At the Drive-In was an American
post-hardcore band from
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
, formed in 1994. The band's most recent line-up consisted of
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer and lyricist of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta and the only constant member of the post-hardcore group At the Drive-In, for whic ...
(vocals),
Omar Rodríguez-López
Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975) is an American guitarist and songwriter. He has formed or played in several bands, including the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Antemasque, and Bosnian Rainbows. He was the bassist for the ...
(guitar, vocals),
Paul Hinojos
Pablo J. Hinojos-Gonzalez (born July 17, 1975), also known as Paul Hinojos, is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for At the Drive-In, and former touring member of The Mars Volta. He is also a former guitarist of Sparta.
Biogr ...
(bass),
Tony Hajjar
Tony Hajjar (born August 17, 1974) is a Lebanese American drummer, best known for playing in At the Drive-In and Sparta. As of 2016, he is playing in the reformed At The Drive-In, as well as the new group, Gone Is Gone. Tony also produced and dru ...
(drums) and
Keeley Davis
Keeley Davis (born January 4, 1976) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and graphic designer. He is best known as a member of the post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, with whom he has recorded one studio album, '' In•ter a•li•a' ...
(guitar, vocals).
After several early line-up changes, the band solidified into a five-piece, consisting of Bixler-Zavala, Rodríguez-López,
Jim Ward, Hinojos and Hajjar. At the Drive-In released three studio albums and five
EPs before breaking up in 2001. Their third and final album before their split, 2000's ''
Relationship of Command
''Relationship of Command'' is the third studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on September 12, 2000. The album combines an aggressive edge with a melodic drive, harmonious, emotive vocals, and surreal lyrics. Whil ...
'', received a number of accolades and is cited as a landmark of the post-hardcore genre. Following the breakup, Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López formed
the Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership for ...
while Ward, Hinojos, and Hajjar formed
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
.
At the Drive-In reunited in January 2012 and played the 2012
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, as well as the 2012
Lollapalooza Festival
Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual ...
. In 2016, the band reunited for a second time, with guitarist and occasional lead vocalist Jim Ward no longer participating. He was replaced by Sparta's Keeley Davis. The band released their fourth studio album, ''
in•ter a•li•a
''in•ter a•li•a'' is the fourth studio album by At the Drive-In, released on May 5, 2017. It is their first studio album in 17 years since ''Relationship of Command'', and their first release since the 2005 compilation album ''This Station I ...
'', in 2017. The band announced an indefinite hiatus in November 2018.
History
Formation and ''Acrobatic Tenement'' (1994–97)
At the Drive-In was founded in 1994 by guitarist
Jim Ward and vocalist
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer and lyricist of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta and the only constant member of the post-hardcore group At the Drive-In, for whic ...
.
The newly formed band played its first live show on October 14, 1994, at The Attic, a venue in El Paso, Texas, followed up by a show on the 15th at the
Loretto High School
Loretto High School was a small, Roman Catholic, college-preparatory school for young women in Sacramento, California. Although located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento the school was independent of the diocese. In 2005, Loretto Hig ...
Fair. Not long after, At the Drive-In released its first studio recording entitled ''
Hell Paso
In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells a ...
'', a 7-inch EP issued in November 1994.
Following ''Hell Paso'' release, the band members embarked on their first tour – a 2,000-mile trek across the state of Texas. After a drummer change due to Bernie Rincon's death, At the Drive-In released its second EP ''
¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo!
¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo! (AVC) ( en, Alfaro Lives, Dammit!), another name for the Fuerzas Armadas Populares Eloy Alfaro ( en, Eloy Alfaro Popular Armed Forces), was a clandestine left-wing group in Ecuador, founded in 1982 and named after popular ...
'' in June 1995. The band then set out on another tour, this one in a newly purchased 1981
Ford Econoline
The Ford E-Series (also known as the Ford Econoline or Ford Club Wagon) is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for model year 1961 as the replacement for the Ford F-Series panel van, the E-S ...
and spanning 42 days and 10,000 miles across the United States.
During these tours, At the Drive-In began developing a large underground following by mostly playing in basements and small venues across the western United States, with their popularity spread by
word of mouth
Word of mouth, or ''viva voce'', is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one pe ...
among fans. One such show that changed the course of history for the band was in a now defunct bar in Los Angeles, where the band put on an explosive performance for just nine people – some of them employees of the
Flipside record label. The staffers were so enthralled by the show that they offered to put out At the Drive-In's record then and there.
