Three Bean Salad

Not to be confused with the smooth Latin jazz ensemble sharing its name, Three Bean Salad emerged in 1987 as a southern California punk-revival outfit started by vocalist Eddie Gomez, guitarist Mike Salas, and bassist Michael Cano. Gomez and Cano first connected during a college art class, discovering a shared passion for foundational punk acts both regional—X, the Plugz, the Weirdos, and the Clash—and the broader underground sound then represented by the SST roster. They soon recruited Gomez’s acquaintance Salas for informal rehearsals and quickly began performing around the local circuit. Fourteen years would pass, however, before the group finally reached a studio; by then Eddie’s younger brother Gerry Gomez had joined on drums. The band laid down every track for its first album, Shut Up and Eat Your Beans, during a single overnight session, and Blue Indian issued the record in 2001.