Biography
While on hiatus from their roles alongside guitarist Adrian Belew in the Bears, guitarist/vocalist Rob Fetters, drummer/vocalist Chris Arduser, and bassist Bob Nyswonger launched a side project called the Raisins late in 1988. The moniker came from an earlier group the three had played in years prior. To avoid any mix-up with the then-popular animated California Raisins, they polled a live crowd for fresh name ideas; one audience member yelled “Psychodots!” and the suggestion stuck. After three years of club dates around Cincinnati, the trio issued its 14-song self-titled debut on the local Strugglebaby label in 1991, showcasing an eclectic set of quirky pop tunes written by all three members. Two years later they returned with the follow-up On the Grid, again on Strugglebaby; tracks such as Nyswonger’s “King of Beers” and “Copy Machine” enjoyed steady regional airplay in southeast Ohio and became live staples.
Early in 1994 Belew invited the Psychodots to open his national tour supporting the solo album Here and to serve as his backing band for the shows. Recognizing the national exposure the run would bring, the group rushed out the Strugglebaby EP Blotter, which combined material from the first two albums with the new song “Moaner.” After completing the eight-week summer trek they headed home to Cincinnati and cut their third full-length, Awkwardsville, released on Strugglebaby in 1995. By then the band was earning notice for its strongest original material and its reputation for energetic concerts; a track from Awkwardsville appeared on the Pepsi Jammin’ on Main CD Sampler ’96, while a live “Moaner” turned up on the WNKU compilation Exit 89: Natural Alternatives, Vol. 2.
The Psychodots promoted Awkwardsville with dates in Louisville, Indianapolis, Dayton, and Chicago, yet they still lacked major-label distribution and began drawing smaller crowds despite favorable reviews. Booking became increasingly difficult, and in November 1996 they declared an indefinite hiatus. Two final performances followed—one at Ripley’s in Cincinnati on November 8 and another at Canal Street Tavern in Dayton on November 16. The next year the group was voted Cincinnati’s Favorite Band at the Cammys; accepting on their behalf, Nyswonger remarked, “We’re not playing right now…that doesn’t mean we’ll never play again,” according to www.psychodots.com. Before 1997 ended they reunited for a pair of southern Ohio shows.
In 1998 the Psychodots reconvened for a May appearance at the Cammys, where Arduser’s other band the Graveblankets won Best Folk Band and Fetters took home Best Rock Instrumentalist, Songwriter of the Year, and Best Solo Act. After five additional concerts that year they issued Official Bootleg, drawn from their final 1996 Cincinnati performance, and promoted the disc with an in-store event at Everybody’s Records on October 24. Following roughly two years of inactivity they played Canal Street Tavern on November 22, 2000, and the Southgate House in Newport, KY, shortly afterward, confirming at both shows that further dates were already in the works.
Early in 1994 Belew invited the Psychodots to open his national tour supporting the solo album Here and to serve as his backing band for the shows. Recognizing the national exposure the run would bring, the group rushed out the Strugglebaby EP Blotter, which combined material from the first two albums with the new song “Moaner.” After completing the eight-week summer trek they headed home to Cincinnati and cut their third full-length, Awkwardsville, released on Strugglebaby in 1995. By then the band was earning notice for its strongest original material and its reputation for energetic concerts; a track from Awkwardsville appeared on the Pepsi Jammin’ on Main CD Sampler ’96, while a live “Moaner” turned up on the WNKU compilation Exit 89: Natural Alternatives, Vol. 2.
The Psychodots promoted Awkwardsville with dates in Louisville, Indianapolis, Dayton, and Chicago, yet they still lacked major-label distribution and began drawing smaller crowds despite favorable reviews. Booking became increasingly difficult, and in November 1996 they declared an indefinite hiatus. Two final performances followed—one at Ripley’s in Cincinnati on November 8 and another at Canal Street Tavern in Dayton on November 16. The next year the group was voted Cincinnati’s Favorite Band at the Cammys; accepting on their behalf, Nyswonger remarked, “We’re not playing right now…that doesn’t mean we’ll never play again,” according to www.psychodots.com. Before 1997 ended they reunited for a pair of southern Ohio shows.
In 1998 the Psychodots reconvened for a May appearance at the Cammys, where Arduser’s other band the Graveblankets won Best Folk Band and Fetters took home Best Rock Instrumentalist, Songwriter of the Year, and Best Solo Act. After five additional concerts that year they issued Official Bootleg, drawn from their final 1996 Cincinnati performance, and promoted the disc with an in-store event at Everybody’s Records on October 24. Following roughly two years of inactivity they played Canal Street Tavern on November 22, 2000, and the Southgate House in Newport, KY, shortly afterward, confirming at both shows that further dates were already in the works.
Albums
