The Chargers Street Gang

A Cleveland, OH-based quintet unleashing manic punk fury, the Chargers Street Gang blended the raw propulsion of Midwestern forebears like the Dead Boys and the Pagans with the exaggerated theatrics of the MC5 and the experimental sonic assault of Pere Ubu. Originally assembled under the name the Chargers, the band issued its inaugural release under the expanded moniker—an EP titled Fun Housing—in 2000. That title paid homage to the Stooges’ sophomore LP, and in its earliest days the group occasionally performed Stooges material live as the Asheton Brothers. Its debut full-length effort, Festival Seating, Vol. 1, assembled an assortment of singles, compilation appearances, and previously unheard tracks. After inking a deal with Get Hip Records in 2001, the band delivered its first official studio album, Holy the Bop Apocalypse, during the closing months of that year.