Accepting the offer, the band first headed out on another 21-day tour of the
Southwest
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
before ending in Los Angeles again where they recorded their debut full-length album titled ''
Acrobatic Tenement
''Acrobatic Tenement'' is the debut studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on February 18, 1997, on Flipside (fanzine), Flipside. The album, along with ''In/Casino/Out'' and ''Relationship of Command'', was reissued ...
'' for $600.
The album was released August 18, 1996, and the band commenced another tour of the United States the following year spanning 100 days (February to June 1997) and 24,000 miles.
This tour included shows with hundreds of other bands such as
Screw 32,
J Church,
AFI
AFI may refer to:
* ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol
* Ashton Fletcher Irwin, an Australian drummer
* AFI (band), an American rock band
** ''AFI'' (2004 album), a retrospective album by AFI rele ...
,
Still Life,
Mustard Plug
Mustard Plug is an American ska punk band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, consisting of Dave Kirchgessner (vocals), Brandon Jenison (trumpet), Jim Hofer (trombone), Nate Cohn (drums), Colin Clive (guitar/vocals), Mark Petz (tenor saxophone) and Gr ...
,
Face to Face, and
Cosmic Psychos
Cosmic Psychos are an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1982 as Spring Plains. Founding members included Ross Knight on bass guitar and vocals; Robbie Addington on guitar and vocals; and Steve Morrow on vocals. Australian rock music hi ...
.
At the Drive-In's fan base began to swell with every show it performed. Following this tour, the band members took a month vacation (Jim Ward remained on vacation until the recording of ''
In/Casino/Out
''In/Casino/Out'' (stylized as ''in/CASINO/OUT'') is the second full-length album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on August 18, 1998, through Fearless Records. It was recorded as a live studio album, with the intention o ...
'') before rehearsing for their next record and subsequent tour.
Following the recording of ''Acrobatic Tenement'' in July 1996, the final line-up of At the Drive-In fell into place with the addition of
Tony Hajjar
Tony Hajjar (born August 17, 1974) is a Lebanese American drummer, best known for playing in At the Drive-In and Sparta. As of 2016, he is playing in the reformed At The Drive-In, as well as the new group, Gone Is Gone. Tony also produced and dru ...
and
Paul Hinojos
Pablo J. Hinojos-Gonzalez (born July 17, 1975), also known as Paul Hinojos, is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for At the Drive-In, and former touring member of The Mars Volta. He is also a former guitarist of Sparta.
Biogr ...
and with
Omar Rodríguez-López
Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975) is an American guitarist and songwriter. He has formed or played in several bands, including the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Antemasque, and Bosnian Rainbows. He was the bassist for the ...
transitioning from bass to guitar. At the Drive-In's third EP titled ''
El Gran Orgo
''El Gran Orgo'' is the third EP by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In. It was recorded and released in 1997 without the presence of Jim Ward, whose guitar duties were filled by Ben Rodriguez and Omar Rodriguez, the latter of whom had ...
'' was released on September 18, 1997, and "showed a more melodic side of the band, but the musical depth and heartfelt emotion was never more apparent."
Two days after its release, the band was in
Boulder, Colorado, playing a show with
Welt to kick off its next 35-day, 11,000-mile tour that also included six dates with
Karp
Karp may refer to:
Places
* Karp, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-east Poland
* Karp, Lublin Voivodeship, in east Poland
People
* Karp (surname)
* Karp Khachvankyan (1923–1998), Armenian actor and director
Other uses
* KARP-FM, a radio s ...
and the
Young Pioneers, and one-offs with
Guttermouth
Guttermouth is an American punk rock band formed in 1988 in Huntington Beach, California and currently recording for Rude Records. They have released nine full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured extensively, including perfor ...
,
The Criminals, Piss Drunks, and the
Humpers
The Humpers were an American Garage punk (fusion genre), garage punk band, formed in 1989 led by Scott "Deluxe" Drake, formerly of The Suicide Kings.
History
Despite being based out of Long Beach, California, they recorded their first EP, ''My ...
.
At the Drive-In's popularity at this point was undeniable, with headlining shows in the
Midwest drawing between 100 and 350 fans.
