100 Monkeys
Encyclopedia
100 Monkeys is an independent funk rock band from Los Angeles, California. The band name comes from the idea of the “Hundredth Monkey Effect” in which a learned behavior spreads instantaneously from one group of monkeys to all related monkeys once a critical number is reached. The current members of the group are Ben Graupner, Jackson Rathbone
Jackson Rathbone
Monroe Jackson Rathbone, V , better known as Jackson Rathbone, is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jasper Hale in The Twilight Saga and for playing Sokka in The Last Airbender....

, Jerad Anderson
Jerad Anderson
Jerad Anderson is an American born actor.He is part of the band 100 monkeys with fellow bandmates Jackson Rathbone, Benjamin Graupner, Benjamin Johnson, and M. Lawrence Abrams....

, Ben Johnson, and Lawrence Abrams. The band has recently risen to fame due in part to the popularity of member Jackson Rathbone
Jackson Rathbone
Monroe Jackson Rathbone, V , better known as Jackson Rathbone, is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jasper Hale in The Twilight Saga and for playing Sokka in The Last Airbender....

, an actor who plays the character Jasper in the Twilight Saga movie series. Rathbone has given interviews about his work as a musician on MTV and VH1.

History

The group came together in 2008 in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, playing small shows at the 24K Lounge and other places in Los Angles. Their first album, Monster De Lux, was entirely improvised and was done in one long take. Their second self-released album, Creative Control Sessions, featured popular songs "Sleeping Giants" and "Gus" and was produced by Scott Coslett. During a small tour from May through June of 2009, the band played dates in PA and NY and in June released 3 singles of studio mastered songs - “Ugly Girl”, “Smoke” and “Wasteland Too”. their first studio album, “Grape” was released in 2009. The band then toured the West Coast. In 2010, the band embarked on a 100 City Tour across the United States, an effort which has greatly increased their audience.

The band’s sound has been described as “Funk Rock” by Spin Magazine. They have described the meaning behind their lyrics to be inspired by “drinking, the devil, death and women who cheat and steal.” Due to their recent fame the group has been interviewed by various music magazines and television networks. Their music is said to have a blues like feel, and their performances give off a '60s-like vibe, mimicking bands such as the Beatles. Their sound has also been described by MTV.com as a blend of “Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...

 with the Raconteurs
The Raconteurs
The Raconteurs is an American rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan, featuring four members known for other musical projects: Jack White , Brendan Benson , Jack Lawrence , and Patrick Keeler .-Formation:The...

.”
The band signed with Warrior Records
Warrior Records
Warrior Records is an American record label established in 1998, distributed via Universal Music Distribution .- Roster :*100 Monkeys*Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats*Saints Of The Underground*Benny Mardones*Eddie Money*Troop*Rudy Ray Moore...

 in 2011 and released their second studio album June 28, 2011 entitled Liquid Zoo. They will embark on a summer tour spanning all of North America and parts of Canada. The tour will be supported by Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

 band The Bleeding Horse Express which has a forthcoming album produced by Rathbone and young rock band, New Hollow
New Hollow
New Hollow is an American pop band from New Albany, Ohio. The band is composed of three teenagers.New Hollow was founded by three students at New Albany High School , who initially began playing together while still elementary school students under the name Monkee Hollow...

. The Tour kicked off with an album release party in Cincinnati, Ohio and will wrap up exactly two months later in San Diego, CA.

In 2010 the band also released Live And Kickin: Part Too, a documentary companion to their Live And Kickin: Part One live album.

Members

The group’s members vary from up and coming movie producers to excelling actors.

Ben Graupner plays just about everything from trumpet, guitar, drums, keyboard, and bass guitar, and sings vocals for the band. He was born in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

 on February 7. (band site) He has had small roles in a few movies including Trapped in the 5150 and Devolved. He is also the lead vocalist for the band Mechanical People, which also included Ben Johnson and friend Jake Miller.

Jackson Rathbone
Jackson Rathbone
Monroe Jackson Rathbone, V , better known as Jackson Rathbone, is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jasper Hale in The Twilight Saga and for playing Sokka in The Last Airbender....

 was born in Singapore City, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

 on December 14, 1984. He later moved to Texas with his family where he pursued his love of music. He studied acting at Interlochen Center For The Arts
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Interlochen Center for the Arts is a privately owned, 1,200 acre arts education institution in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly 15 miles southwest of Traverse City...

, in Interlochen, Michigan during high school. He is quickly rising to fame with the popularity of the hit movie series Twilight
The Twilight Saga (film series)
The Twilight Saga is a series of supernatural romance fantasy films from Summit Entertainment based on the four Twilight series novels by the American author Stephenie Meyer. The films star Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner. The series has grossed over $2 billion in worldwide...

