River City Rebels

In the closing months of 1997, River City Rebels materialized in the improbable setting of Burlington, VT. Guitarist Dan "Bopper" O'Day joined drummer Erik Schmidt and bassist Chris Jukosky as the founding trio, yet repeated personnel shifts preceded the stabilized roster of vocalist Ward Aimi, trombonist Brandon Rainier, guitarist Gabe Rich, and trumpeter Dan McCool. The resulting style fused street punk with ska undertones and lyrics shaped by political concerns, prompting Victory Records to issue the band's first full-length, Racism, Religion, and War..., in 2000. Playin' to Live, Livin' to Play surfaced the following summer, after which the group contracted to six members and O'Day assumed vocal duties. Their third album, No Good No Time No Pride, arrived in October 2002 and gave way to the 2004 release Hate to Be Loved, whose vintage N.Y.C. punk approach recalled the New York Dolls far more than the Clash. After parting from Victory once that album appeared, River City Rebels signed with Rolling Thunder Records in early 2006 and started a new project; O'Day simultaneously delivered his debut solo outing, the acoustic-based Street Performance, through Springman that October.