''In/Casino/Out'' and ''Vaya'' (1998–1999)
When the time came for At the Drive-In's next recording,
Flipside quit producing records and Offtime was financially unable to, "so the band figuratively approached almost every indie label they could think of."
When hope was almost lost and the possibility of another record seemed dim, Bob and Michelle Becker of
Fearless Records saw At the Drive-In open for
Supernova at a bar named Club Mesa. Despite Fearless's history of producing mainly
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other p ...
bands, the band members "felt very comfortable with Bob and Michelle on a personal level" and a deal was signed.
Consequently, At the Drive-In began recording its second full-length album titled ''
In/Casino/Out
''In/Casino/Out'' (stylized as ''in/CASINO/OUT'') is the second full-length album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on August 18, 1998, through Fearless Records. It was recorded as a live studio album, with the intention o ...
'' on June 3, 1998. With producer and mixer Alex Newport, the band spent four days recording at Doug Messenger's, in North Hollywood, Revolver Recordings in Costa Mesa with Engineer Andy Troy for Fearless Records, and an additional two days mixing the album at Paramount, in Hollywood.
This album marked a notable maturation in At the Drive-In's sound and is special in that it was recorded live with just a small number of overdubs. ''In/Casino/Out'' was chosen to be recorded live because, according to some sources, At the Drive-In struggled to capture the intensity and emotion of its live shows in the recording studio.
''In/Casino/Out'' was released on August 18, 1998, although the band toured almost non-stop from July until December, playing shows with bands like
Knapsack
A backpack—also called knapsack, schoolbag, rucksack, rucksac, pack, sackpack, booksack, bookbag or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders ...
and
The Murder City Devils.
At the Drive-In took a couple month break until March 1999, at which point they kicked off another tour with a two-week stint with
Jimmy Eat World in the United States until they headed to Europe for a six-week European tour spanning eleven countries.
Upon returning to the United States, At the Drive-In played a handful of shows before returning to the studio to record their fourth EP entitled ''
Vaya'', which was released on July 13, 1999. Without missing a beat, the band kicked off another tour on July 28 at Emo's in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, with El Paso band Universal Recovered and Austin band
Schatzi
Schatzi is an American band from Oklahoma, based in Austin, Texas, formed in 1996Andy Langer"Spotlights: Schatzi" ''The Austin Chronicle'', March 15, 2002. by Montez Williams, Christian Kyle, Jason Westbrook and Jason Altman.
Biography
Montez Wi ...
opening this show. This tour included shows with bands like
The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids are an American rock band from Olathe, Kansas. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-1990s Midwest emo scene, otherwise known as the " second wave" of emo music. Their second album '' Something to Write Home Abo ...
and
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commer ...
.
Later, in April 2000, At the Drive-In released a
split EP with the Czech band Sunshine, containing five songs, two of them by At the Drive-In.
''Relationship of Command'' (2000–2001)
Recording for At the Drive-In's third and then-final full-length album ''
Relationship of Command
''Relationship of Command'' is the third studio album by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released on September 12, 2000. The album combines an aggressive edge with a melodic drive, harmonious, emotive vocals, and surreal lyrics. Whil ...
'' began on January 17, 2000. The recording took place at Indigo Ranch Studios in
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malib ...
, with producer
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson (born February 13, 1967) is an American record producer who discovered acts such as Korn, Glassjaw, The Blood Brothers, Slipknot, and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Tech N9ne, The Cure, Sepultura, and many others.
...
(and mixer
Andy Wallace), who the band had met on an earlier tour and who had "convinced the boys that he was the guy who could get every ounce of them onto tape."
''Relationship of Command'' was recorded over a seven-week period and featured
Iggy Pop with minor parts on a couple of the album's songs. It was released September 12, 2000, to critical acclaim, and catapulted At the Drive-In into the mainstream musical spotlight.
In addition to touring worldwide in Europe, Japan, and the United States following the release of ''Relationship of Command'', At The Drive-In performed on several television shows. The band's first nationally televised performance was on ''
Farmclub'', a now defunct television show which aired late at night on the
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
. After that performance, they also appeared on ''
Later with Jools Holland,'' ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' and the ''
Late Show with David Letterman''. Additionally, their minor hit radio single "
One Armed Scissor" had circulation on MTV and significantly contributed to the band's popularity. By 2002, ''Relationship of Command'' had sold 273,000 copies in the United States, according to
Nielsen SoundScan.
