. Drawing on those influences, the pair launched the group under another name and spent the following three years delivering what they viewed as "bad garage rock." They laid down a pair of EPs in 1996 called Sweet Sixteen and Rock 'N' Roll Radio, though those surfaced only in 1998, and issued their debut full-length, Fun and Games, in 1997. That same year the Huntingtons shifted toward a poppier direction on The Only One EP. Following a U.S. tour alongside Blaster the Rocketman and the 7" single "You're Not Right" b/w "Babysitter," the lineup stabilized with the addition of C.J. on guitar and Davey on drums, extending the band's streak of members who shared the same last name. A contract with Tooth & Nail Records soon materialized, yielding their first straight pop-punk album, High School Rock, in 1998. Within 1999 the group also delivered the live set The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly plus the Ramones tribute File Under Ramones, while Get Lost and Plastic Surgery appeared that year as well. A split release with Darlington arrived in early 2000.
