The Riverdales

Infobox Musical artist
Name = The Riverdales


Img_capt = The Riverdales on their self titled LP
Landscape = Yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Chicago, Illinois
Genre = Punk Rock, Pop Punk
Years_active = 1994–1997
2003
Label = Asian Man, Lookout!
Associated_acts = Screeching Weasel, The Queers, The Methadones, Sludgeworth
URL = [http://www.officialriverdales.com/ Official Riverdales]
Past_members = Ben Foster
Dan Schafer
Dan Sullivan
Dan Lumley

The Riverdales was an American Punk Rock band from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by Ben Foster (guitar), Dan Schafer (bass), and Dan Sullivan (drums), all former members of Screeching Weasel. Unlike in Screeching Weasel, the members of The Riverdales would be credited under their real names. Their first album was released July 7 1995 on Lookout! Records and was produced by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and Mass Giorgini (from Squirtgun and Screeching Weasel). Playing off this synergy, the Riverdales supported Green Day's 1995 Insomniac Tour. Despite the reformation of Screeching Weasel in 1996, the Riverdales did not split until after recording a second album, "Storm The Streets", in 1997. Ben would later say that the stress of the Green Day tour severely damaged the relationship between the band members and that, in turn, led to the break up and Schafer and Sullivan's subsequent departures from Screeching Weasel. In 2003, Foster and Schafer, who had since repaired their relationship, reformed the group with drummer Dan Lumley to record "Phase Three". The band has been inactive since then and there appears to be no future plans to write or record.

Throughout their career, The Riverdales stuck with a Punk Rock sound very reminiscent of The Ramones. They were originally going to create a Ramones cover band, but decided to go ahead and write their own songs with the same style as the Ramones, but with slightly modernized instrumentals. Both Schafer and Foster perform lead vocals for the group, and songwriting credits are split evenly between the two.

In 2004, Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout! Records after being unable to resolve a breach of contract dispute over unpaid royalties with the label. All of these masters have since been licensed to Asian Man Records. Asian Man reissued the first Riverdales album in 2006 with re-mastered sound and a slew of bonus tracks including 3 unreleased tracks, "No Sense" from the Storm the Streets session, and live tracks from their tour with Green Day. [cite web|url=http://www.punknews.org/article/19830 |title=Punknews.org Asian Man details first Riverdales reissue |publisher=Punknews.org |date= |accessdate=2008-10-06] . The Label also re-issued "Phase Three" on October 7th, 2008. There are five bonus tracks on the reissue including a re-done version of the popular song "Mental Retard" from their "Storm The Streets" album. On his ESPN radio show, "Weasel Radio", Ben Weasel said that he and the existing Riverdales band members were contemplating a reunion show to promote the CD reissue of "Phase Three".

Discography

Original Releases

*Back To You EP (1995)
*Fun Tonight EP (1995)
*Riverdales LP (1995)
*Blood On The Ice EP (1997)
*Storm the Streets LP (1997)
*Phase Three LP (2003)

Re-Releases
*Riverdales Reissue (2006)
*Phase Three Reissue (2008)

Trivia

*The Riverdales' song "Back To You" appeared in the movie "Angus" in 1995 [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112368/soundtrack Soundtrack] to imdb|0112368|Angus]
*The band takes it's name from the fictional town of Riverdale, the setting of the Archie Comics and home of the fictional band, The Archies.
* In the song "Make Way" featured on the "Storm The Streets" LP, the lyrics, "cause we're gonna have fun tonight" can be heard as a homage to their hit song "Fun Tonight" from their first album.
* The band's logo is the number 27 with a circle around it. Very few people actually know the meaning of it. All three of the original members of The Riverdales have the logo tattooed on their flesh as does Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Adam Woronoff from The Leftovers. There are no plans to ever reveal the meaning of the number. As Ben Weasel said, "What good’s a secret society if it’s not exclusive?"

Notes

External links

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3fq4g4abtv4z~T0 Allmusic.com entry]
* [http://www.lookoutrecords.com/bands/band.php3?bnd_id=55 Lookout entry]
* [http://www.myspace.com/officialriverdales Riverdales Myspace entry]
* [http://www.asianmanrecords.com/ Asian Man Records Entry]