Arcwelder is an American punk rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1987. The band, a perennial local favorite, consists of brothers Rob and Bill Graber and Scott Macdonald, all of whom share in

songwriting A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

and

singing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or with ...

History

Under their original name Tilt-A-Whirl, the band released their first album, ''This'', in 1990 on the small Minneapolis label Big Money, Inc. As the record was being released, the band was sued for

trademark infringement Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attached to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees (provided that such authorization was within the scope of the licence). Infringement may ...

by Sellner Manufacturing, the manufacturer of the

Tilt-A-Whirl Tilt-A-Whirl is a flat ride similar to the Waltzer in Europe, designed for commercial use at amusement parks, fairs, and carnivals, in which it is commonly found. The rides are manufactured by Larson International of Plainview, Texas. Des ...

amusement ride Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...

. Rather than go to court, the band changed their name to Arcwelder, the title of an instrumental on the record. The initial release of ''This'' had a disclaimer sticker noting the lack of affiliation between the ride's manufacturer and the band. Arcwelder has toured the U.S., with such bands as

the Jesus Lizard The Jesus Lizard is an American rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas and based in Chicago, Illinois. They were "a leading noise rock band in the American independent underground… hoturned out a series of independent records filled with ...

Jawbox Jawbox is an American alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in 1989 by J. Robbins (vocals/guitar), Kim Coletta (bass), and Adam Wade (drums). After the trio released the album '' Grippe'' in 1991, Bill Barbot (guitar/vocals) joi ...

, and

Tar Tar is a dark brown or black viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials through destructive distillation. Tar can be produced from coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. "a dark brown or black bi ...

, and has played shows with such artists as

Dirty Three Dirty Three is an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis (violin and bass guitar), Mick Turner (electric and bass guitars) and Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992. Their 1996 album '' Horse Stories'' was voted by '' ...

Pegboy Pegboy is an American punk band from Chicago, Illinois with a relatively large cult following. They were founded in 1990 by John Haggerty (ex-guitarist for Naked Raygun), along with his brother Joe Haggerty (drums, formerly of The Effigies), Larr ...

Caspar Brötzmann Caspar Brötzmann (born 13 December 1962) is a German guitarist, vocalist and bandleader. Brötzmann typically performs with the power trio lineup of Caspar Brötzmann Massaker (his early band), with guitar, bass guitar and drums. He uses rock a ...

, and

Cows Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

. In 1992, the song "Favor", from the album ''Jacket Made in Canada'', appeared at number 32 on John Peel's "Festive Fifty". In both 2002 and 2012, Arcwelder was invited to perform in the UK

All Tomorrow's Parties "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...

music festival, by those years' curators

Shellac Shellac () is a resin secreted by the female lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes and dissolved in alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and ...

. The names of all three members of Arcwelder appear on the cover of the 1997 Shellac album, '' The Futurist''. Arcwelder - First Avenue Star

The band has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

nightclub First Avenue, recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh. All of the original members of the band reformed for a performance at the Touch and Go 25th anniversary celebration held September 8–10, 2006 in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. The band has not released any new music since 1999 but still continues to tour as of 2022. Arcwelder is no relation to the Australian band "The Arcwelders". The Arcwelders performed regularly at various venues in Melbourne between 1989 and 1994. They were best known for the chart topping teen anthem "This Place".

Discography

Albums

* ''This'' (1990) * ''Jacket Made In Canada'' (1991) * ''Pull'' (1993) * ''Xerxes'' (1994) * ''Entropy'' (1996) * ''Everest'' (1999)

7" Singles

* "Pint Of Blood" b/w "Define My Life" (Sonic Boom Records, 1988) * "Favor" b/w "Plastic" (Douphonic/ Big Money Inc, 1992) * "I Am The Walrus" b/w "Sign Of The Times" (Big Money Inc, 1992) * "Raleigh" b/w "Rosa, Walls" (Touch and Go, 1992) * "Captain Allen" b/w "White Elephant" (Touch and Go, 1995)

References

External links

* *
Touch and Go Records 25th Anniversary footage of Arcwelder performance and interview
{{Authority control Indie rock musical groups from Minnesota Musical groups established in 1988 Touch and Go Records artists