, and the newly released The Last Airbender
The Last Airbender
The Last Airbender is a 2010 American fantasy adventure film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It is a live-action film adaptation of the first season to the Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender....

based on the television series. Jackson plays the guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, mandolin, trumpet, harmonica and is on vocals.

Jerad Anderson
Jerad Anderson
Jerad Anderson is an American born actor.He is part of the band 100 monkeys with fellow bandmates Jackson Rathbone, Benjamin Graupner, Benjamin Johnson, and M. Lawrence Abrams....

 was born in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

 on June 4 1981. He is a budding actor, having a guest role as Jonah Perkins in the hit ABC Family show Greek
Greek (TV series)
Greek is an American comedy-drama television series, which follows students of the fictional Cyprus-Rhodes University , located in Ohio, who participate in the school's Greek system...

as well as several other movies and television shows. Jerad plays guitar and background vocals for the group. Like other members of the band, he also alternates between bass, keyboard, and drums. Jerad is owner of Wayne/Lauren Film Company which in 2010 produced the movie Girlfriend, starring Evan Sneider, which co-starred Anderson and Rathbone and was scored by the band.

Ben Johnson was born May 4, 1984 in Mt. Carroll, Illinois. He plays drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, and vocals for 100 Monkeys. He has produced several albums of music by the late Spencer Bell, a long time friend that passed from Adrenal Cancer in 2006. www.spencerbellmemorial.com

M. Lawrence “Uncle Larry” Abrams is the band percussionist, and plays flute, bass, saxophone, and occasionally vocals. Lawrence was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 5, 1953, but claims to be from Mars.
The five members of the band came together through their various jobs in the entertainment industry and uncanny ability to play just about any instrument.

Influence

The band states that their greatest influences are David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...

, The Devil himself, and Gary Busey
Gary Busey
William Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...

.

Improv

100 Monkeys performs an improvised song at every one of their shows, building on an idea taken from the audience and chosen by Jerad Anderson. The lyrics are usually sung by Jackson Rathbone
Jackson Rathbone
Monroe Jackson Rathbone, V , better known as Jackson Rathbone, is an American actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his role as Jasper Hale in The Twilight Saga and for playing Sokka in The Last Airbender....

, and instrumentation varies. This song is never rehearsed beforehand, but written on the spot.

Titles for some 100 Monkeys improv songs are:

February 25, 2009 - Los Angeles, CA - "Jello"

April 19, 2009 - Vancouver, BC - "Lumberjack"

May 23, 2009 - Philadelphia, PA - "That's What She Said" and "Cake" and "Apple Juice"

June 7, 2009 - New York, NY - "Peacock" and "Chicken"

June 15th, 2009 - Philadelphia - "Philly Girl!" and "Paper Towels" and "Coconuts"

June 18, 2009 - Philadelphia, PA - "Blue Eyes"

September 20, 2009 - Vancouver, BC - "David Bowie"

November 7, 2009 - Nashville, TN - "My Sister Becky"

November 15, 2009 - Los Angeles, CA - "Flying Squirrel"

December 27, 2009 - Hollywood, CA - "Jerad"

January 1, 2010 - Las Vegas, NV - "Wayne Newton"

January 4, 2010 - Albuquerque, NM - "Spandex Banana Hammocks"

January 5, 2010 - Dallas, TX - "Marshmallow"

January 8, 2010 - McAllen, TX - "Happy Birthday, Monica"

January 13, 2010 - Denver, CO - "Cherries"

January 18, 2010 - Seattle, WA - "Are You Afraid Of The Dark?"

January 19, 2010 - Portland, OR - "Kung Pao Chicken"

January 30, 2010 - Las Vegas, NV - "Strangers With My Baby" and "Lipstick On My Collar"

February 5, 2010 - Hermosa Beach, CA - "Brownies"

February 12, 2010 - Pomona, CA - "Tighty Whities"

March 2, 2010 - Des Moines, IA - "Juicebox"

March 4, 2010 - Madison, WI - "Awesome Sauce" and "Bananas"(don't know if there's video of Bananas)

March 7, 2010 - St. Louis, MO - "Best Friend"

March 8, 2010 - Louisville, KY - "Puppet"

March 26, 2010 - New Orleans, LA - "Bourbon"

April 7, 2010 - Washington, DC - "Little Black Book"

April 11, 2010 - Cambridge, MA - "Grind"

April 13, 2010 - Hartford, CT - "Annoying People"