Breakup (2001)
On November 12, 2000, At the Drive-In was involved in a motor vehicle accident when their touring van skidded out of control on ice and flipped onto its roof. Though the accident left the band shaken, none of the members sustained serious injury – Hajjar and Bixler-Zavala were taken to the hospital for minor injuries and released. In January 2001, At the Drive-In traveled to Australia for the
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...
music festival. While performing in Sydney, they left partway through their set after telling the attendance to calm down and observe the safety rules against
moshing
Moshing (also known as slam dancing or simply slamming) is an extreme style of dancing in which participants push or slam into each other, typically performed to "aggressive" live music such as heavy metal and punk rock. Moshing usually happen ...
. After the refusal of the crowd, frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala told them "You're a robot, you're a sheep!" and
bleated at them several times before the band left the stage after performing only three songs. "I think it's a very, very sad day when the only way you can express yourself is through slam-dancing", he proclaimed. The following month, At the Drive-In cancelled the last five dates of its European tour, citing "complete mental and physical exhaustion" of the members.
In March 2001—less than a month away from a United States tour set to begin on April 14—at the peak of their popularity and following a world tour, At the Drive-In broke up, initially referring to the split as an "indefinite hiatus". The band played their last show at
Groningen's Vera venue on February 21, 2001. A combination of excessive hype, relentless touring, artistic differences, and Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala's drug habits contributed to the demise of the band. Commenting on the hiatus, guitarist Rodríguez-López said: "After a non-stop six-year cycle of record/tour/record/tour, we are going on an indefinite hiatus. We need time to rest up and re-evaluate, just to be human beings again and to decide when we feel like playing music again."
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala (born November 4, 1974) is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead singer and lyricist of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta and the only constant member of the post-hardcore group At the Drive-In, for whic ...
took responsibility for the breakup, saying repeatedly in interviews that he felt almost as if At the Drive-In was holding him back and that he didn't want his music to be confined to
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
or
hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
— that it should encompass many genres and be even more
progressive,
alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
, and "against-the-grain." Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López had stated that they wanted their next album to sound like
Pink Floyd's ''
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
''The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'' is the debut studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 5 August 1967 by EMI Columbia. It is the only Pink Floyd album made under the leadership of founding member Syd Barrett (lead vocals, g ...
'', while the other members were intent on progressing in a more
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
direction.
Post-breakup activity (2001–2009)
Following the break-up of At the Drive-In, Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López focused on their
dub side-project
De Facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
, before starting
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership for ...
. This project was a departure from their previous work, as it pursued the
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...
sound that they had been interested in. Meanwhile, the other members – Ward, Hinojos, and Hajjar – started the more traditional band
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
. Hinojos would then leave Sparta to join Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López in The Mars Volta from 2005 to 2009. The Mars Volta disbanded in 2013, and Rodríguez-López went on to play with
Bosnian Rainbows
Bosnian Rainbows was an American art rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2012. The band consists of former the Mars Volta members Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, backing vocals) and Deantoni Parks (drums, keyboards), alongside Le Butcherette ...
, while Bixler-Zavala started a new band called
Zavalaz.
Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López eventually reunited once again and formed
Antemasque in 2014.
First reunion (2009–2012)
During an interview with Drowned in Sound in June 2009, Bixler-Zavala stated that he had been in discussions with the band's former members and suggested that they could get back together after they sorted their financial business out. He added, "I wouldn't mind it. It might happen, we just have to iron out a lot of personal things. A lot of it we've dealt with already and I've apologized for a lot of things I've said and the way it ended... we'll see what happens."
In response to Bixler-Zavala's comments, guitarist Jim Ward quickly quashed rumors of a reunion by stating "I don't think that I'll be answering any questions or doing any interviews anymore, thank you very much. I haven't got much to say about anything except with songs which I will continue to make and release."
At the Drive-in finally got back together in late 2011 and officially announced their reunion on January 9, 2012. They played their first show since 2001 on April 9 at Red 7 in Austin, Texas, as part of a 4-date tour across Texas with
Zechs Marquise warming up prior to performing at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 15 and 22. Later in the year At the Drive-in also performed at festivals such as
Lollapalooza,
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
,
Fuji Rock
is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan ...
and
Reading and Leeds Festival
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fes ...
