The Gadjits

Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, the ska revival band the Gadjits functioned chiefly as an outlet for the three Phillips brothers—Brandon handling vocals and guitar, Zach on bass, and Adam on drums. The sons of a jazz musician and an art teacher, the siblings had performed together since early childhood, beginning as an AC/DC cover band before folding punk, ska, reggae, and swing into their style and starting to compose original songs. Their debut album, Da Gravy on Yo' Grits, appeared on the self-founded JoCo Ska label; its regional impact secured support slots with the Skatalites, Rancid, and Let's Go Bowling. Keyboardist Heidi Blobaum later joined the group, only to be replaced by Hillary Allen a year afterward when Blobaum left to attend college. After signing with Hellcat Records, the imprint led by Rancid's Tim Armstrong, the Gadjits—still averaging just 17 years old—delivered At Ease in 1998. A slot on that summer's Warped package tour came next, leading directly to 1999's Wish We Never Met.