Save Ferris

Hailing from California, Save Ferris formed as a ska and pop-punk ensemble fronted by vocalist Monique Powell. After the 1995 dissolution of Los Pantalones, a punk and mariachi-influenced group, guitarist Brian Mashburn, bassist Bill Uechi, saxophonist Eric Zamora, and trumpeter José Castellaños started developing new songs. Vocalist Monique Powell, drummer Marc Harismendy, and trombonist Brian Williams (aka T-Bone Willy) completed the roster. Taking their name from the 1985 John Hughes comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the band began playing shows in the Orange County area and soon released the 1996 EP Introducing Save Ferris. Strong sales of 12,000 copies led to an invitation to a national Grammy showcase for unsigned bands; the group advanced to the finals in New York, where an Epic Records senior executive offered them a contract.

The Peter Collins-produced debut album It Means Everything appeared in 1997. Its exuberant cover of Dexys Midnight Runners' "Come on Eileen" drove the record's breakthrough. Heavy touring ensued, encompassing appearances on the Van's Warped Tour alongside the Offspring, Sugar Ray, and others. Modified followed in 1999, steering the sound further toward pop-punk. Mashburn, Zamora, and Uechi later exited to pursue separate projects, among them the band Starpool. Powell assembled a new lineup of Save Ferris in 2003 for a self-funded tour that closed with a performance at the Ska Summit in Las Vegas, but the group entered indefinite hiatus by the end of the year. During the break, Powell contributed guest vocals to albums by Hilary Duff, Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish, and additional artists.

Powell relaunched Save Ferris with fresh members in 2013 and resumed touring, though lawsuits involving former bandmates created obstacles. She announced resolution of the disputes in 2015 and ran a successful crowdfunding campaign to finance a new album. The resulting momentum led to a 2016 co-headlining slot at the Mexico City Ska Fest with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Checkered Past, the band's first new material in over 15 years, arrived in 2017; Oingo Boingo bassist John Avila produced the EP.