.
The band had also acquired the rights from
Fearless Records to reissue most of their catalogue (three full-length albums as well as ''Vaya'' EP) and launched their own label, Twenty-first Chapter, to handle the reissues. The name of the label is a reference to the chapter omitted from the US version of the Anthony Burgess book ''
A Clockwork Orange''.
While the reunion shows were met with mostly positive reviews, Rodríguez-López received criticism from fans and observers for his evident lack of enthusiasm while playing on stage; initially this was attributed to the recent death of his mother; however, Rodríguez-López later stated that he also no longer felt connected with At the Drive-in's music.
Rodríguez-López also ruled out the possibility of the band recording new material, though he reversed this stance in light of the band's 2016 reunion.
Following the dissolution of
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership for ...
in 2013, Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López ceased all contact with each other. Bixler-Zavala blamed Rodríguez-López for the breakup on Twitter; however, he stated that he was still happy with At the Drive-In's reunion: "And for the record I'm still in love with ATDI. Proof was in MY performance. I would never get on stage if my heart was else where." The two subsequently focused their efforts on their respective projects, Zavalaz and
Bosnian Rainbows
Bosnian Rainbows was an American art rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2012. The band consists of former the Mars Volta members Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, backing vocals) and Deantoni Parks (drums, keyboards), alongside Le Butcherette ...
, and remained on non-speaking terms until early 2014, when they finally resolved their issues. An initial attempt to restart At the Drive-In didn't work out, however, so Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López went on to form
Antemasque, touring and recording for the next two years.
Second reunion and ''in•ter a•li•a'' (2015–2018)
In October 2015, At the Drive-In agreed on doing another reunion, and an appearance at Rock On The Range festival in the following May was scheduled. In January 2016, trailed by a 15-second video of seemingly new music, the band detailed plans for a world tour and new album later in the year. After initial rehearsals, Jim Ward left the reunited band, and was replaced by his former Sparta bandmate
Keeley Davis
Keeley Davis (born January 4, 1976) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and graphic designer. He is best known as a member of the post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, with whom he has recorded one studio album, '' In•ter a•li•a' ...
.
Looking back on Ward's departure, in 2017 Bixler-Zavala stated that Ward wasn't ready for a new album and tour: "His head wasn't there. His head wasn't trustworthy. Because of the way Omar and I exploded
ith Mars Volta I completely understood that. You know, you either let it go and keep going forward, or the train goes on without you. We have to honor what is happening now, which is age and the want to do it. I love him. He's a beautiful human being. A beautiful artist. I just wish he would remember that he's an amazing guitar player. I don't know if he does."
The band canceled part of their North American tour after Bixler-Zavala began to have issues with his voice. On December 8, the band released their first new song in 16 years, "Governed by Contagions", through
Rise Records. A new album, ''
in•ter a•li•a
''in•ter a•li•a'' is the fourth studio album by At the Drive-In, released on May 5, 2017. It is their first studio album in 17 years since ''Relationship of Command'', and their first release since the 2005 compilation album ''This Station I ...
'', was released on May 5, 2017, preceded by another single, "Incurably Innocent". The ''
Diamanté'' EP was released on November 24 as part of Record Store Day; it had a limited vinyl release of 4000 copies. In May 2018, the band headlined the
Neon Desert Music Festival.
Hiatus (2018–present)
During a show on November 17, 2018, at the
Circo Voador in Brazil, Bixler-Zavala announced to the crowd that the following night's show would be their final show for the foreseeable future. That night, Bixler-Zavala posted on Twitter stating "Maybe it's a sign of weakness to some of you but I had to give a huge thank you to my ATDI family. This was our 2nd to last show. Tomorrow is the last. Don't know when we'll play again. Thank you Rio. How do I even sleep now?" The following day on November 18, 2018, the band played their final show at Bar Opinião in
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the twelfth most populous city in the country and the center of Brazil's fif ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. On November 19, 2018, the band released a statement on their official Instagram announcing a hiatus.
Musical style and influences
At the Drive-In's style is usually described as
post-hardcore.
Their sound has also been called
punk rock,
emo
Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
,
and
art punk
Art punk is a subgenre of punk rock in which artists go beyond the genre's rudimentary garage rock and are considered more sophisticated than their peers. These groups still generated punk's aesthetic of being simple, offensive, and free-spiri ...
