Pg. 99
Encyclopedia
Pg. 99 was a screamo
band from Sterling, Virginia
on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.
The band formed as a six-piece in fall 1997 and later expanded to an eight-piece. They occasionally would enlist the services of an additional musician or two for a live song but were never more than an eight-piece composed of two singers, three guitarists, two bassists and a drummer. Pg. 99 was known for their intense live shows.
of Shellac
and Big Black
as their producer for a follow-up to Document #8
. Guitarist Mike Taylor cited struggles with maintaining a large line-up due to schedule conflicts, and issues with drinking as major reasons for why Pg. 99 broke up. Taylor also said, "It was like a dysfunctional family where a group of people needed to give each other some space and clarity." Four of the members would go on to perform in Pygmy Lush
.
Two releases completed before the group's break up have yet to see light: a DVD compiling various live footage, and a split 10" with City of Caterpillar
containing both bands' last songs recorded.
In a group interview with NPR
, Pg.99 was asked about the possibility of recording new material, and several of the members gave conflicting responses. Chris Taylor was content writing and releasing new music with Pygmy Lush, and said, "The only reason to realistically do that is being an old fogey and not making any money and being like, 'This could make us some money.'" However, Mike Taylor said he would be interested in "learning some more songs and doing something small."
Screamo
Screamo, though used loosely to generally describe music that features screamed vocals, is actually a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s...
band from Sterling, Virginia
Sterling, Virginia
Sterling, Virginia is a census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 27,822.It is located northwest of Herndon, east of Ashburn, and west of Great Falls, and includes part of Dulles International Airport and the former AOL corporate headquarters...
on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The band formed as a six-piece in fall 1997 and later expanded to an eight-piece. They occasionally would enlist the services of an additional musician or two for a live song but were never more than an eight-piece composed of two singers, three guitarists, two bassists and a drummer. Pg. 99 was known for their intense live shows.
Break up (2003–2010)
After several US tours, a European tour, and numerous releases, they disbanded in May 2003. Before officially breaking up, Pg.99 booked Steve AlbiniSteve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
of Shellac
Shellac (band)
Shellac is an American group composed of Steve Albini , Bob Weston and Todd Trainer...
and Big Black
Big Black
Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun...
as their producer for a follow-up to Document #8
Document 8
Document #8 is the third studio album by the American screamo band Pg. 99. The album was originally released as a vinyl LP on June 13, 2001 through Robotic Empire, with various versions also be released through Electric Human Project and Scene Police...
. Guitarist Mike Taylor cited struggles with maintaining a large line-up due to schedule conflicts, and issues with drinking as major reasons for why Pg. 99 broke up. Taylor also said, "It was like a dysfunctional family where a group of people needed to give each other some space and clarity." Four of the members would go on to perform in Pygmy Lush
Pygmy Lush
Pygmy Lush is a band from Sterling, Virginia formed by ex-Pg. 99 members Mike and Chris Taylor and Johnny Ward. Other members include Mike Widman and David Krepinevich, and previous associated acts include City of Caterpillar, Malady, Mannequin, etc.In 2007, they released an album of previously...
.
Two releases completed before the group's break up have yet to see light: a DVD compiling various live footage, and a split 10" with City of Caterpillar
City of Caterpillar
City of Caterpillar was an American band, from Richmond, Virginia. They released a split with pg. 99, a full length album, and an album-length compilation of their demo and some live tracks....
containing both bands' last songs recorded.
Reunion shows (2011)
Pg. 99 performed a one-off reunion performance in August 2011. The group performed Document #8 in its entirety at the Best Friend's Day festival in Richmond, Virginia. When asked about the future of the band, Taylor said: "We felt that if [Best Friend's Day] went well—how we play, how we sound, how we felt—we'd be up for more. If we're going to do it, it's gotta be right and has to feel good. Community is one of the things that made Pg. 99 gigs so special." After the Best Friend's Day festival sold out, Pg. 99 scheduled a second performance on August 27, 2011 at The Black Cat in Washington, DC.In a group interview with NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, Pg.99 was asked about the possibility of recording new material, and several of the members gave conflicting responses. Chris Taylor was content writing and releasing new music with Pygmy Lush, and said, "The only reason to realistically do that is being an old fogey and not making any money and being like, 'This could make us some money.'" However, Mike Taylor said he would be interested in "learning some more songs and doing something small."
Members
- Chris Taylor - vocals
- Blake Midgette - vocals
- Mike Taylor - guitar
- Jonny Ward - drums
- Cory Stevenson - bass
- George Crum - guitar
- Brandon Evans - bass, vocals
- Jonathan Moore - guitar
- Kevin Longendyke - bass
- Mike Casto - guitar
- TL Smoot - bass
Discography
- Document #1 - Demo tape (self-released, 1999)
- Document #2 - Split 7" with Enemy Soil (Sacapuntas Records, 1999)
- Document #3 - Split 7" with Reactor No. 7 (Robodog RecordsRobotic EmpireRobotic Empire is an American record label based out of Richmond, Virginia. They specialize in hardcore punk, metalcore, and alternative rock. Some of the most popular bands signed to the label over the years have been pg.99, City of Caterpillar, Crowpath, The Red Chord, Circle Takes the Square,...
, 1999) - Document #4 - Tour 6" (Robodog Records, 1999)
- Document #5 - First full-length LP/CD (Reptilian Records, 2000)
- Document #6 - Split 7" with Process is Dead (Witching Hour Records, 2000)
- Document #7 - LP/CD (Magic Bullet Records/Happy Couples Never Last, 2001)
- Document #8Document 8Document #8 is the third studio album by the American screamo band Pg. 99. The album was originally released as a vinyl LP on June 13, 2001 through Robotic Empire, with various versions also be released through Electric Human Project and Scene Police...
- LP/CD/Tape (Robotic EmpireRobotic EmpireRobotic Empire is an American record label based out of Richmond, Virginia. They specialize in hardcore punk, metalcore, and alternative rock. Some of the most popular bands signed to the label over the years have been pg.99, City of Caterpillar, Crowpath, The Red Chord, Circle Takes the Square,...
/Electric Human Project/Scene Police/Old Skool Kids/SzSS, 2001) - Document #9: A Split Personality - Split 7" with City of CaterpillarCity of CaterpillarCity of Caterpillar was an American band, from Richmond, Virginia. They released a split with pg. 99, a full length album, and an album-length compilation of their demo and some live tracks....
(Level Plane RecordsLevel PlaneLevel Plane was a record label based in New York City, that tended to aim towards traditional emo and screamo artists.Level Plane was founded in early 1997 by Greg Drudy in order to put a label and an address on the back of Saetia's first 7"...
, 2001) - Document #10: Do You Need A Play To Stay? - Split Live LP/CD with Waifle (Magic Bullet Records, 2001)
- Document #11 - 7" Reissue of Documents #3 and #4 (Robotic Empire, 2002)
- Document #12 - Split LP/CD with Majority Rule (Magic Bullet Records, 2002)
- Document #13: Pyramids in Cloth - Split 7" with Circle Takes the SquareCircle Takes the SquareCircle Takes the Square is an American post-hardcore band from Savannah, Georgia. Their debut release was a 7-track self-titled EP in 2001, followed later by a 7" split with Pg. 99...
(Perpetual Motion Machine Records, 2002) - Document #14: Singles - CD containing all vinyl/compilation/demo tracks (Reptilian Records, 2003) and reissued on vinyl in 2011 through Robotic Empire
External links
- Official website (archived)
- pg. 99 at Reptilian Records
- Live recording from August 27, 2011 at The Black Cat via NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...