SGR (band)
Encyclopedia
SGR was a ska-core band from Voorhees, New Jersey that formed as a five piece act in 1996, during the United States third wave ska boom. The band's catalog spans four albums (one released on cassette, three others on compact disc), a live recording, and a handful of compilation appearances. The band's last live show took place in June 2007.
After two years of frequent local touring, SGR entered Milkboy Studios in 1999 for a second time to record "Livin' the Good Life," a full-length CD that established the band's unique skacore-influenced sound. Many compared the EP to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
' classic "Question the Answers
," and tracks from the release received frequent airplay on 94.1 WYSP's Loud-n-Local Sunday night radio program, then hosted by Mel Toxic. In this same year, SGR began opening frequently for larger ska acts such as Save Ferris
, The Urge
, Mephiskapheles
, and Reel Big Fish
.
In 2001 the band signed with independent Philadelphia label, Sonance Records to release two albums. The first, "The Tenby Chase," was released on May 19, 2002 at The Trocadero in Philadelphia, PA. Three months after the album's release, lead singer Frankie C left the band, and was replaced by Matt Skoufalos. The addition of Skoufalos continued the band's trend toward a mellower, more mature, soulful reggae/rock sound, which was met with much controversy among the band's fans.
For the next two years SGR raised its regional profile by touring the northeast, midwest, and southern regions of the United States, opening for ska-influenced bands like Catch 22 (band)
, Streetlight Manifesto
, The Pietasters
, and The Toasters
. Also during that time the band released its final effort on Sonance Records, an 8-song live album, "Live at The Troc," and organized a large free outdoor concert/voter registration drive called "Rock and Register" at Jack Curtis Stadium in Pennsauken, NJ's Cooper River Park in June 2004.
In many ways, 2005 proved to be the high water mark for the group. SGR independently released its fourth album, "Atomic Pony," to rave reviews during the spring, and then supported it with an ambitious touring schedule throughout the United States and Canada, performing at a number of high-profile regional ska/reggae festivals that year including the Victoria Ska Festival, 3 Floors of Ska, the Ontario Ska Festival, and Ska Weekend
. In addition, SGR was featured on September 2005's Ska Is Dead
3 tour. Shortly after in October of that year the band played its final show at Cafe Metropolis in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Final lineup:
Former members:
History
The first incarnations of SGR can be traced back to two local southern New Jersey bands during the mid 1990s: Hammonton, NJ ska mainstays The Havoctones and Voorhees, NJ alternative rock band FLOS. Following the breakups of these bands, SGR's members began performing together during the winter of 1996. New members continued to join the band for the next year until it became a thriving eight-piece. In the spring of 1997, SGR recorded "For the Crazy Indian". The eight-song EP was recorded at Milkboy Recording Studio in Philadelphia, PA and released on cassette to positive acclaim from the already well-established southern New Jersey and Philadelphia, PA ska scenes.After two years of frequent local touring, SGR entered Milkboy Studios in 1999 for a second time to record "Livin' the Good Life," a full-length CD that established the band's unique skacore-influenced sound. Many compared the EP to The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. Since the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer Ben Carr have remained constant members...
' classic "Question the Answers
Question the Answers
Question the Answers is the fourth album by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, released on October 4, 1994 .-Track listing:# "Kinder Words" – 3:06# "A Sad Silence" – 3:57# "Hell of a Hat" – 3:54# "Pictures to Prove It" – 3:16...
," and tracks from the release received frequent airplay on 94.1 WYSP's Loud-n-Local Sunday night radio program, then hosted by Mel Toxic. In this same year, SGR began opening frequently for larger ska acts such as Save Ferris
Save Ferris
Save Ferris was a ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County, California. Their name is a reference to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off.-History:...
, The Urge
The Urge
The Urge is a St. Louis rock band formed in 1987 by drummer Jeff Herschel, bassist Karl Grable, guitarist Pat Malecek, and singer Steve Ewing...
, Mephiskapheles
Mephiskapheles
Mephiskapheles was a third wave ska band based in New York. Originally called "Skatterbrains," their later name is a portmanteau of "ska" and "Mephistopheles", of Goethe's Faust...
