Lee Press-on and the Nails
Encyclopedia
Lee Presson and the Nails (also known as LPN) is a swing band that formed in the San Francisco Bay Area
in October 1994 during the late '90s swing revival
. It disbanded in 2004 and reformed in 2006. As of 2010, the band has released five albums.
in 1998 for Best Swing/Cabaret Act, an SF Weekly Award for Best Swing Band later that year.
LPN temporarily disbanded in 2004 when Lee Presson moved to Hollywood, where he played keyboard for the Oingo Boingo
tribute band
Dead Man's Party.
as part of the inaugural launching of The Hubba Hubba Revue, a San Francisco Burlesque and Variety show. After more shows, Presson moved back to the Bay Area and soon LPN was back in full swing, so to speak.
The band's lineup has been fluid over the years but of the original Nails, Mark "Marco" Donelley (Alto Saxophone) and Todd Grady (Trumpet) remain in the band. Tom Beyer (Stand-up Bass) left for a while to become founder and leader of The Acme Swing Company, another swing revival band, but is now a Nail once again.
In 2010, the band released Balls in Your Face, a download-only album of ballroom dance music.
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
in October 1994 during the late '90s swing revival
Swing Revival
The Swing Revival was a late 1990s and early 2000s period of renewed popular interest in swing and jump blues music and dance from the 1930s and 1940s as exemplified by Louis Prima, often mixed with a more contemporary rock, rockabilly or ska sound, known also as neo-swing or retro...
. It disbanded in 2004 and reformed in 2006. As of 2010, the band has released five albums.
Formation and awards
LPN differentiated themselves from other bands of the late '90s swing revival by their wacky stage antics and the sinister appearance of band leader Lee Presson. The San Francisco Chronicle described LPN in 1996 by coining the term "Goth Swing." The band won a California Music Award (Bammie)BAM (magazine)
BAM , was a free bi-weekly music magazine founded and published by Dennis Erokan in the San Francisco Bay Area starting in January 1976 and continuing on for 23 years until 1999...
in 1998 for Best Swing/Cabaret Act, an SF Weekly Award for Best Swing Band later that year.
LPN temporarily disbanded in 2004 when Lee Presson moved to Hollywood, where he played keyboard for the Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo
Oingo Boingo was an American new wave band. They are best known for their influence on other musicians, their soundtrack contributions and their high energy Halloween concerts. The band was founded in 1972 as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a performance art group...
tribute band
Tribute band
A tribute act is a music group, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act - sometimes one which has disbanded, ceased touring or is deceased. Probably the largest class of tributes acts are Elvis impersonators, individual performers who mimic the songs and style...
Dead Man's Party.
Reunion
After a two-year hiatus, Lee Presson and the Nails performed a reunion show in San Francisco on 16 September 2006 at the DNA LoungeDNA Lounge
DNA Lounge is a late-night, all ages nightclub in the SoMa district of San Francisco owned by Jamie Zawinski, a former Netscape programmer and open-source software hacker. The club features DJ dancing, live music, burlesque performances, and occasionally conferences, private parties, and film...
as part of the inaugural launching of The Hubba Hubba Revue, a San Francisco Burlesque and Variety show. After more shows, Presson moved back to the Bay Area and soon LPN was back in full swing, so to speak.
The band's lineup has been fluid over the years but of the original Nails, Mark "Marco" Donelley (Alto Saxophone) and Todd Grady (Trumpet) remain in the band. Tom Beyer (Stand-up Bass) left for a while to become founder and leader of The Acme Swing Company, another swing revival band, but is now a Nail once again.
In 2010, the band released Balls in Your Face, a download-only album of ballroom dance music.
Discography
- Jump-Swing from Hell: Live at the Hi-Ball Lounge (1998 - Hep Cat Records)
- Swing is Dead (1999 - Hep Cat Records) (no longer available)
- Playing Dirty: LPN Live at the Derby (2000 - LPN Enterprises)
- El Bando En Fuego! (2002 - LPN Enterprises)
- Balls In Your Face (2010 - LPN Enterprises)