The Ataris are an American punk rock band from Anderson, Indiana. Formed in 1996, they released five studio albums between 1997 and 2007. Their best-selling album is So Long, Astoria (2003), which was certified gold. Their high-charting single is their cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer" from So Long, Astoria. The only constant member throughout their history has been singer/songwriter/guitarist Kristopher "Kris" Roe.
Formed on November 1, 1996, and with the band's name a reference to the large collection of Atarivideo game cartridges of Roe,[11] the band originally consisted of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kristopher Roe and guitarist Jasin Thomason. Using a 4-track, Roe wrote and recorded demos in his bedroom, using a drum machine while he searched for a full-time drummer. The band's first big break came in 1996 when Roe attended a show at the club Bogart's in Cincinnati, where Thomason passed one of the band's demo tapes to a roadie from the band. The roadie gave the tape to Joe Escalante, bassist from the band The Vandals who owned their own label, Kung Fu Records. A few weeks later, Roe received a call from Kung Fu Records, who told him they were interested in putting out their record, even though he was really only searching for a drummer. The Ataris signed to Kung Fu and the label passed the tape along to various drummers. Eventually, Roe decided upon ex-Lagwagon drummer Derrick Plourde. The band then proceeded to record their debut album Anywhere but Here, tracking the whole thing in less than a week. The album was released on April 29, 1997 and the band held a release show party at Missing Link Records in Indianapolis on May 2.
In June 1997, Roe moved from Anderson, Indiana to Santa Barbara, California. Shortly afterward, Marko Desantis joined the band on bass for a short time. Thomason decided to leave the band to stay in Indiana, and the group toured as a three-piece for a short while. After a brief tour in October 1997, this lineup disbanded. Roe, out of money and living in a van, contemplated moving back to Indiana. But the band still had an upcoming tour booked with Dance Hall Crashers and Unwritten Law, so Roe decided to give the band one more shot. He got his friend from Santa Barbara, Mike Davenport, to play bass. Davenport shared a small rehearsal space on East Haley Street with his friend Marco Peña, who was in a different band. One day at the rehearsal space, Roe and Davenport heard the drummer of Peña's band, Chris Knapp, playing and immediately asked him to join The Ataris. While Roe and Davenport joked that Peña would be upset over them "stealing" his band's drummer, Peña surprised them by showing up at their practice the next day, strapping on his guitar, and playing along. It turned out Peña had learned all the songs from Anywhere But Here. He joined the band as a second guitarist and the foursome went on their scheduled tour. However, Peña soon left the band due to personal reasons and was replaced by Patrick Riley.
From there, the band gradually increased in popularity in the underground rock scene due to their consistent touring and personal, DIY approach to the band. They then found more success with their 1998 EP Look Forward to Failure, released on San Francisco punk label Fat Wreck Chords. However, it wasn't until the release of Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits in 1999 that they started to gain widespread acclaim. The album's name comes from the name of a mobile home park along Highway 101 in Santa Barbara. Also, "...next 12 exits" refers to a nearby sign on Highway 101 North that reads "Santa Barbara, Next 12 Exits". The album contained personal, storytelling lyrics. After this album, Riley left the band to go back to school, and Marco Peña re-joined the band. In 2001 the band took part in the Vans Warped Tour.[12] The band's third full-length studio album, End Is Forever, was also released in 2001.
So Long, Astoria (2002–2004)
In 2002, the lineup changed again, with John Collura replacing Peña on guitar. Prior to this, Collura had played in his own band Beefcake who'd toured with The Ataris. He'd also done time on tour as a guitar tech for The Ataris just prior to Peña's departure.
During this same period, the Ataris' contract with Kung Fu Records expired, and the band chose to sign with Columbia Records. Later that year, they began recording their fourth full-length album and major label debut, So Long, Astoria, released on March 4, 2003. Produced by Lou Giordano, the album's production served as a stark contrast to any of the band's past releases, as previous efforts were recorded in short time spans between tours.
So Long, Astoria was widely credited for introducing The Ataris to a larger mainstream audience and generating several successful singles, including "In This Diary" and "The Saddest Song". Musically, the album showcased very personal, encrypted and slightly more optimistic songwriting with a more refined, straightforward rock sound, not unlike Jimmy Eat World. This album also included their hit cover song, originally recorded by Don Henley, "The Boys of Summer", which much to the dismay of the band became their "accidental" second single after the radio station KROQ in Los Angeles started playing it, even though the band had already chosen the song "My Reply" as their second single.[13] The single is their highest-charting single to date, reaching No.20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The band toured behind this record for most of 2003 and into early 2004 adding another guitarist (Joseph A. Farriella) to the band. That year also saw the release of a low-key live album, Live At The Metro, along with a track on the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack. So Long, Astoria sold well in excess of 700,000 copies and was certified gold. After a number of personal, financial and artistic differences, this line-up decided to respectfully and creatively go its separate ways over the summer and fall of 2004.