, and Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California, best known for the 1997 hit "Sell Out". The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s, during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold certified album Turn the Radio Off. Soon after, the band...
.
In 2001 the band signed with independent Philadelphia label, Sonance Records to release two albums. The first, "The Tenby Chase," was released on May 19, 2002 at The Trocadero in Philadelphia, PA. Three months after the album's release, lead singer Frankie C left the band, and was replaced by Matt Skoufalos. The addition of Skoufalos continued the band's trend toward a mellower, more mature, soulful reggae/rock sound, which was met with much controversy among the band's fans.
For the next two years SGR raised its regional profile by touring the northeast, midwest, and southern regions of the United States, opening for ska-influenced bands like Catch 22 (band)
Catch 22 (band)
Catch 22 is an American ska punk band from East Brunswick Township, New Jersey.The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Tomas Kalnoky and drummer Chris Greer who recruited trumpeter Kevin Gunther, who was working in a local record store...
, Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto is an American punk band with many influences from different genres including ska, from New Brunswick, New Jersey fronted by Tomas Kalnoky....
, The Pietasters
The Pietasters
The Pietasters are a seven-piece ska/soul band hailing from Washington, D.C., with additional members from Maryland and Virginia.- History :In 1990, a group of friends were attending college at Virginia Tech in the mountains of Virginia...
, and The Toasters
The Toasters
The Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
. Also during that time the band released its final effort on Sonance Records, an 8-song live album, "Live at The Troc," and organized a large free outdoor concert/voter registration drive called "Rock and Register" at Jack Curtis Stadium in Pennsauken, NJ's Cooper River Park in June 2004.
In many ways, 2005 proved to be the high water mark for the group. SGR independently released its fourth album, "Atomic Pony," to rave reviews during the spring, and then supported it with an ambitious touring schedule throughout the United States and Canada, performing at a number of high-profile regional ska/reggae festivals that year including the Victoria Ska Festival, 3 Floors of Ska, the Ontario Ska Festival, and Ska Weekend
Ska Weekend
Ska Weekend is a music festival in Knoxville, TN, United States, that began in 2003 with only a few bands and has grown to be one of the largest gatherings of ska musicians in the country.-Popularity:...
. In addition, SGR was featured on September 2005's Ska Is Dead
Ska Is Dead
Ska Is Dead is a recurring ska music tour which has featured in 2004, and twice in 2005. It was first titled Ska is Dead and You're Next!The purpose of the tour has been to revitalize and continue interest in ska and ska-influenced music...
3 tour. Shortly after in October of that year the band played its final show at Cafe Metropolis in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Reunion show
On May 10, 2007 the band posted a blog on its myspace site confirming rumors of an upcoming reunion show. The show took place on June 1, 2007 at The 449 Room in Trenton, NJ. That night, former lead singer Frankie C performed on stage with the band for the first time in almost five (5) years.Band members
Reunion Show Lineup:- Jon Butts - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Larry Butts - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Jeff Hanna - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Bryan Havoc - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Dave Hunter - baritone hornBaritone hornThe baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
- Sean Hur - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Chris Lucca - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Dave Rossi - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Pete Silipino - tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Frankie C - vocals
Final lineup:
- Jon Butts - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Jeff Hanna - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Bryan Havoc - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- Dave Hunter - baritone hornBaritone hornThe baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
- Sean Hur - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Chris Lucca - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Dave Rossi - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Matt Skoufalos - vocals
Former members:
- Larry Butts - trumpet
- John Cappuchio - guitar, saxophone
- Frank Conicella - vocals
- Jeff Cressman - guitar
- Eric Schwank - bass guitar
- Peter Silipino - trombone
- Johnny Smile - guitar
- Paul Strande - trumpet
- Sean Vernon - vocals
- William Valloreo - vocals
Discography
- For The Crazy Indian (1997)
- Livin' The Good Life (1999)
- The Tenby Chase (2002)
- Live at The Troc (2003)
- Atomic Pony (2005)