Biography
In the mid-'90s, the quirky Washington, D.C.-based indie rock outfit Viva Satellite! came together right after Rob Christiansen’s prior band Eggs disbanded. Christiansen, who had already logged some time performing alongside Grenadine, joined forces with Lauren Feldsher to launch the project; Dan Morrissey, Ian Jones, and Paige Smith later rounded out the lineup. Although the distinctive ensemble began strictly as a playful diversion, it quickly matured into a hybrid of band and musical-theater collective. Its inaugural statement arrived in 1996 as the full-length rock opera Nishma, whose storyline is introduced in the opening track “The Legend of How Salt Water Taffy Came to Be.” Rendered in a semi-classical manner complete with Greek chorus, the album was followed the next year by Extra Eye, which recounts the tale of a boy from a one-eyed society who discovers romance, with the musicians themselves embodying every character. The group has additionally issued a pop/rock opera centered on Leonardo DaVinci.