.
Some of the group's influences are
Indian Summer
An Indian summer is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs in autumn in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Several sources describe a true Indian summer as not occurring until after the first frost, or more s ...
,
Swing Kids,
Fugazi,
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American emo/indie rock band from Seattle, formed in 1992. The band currently consists of founding members Jeremy Enigk (vocals, guitar), Dan Hoerner (guitar) and William Goldsmith (drums), alongside Greg Suran (gui ...
,
Bad Brains
Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this t ...
, and the
Gravity Records
Gravity is an underground independent record label from San Diego.Trevor Kelley, "California Screaming". ''Alternative Press'' 17 (2003), pp. 84-86. It was formed in 1991 by Matt Anderson, a member of the influential underground band Heroin. It ...
-led post-hardcore sound of the 1990s that featured acts such as
Antioch Arrow
Antioch Arrow was an American punk rock band from San Diego, California, that formed in 1992. Most of their discography was released through the San Diego independent label Gravity Records. The label was responsible raising San Diego's profile ...
and
Heroin.
In their last period before their initial breakup, the biggest influences of At the Drive-In included bands such as
Drive Like Jehu
Drive Like Jehu was an American post-hardcore band from San Diego active from 1990 to 1995. It was formed by rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rick Froberg and lead guitarist John Reis, ex-members of Pitchfork, along with bassist Mike Kennedy an ...
and
The Nation of Ulysses, with frontman Bixler-Zavala going on to say that "there would be no ''Relationship of Command'' without Drive Like Jehu." The band also performed cover versions of songs such as "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" by
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to eme ...
and "
Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
''The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'' is the debut studio album by English Rock music, rock band Pink Floyd, released on 5 August 1967 by Columbia Graphophone Company, EMI Columbia. It is the only Pink Floyd album made under the leadership of fou ...
" by
Pink Floyd, both included in the 2004 compilation ''
This Station Is Non-Operational
''This Station Is Non-Operational'' is a compilation album by El Paso, Texas-based post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released May 24, 2005 by Fearless Records, four years after the band went on indefinite hiatus. Its tracks span the band's caree ...
''.
Their name was taken from the fact that Bad Brains took their name from the
Ramones' song "Bad Brain" (from ''
Road to Ruin''), and Bixler-Zavala liked the Bad Brains' song title "At the Movies" (track featured in ''
Rock for Light''); while Ward liked "at the drive-in", and his suggestion would eventually win out.
[
Though ''In/Casino/Out'' was recorded live, "''Relationship of Command'' may very well be the first record to harness the chaotic balance of adrenaline and intellect of ATDI's live performance."] "Ross was instrumental in bringing out a lot of feeling from us," Bixler-Zavala recalls. "We channeled a lot of emotion into this record. He pushed us farther than we thought we could go. I learned to cut loose the way we do live and not to be afraid to break something or whatever." While capturing the essence of ATDI's live shows in a way never before seen, the record also featured some of the band's most experimental songs, including " Rolodex Propaganda," "Non-Zero Possibility," and " Invalid Litter Dept."
The band's guitar-playing, in the majority of their songs, is characterized by unusual chords, a fast tempo, and a quiet-loud-quiet song structure. While Jim Ward and Paul Hinojos provided the rhythmic structure of the song, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez often played more experimental riffs and melodies over the top. Effects were heavily used by Rodriguez-Lopez, especially on ''Relationship of Command,'' while Ward used the keyboard to create melody, often switching between the guitar and keyboard such as in "Invalid Litter Department".
Legacy
At the Drive-In is considered one of the most influential post-hardcore acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Accolades for their album ''Relationship of Command'' include being ranked 47th in the 50 Greatest Albums of the 21st century in ''Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'', 83rd on ''Spin Magazine
''Spin'' (stylized in all caps) is an American music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. Now owned by Next Management Partners, the magazine is an online publication since it stopped issuing a print edition in 2012.
Histor ...
'' 100 Greatest Albums 1985–2005, and 90 on MTV2's greatest albums ever list. BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's Mike Diver stated that the success and eventual "landmark status" of the album helped post-hardcore position itself as a "vital commercial force," adding that ''Relationship of Command'' "is the high against which every post-hardcore record since 2000 has been measured."