April 14, 2010 - Lancaster, PA - "Drinking"

April 15, 2010 - Allentown, PA - "Hot Nurses"

April 19, 2010 - Nashville, TN - "Nerf Guns"

April 20, 2010 - Birmingham, AL - "I Hacked Into Your Email"

April 23, 2010 - Dallas, TX - "Paper Airplanes"

April 24, 2010 - Dallas, TX - "Ellen Degeneres" and "Everything's Bigger In Texas"

April 28, 2010 - Pittsburgh, PA - "Hats"

April 29, 2010 - Providence, RI - "Beef Jerky"

July 21, 2010 - Scottsdale, AZ - "There's A Camera In My Face"

July 22, 2010 - Las Vegas, NV - "Zombie Dinner Party"

July 23, 2010 - San Diego CA - "Come Get LEID At Our Table" and "Spilt Beer"

July 25, 2010 - San Francisco, CA - "Duck-billed Platypus"

July 29, 2010 - Seattle, WA - "Roadtrip"

August 4, 2010 - Sacramento, CA - "Tickets to the Gun Show"

August 6, 2010 - Los Angeles, CA - "Drunk Dialing"

August 7, 2010 - Los Angeles, CA - "Restraining Order"

August 18, 2010 - Los Angeles, CA - "Walk of Shame"

August 28, 2010 - Auburn Hills, MI - "Handcuffs" and "Joygasm"

September 11, 2010 - Toronto, ON, Canada - "Batman"

October 10, 2010 - Los Angeles, CA - "Slap Me Silly & Call Me Susan" (which Jackson interpreted as 'slap me and call me stupid')

October 31, 2010 - Baton Rouge, LA - "Chicken on a Stick"

December 3, 2010 - Baton Rouge, LA - "Baby Alligators"

December 26,2010 - Atlanta, GA - "Ho Ho Ho"

December 27,2010 - Birmingham, AL - "Dirty South"

December 28, 2010- New Orleans, LA - "Show Me Your Beads" and "Fake It Until You Make It"

December 29, 2010 - Houston, TX -"Pillow Talk", "Apple Juice"

December 31, 2010 - Austin, TX - "I'm A Little Freaked Out" and "One Night Stand"

January 1, 2010 - Mission, TX - "No Bueno"

January 2, 2011 - San Antonio, TX - "Beer"

February 19, 2011 - Los Angeles, CA - "Bullies"

May 7, 2011 - New York, NY - "Keep Your Boots On"

May 9, 2011 - New York, NY - "Stalker"

June 28, 2011 - Cincinnati, OH - "Fender Bender"

June 29, 2011 - Indianapolis, IN - "It's Wednesday"

July 7, 2011 - Chicago, IL - "Chicago Weiner"

July 9, 2011 - Toronto,ON - "I'm So Easy"

July 11, 2011 - Montréal, QC - "C'est La Vie"

July 12, 2011 - Boston, MA - "Birthday Suit"

July 14, 2011 - Philadelphia, PA - "Pink Guitar Strap"

July 16, 2011 - New York City, NY - "Room Service"

July 17, 2011 - Asbury Park, NJ - "College Girls"

July 19, 2011 - Allentown, Pa - "Buckle Up"

July 20, 2011-Baltimore, MD- "Belly Button"

July 22, 2011-Charlotte, NC- "Magic Wand"

July 28, 2011 - Tampa, FL - "7 Minutes"

July 29, 2011 - Orlando, FL - "Cinderella"

August 5, 2011 - Houston, TX - "It's a Long Story"

August 13, 2011 - Denver, CO - "Mile High Club"

August 20, 2011 - Spokane, WA - "Assless Chaps"

August 21, 2011 - Portland, OR - "Purple Pants"

August 23, 2011 - San Francisco, CA - "Don't Be a Bitch"

August 25, 2011 - Los Angeles, CA - "Weightlifting Snowman"

August 28, 2011 - San Diego, CA - "Aunt Irene"

November 28, 2011 - Stockholm, Sweden - "Pussycat"

November 29, 2011 - Copenhagen, Denmark - "Denmark Girl"

November 30, 2011 - Berlin, Germany - "Sex in the Jungle"

Discography

Year Album
2009 Monster de Lux
2009 Smoke (Single)
2009 Wasteland Too (Single)
2009 Ugly Girl (Single)
2009 Creative Control Live
2009 Keep Awake (Single)
2009 Grape
2010 Kolpix (Single)
2010 Future Radio (Single)
2010 Live and Kickin
2010 Wandering Mind (Single)
2011 Liquid Zoo
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