Davenport, interested in playing heavier music, became a founding member of the band Versus the World, while Knapp stopped playing music altogether and stayed in Santa Barbara. Details regarding the departures of Knapp and Davenport have been kept quiet for sometime, and neither camp has appeared interested in fueling any public debate or ill-will. Looking for some time off, Roe headed back to Indiana while Collura, Farriella moved back to New York; though they would later regroup to begin the recordings of the band’s next album
Welcome the Night (2005–2007)
After some time off, Roe and Collura later moved forward and began writing songs that would become part of the follow-up to So Long, Astoria titled Welcome the Night. They held some informal practices with some friends from New York, who played in the band Park Ranger. These sessions led to three members of Park Ranger joining The Ataris: Sean Hansen on bass, Shane Chickeles on drums, and Paul Carabello on third guitar. To round out the lineup they added longtime friends Bob Hoag, formerly of Pollen and The Go Reflex (which was managed by Roe), on piano and keyboards, and Angus Cooke on cello. Cooke played cello on past Ataris records, and helped with production as well. Starting in 2005, the band began recording Welcome the Night at Seedy Underbelly in California, with producer Nick Launay. Writing and recording eventually took the better part of two years and was extended to multiple studios. The album was routinely delayed by Columbia.
On June 10, 2006, the band announced that it had left Columbia Records due to the label's internal disintegration.[14] In November 2006, The Ataris started their own imprint, Isola Recordings, through Sanctuary Records and RED Distribution, and simultaneously announced the official release date of their fifth album Welcome the Night as February 20, 2007. Welcome the Night debuted at number 85 on the Billboard charts with over 12,000 copies sold. Following the album's release, the band embarked on a tour of the United States and Europe.
The Graveyard of the Atlantic (2008–present)
Kris Roe performing at an acoustic session at Groezrock 2013
In June 2008, the band began demoing at The Gallows Recording Studio in Muncie, Indiana in preparation for recording in late summer, with the aim of releasing a new album in 2009.[15] In November, the band posted a clip of a demo online. The following month, the band entered the studio to record their next album.[16] On December 29, it was mentioned that drums had been completed and that guitars were next.[17] In January 2009, the band went on a tour of the UK.[18] On April 12, a demo titled "All Souls' Day" was posted on the group's Myspace. In addition, it was mentioned that their next album would be released in the summer.[19] Between April and June 2009, the band toured the US, with shows in South Africa in the middle of this trek. After this, they appeared on the 2009 Warped Tour.[20] The finished version of "All Souls' Day" was posted online in June 2009.[21] On August 17, 2009, the band announced they had nearly finished recording their next album, tentatively titled Graveyard of the Atlantic.[22] They went on a short Midwest tour in November 2009.[23]
Between February and April 2010, the Ataris went on a cross-country US tour with Don't Panic, and then performed at the Windy City Sound Clash festival.[24] Following this, they went on another US tour between July and September 2010.[25] That same year, a two track EP, All Souls' Day & the Graveyard of the Atlantic containing just its title tracks was released under the Paper + Plastick label. In 2012, the band released a four track EP entitled The Graveyard of the Atlantic. From 2013, The Ataris began a North American tour with Kris Roe as singer and the former members John Collura, Mike Davenport and Chris Knapp to celebrate the 10 years of their most successful album So Long, Astoria.
In 2016, the band released a six-song EP entitled October in This Railroad Earth through Bandcamp. In 2017, Warped Tour announced that The Ataris was going to play on the 2017 tour. On June 18, 2017, the band released a compilation titled Silver Turns to Rust on Bandcamp. This compilation featured four previously released tracks from The Graveyard of the Atlantic and six from the previously released EP October in this Railroad Earth.
While performing in Asbury Park, New Jersey on October 7, 2012, frontman Kris Roe, acted hostile towards then-drummer Rob Felicetti on stage.[28] Kris said he had "had enough" and "could not take it anymore" as the drummer was performing "off-time" throughout their set (a claim refuted by various professional drummers). A fan had captured the incident on camera, and was subsequently uploaded to social media. Roe claimed in a follow-up video regarding the incident that Felicetti was drunk during the performance, a claim Felicetti later denied.[29] This incident led Felicetti to exit the band.[30]
So Long, Astoria is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Ataris, released on March 4, 2003. The album's title song alludes to the 1985 film The Goonies, which is set in Astoria, Oregon.
End Is Forever is the third studio album by American rock band The Ataris, released on Kung-Fu Records in 2001. The album features a mix of punk and pop punk similar to the band's previous works along with catchy pop rhythms. It contains lyrics that span nostalgia, growing up, love, relationships, and singer Kris Roe's childhood. End is Forever is notable for its many pop culture references and numerous lyrics that Roe describes as having "hidden meanings" encoded within.
Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits is the second studio album by the American pop punk band The Ataris. It was released on Kung Fu Records on April 13, 1999. The album cover is the neon sign for the Blue Skies Mobile Park in Santa Barbara, California, taken by Roe. In December 1999, the band went on a midwest/west coast tour with MxPx.
Finch is an American post-hardcore band from Temecula, California. The band is best known for their single "What It Is to Burn" from the album of the same name (2002). Their second album, Say Hello to Sunshine (2005), peaked within the top 30 on the Billboard 200. Following setbacks within the group, they released the album Back to Oblivion (2014).
Midtown is an American pop-punk band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Midtown was formed in November 1998 by three Rutgers University students, but quickly became a quartet. The group released three full-length studio albums and three extended plays before disbanding in 2005. In early 2014, Midtown reunited to play three shows, the first as a secret show at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, and the two remaining at the Skate And Surf Festival. They reunited for more shows in 2022 as openers on My Chemical Romance's reunion tour.
Look What I Almost Stepped In... is the eighth studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 2000 by Nitro Records. It was recorded in April 2000. It was the band's final album for Nitro, as they moved to their own label Kung Fu Records the following year.
Welcome the Night is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Ataris.
Internet Dating Superstuds is the ninth studio album by the southern California punk rock band The Vandals. An independent music video was filmed for the song "43210-1."
Useless ID is an Israeli punk rock band, formed in Haifa in 1994.
New Maps of Hell is the fourteenth studio album by Bad Religion, released on July 10, 2007.
Mutiny! is the debut studio album by American rock band Set Your Goals. Within the first three months of 2006, the band signed to independent label Eulogy Recordings and recorded the album with Barrett Jones in Seattle, Washington. Immediately following recording, the band embarked on two tours across the United States. Before releasing Mutiny in July, the album was preceded by the single release of the title track. The band subsequently toured the US, either as a supporting act or headlining, into mid-2007. After appearing on that year's Warped Tour, the group toured across Europe before closing out the year with another US tour.
Agony & Irony is the sixth studio album and major label debut by American punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released July 1, 2008, on Epic Records.
Scrambles is the fifth studio album by Bomb the Music Industry!, released digitally and physically on February 15, 2009. The album was released a year and a half after Get Warmer, making it the longest gap between the release of two chronologically adjacent Bomb the Music Industry! albums. Frontman Jeff Rosenstock aimed to record the album on a limited budget of $50; up to that point, the band had never spent that much money on the recording of an album.
Your World on Fire is the debut full-length album by American rock band In Fear and Faith. It was released January 6, 2009 through Rise Records.
Coaster is the eleventh studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on April 28, 2009 through Fat Wreck Chords.
This Will Be the Death of Us is the second studio album by American rock band Set Your Goals, released on July 21, 2009, on Epitaph Records. Following the release of their debut album Mutiny! in 2006, the group discovered they were not being paid royalties. After a prolonged battle to terminate their contract, the band began working on their second album in late 2008. They spent March 2008 recording with producer Mike Green in Los Angeles, California. Friends from other bands contributed additional vocal performances on several songs. Preceded by supporting tours with New Found Glory and All Time Low, This Will Be the Death of Us was released through independent label Epitaph Records in July 2009.
Infomaniac is the second studio album by American indie rock band Nightmare of You.
Chasing Hamburg, is the second studio album and fourth official release from the upstate New York-based post-hardcore/indie rock band Polar Bear Club. It is the follow-up to their teaser EP, The Summer of George, and received mostly favourable reviews.
This Time Next Year was an American pop punk band formed in Walnut Creek, California They released three EPs and two full-length albums.
Killing the Dream was an American hardcore punk band from Sacramento, California, that formed in 2002 and broke up in 2011. The group signed to Deathwish Inc. in 2004, and released three studio albums through the label: In Place Apart (2005), Fractures (2008) and Lucky Me (2010).
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