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 the cover song " The Boys of Summer" from ''So Long, Astoria''. The only constant member throughout their history has been singer/songwriter/guitarist Kristopher Roe.

History

Kung Fu Records (1996–2001)

Formed on November 1, 1996, 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. The band's third full-length studio album, ''

End Is Forever ''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 lyr ...

'', 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 Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. 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 "In This Diary" is a song recorded by American pop punk group the Ataris. It was released in February 2003 as the lead single from their fourth album ''So Long, Astoria''. "In This Diary" was released to radio on February 11, 2003. It peaked at nu ...

" and "

The Saddest Song "The Saddest Song" is a song by The Ataris. Described as a ballad, this song was released as the third and final single from their fourth album, ''So Long, Astoria''. It reached #27 on the US Modern Rock Tracks. This song was written by singer Kr ...

". Musically, the album showcased very personal, encrypted and slightly more optimistic songwriting with a more refined, straightforward rock sound, not unlike

Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Mesa, Arizona. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach Lind. They h ...

. This album also included their hit cover song, originally recorded by

Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as "Witchy Woman", "Despe ...

, " 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. 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. 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 over 700,000 copies and was certified gold. After a number of personal, financial and artistic differences, this line-up decided to 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. Looking for some time off, Roe headed back to Indiana while Collura 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 ''Welcome the Night'' is the fifth studio album by American rock band the Ataris. Background In February 2005, it was reported that the band expanded to a seven-piece, with the addition of keyboardist Bob Hoag of Go Reflex, Angus Cooke of Bad Ast ...

''. 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 Bob Hoag is an American record producer, songwriter and musician based in Mesa, Arizona. In 2005, he was recruited to be the pianist and keyboardist for American rock band The Ataris. Career Hoag wrote songs for his group, The Go Reflex, as well a ...

, formerly of

Pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

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

due to the label's internal disintegration. 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)

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. In November, the band posted a clip of a demo online. The following month, the band entered the studio to record their next album. On December 29, it was mentioned that drums had been completed and that guitars were next. In January 2009, the band went on a tour of the UK. 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. 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. The finished version of "All Souls' Day" was posted online in June 2009. On August 17, 2009, the band announced they had nearly finished recording their next album, tentatively titled ''Graveyard of the Atlantic''. They went on a short Midwest tour in November 2009. 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. Following this, they went on another US tour between July and September 2010. 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''.

Musical style

The Ataris has been described as pop punk, emo, and punk rock. The band's influences include Descendents,

Jawbreaker Jawbreaker may refer to: * Gobstopper, a hard candy with multiple layers Arts and entertainment * ''Jawbreakers'' (album), an album by Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Harry "Sweets" Edison * Jawbreaker (band), an American rock band * Jawbreakers (duo) ...

, All,

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...

Avail Avail is an American punk rock band from Richmond, Virginia, United States. Originally from Reston, Virginia, the band formed in 1987, its members including Joe Banks, Doug Crosby, Brien Stewart, and Mikey Warstler. The only original remaining ...

, the

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...

, and the Replacements.

Controversy

While performing in Asbury Park, New Jersey on October 7th, 2012, frontman Kris Roe, in an admittedly drug-induced loss of inhibition and control, acted hostile towards then-drummer Rob Felicetti on stage. 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.MTV News:Ataris Frontman Explains Attack On His Drummer
/ref> This incident led Felicetti to exit the band.punknews
/reF>

Band members

Current *

Kristopher Roe 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 si ...

– lead vocals, rhythm guitar , bass guitar * Dustin Phillips – drums *

Dale Nixon Gregory Regis Ginn (born June 8, 1954) is an American guitarist, bassist, singer and songwriter, best known for being the leader, primary songwriter, and the only continuous member of the hardcore punk band Black Flag, which he founded and led ...

– lead guitar *

Danny Duke Danny is a masculine given name. It is related to the male name Daniel. It may refer to: People *Danny Altmann, British immunologist *Danny Antonucci, Canadian animator, director, producer, and writer * Danny Baker (born 1957), English journali ...

– bass guitar Former *

Jasin Thomason 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 ...

– lead guitar, lead vocals *

Marko DeSantis Sugarcult is an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim Pagnotta ( lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Airin Older (bass guitar, backing vocals), Marko DeSantis (lead guitar), and Kenny Liv ...

– bass guitar * Derrick Plourde – drums *Patrick Riley - lead guitar * Marco Peña – lead guitar * Mike Davenport – bass guitar *Chris Knapp – drums *

John Collura 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 ...

– lead guitar, backing vocals, piano *

Paul Carabello 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 ...

– rhythm guitar, backing vocals, lead guitar *

Sean Hansen 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 ...

– bass guitar, backing vocals, drums *

Angus Cooke 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 s ...

– cello *

Shane Chikeles 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 ...

– drums, percussion *

– keyboards, percussion , drums * Christopher Swinney – lead guitar, backing vocals (Now in Fire Sale) *

Jacob Dwiggins Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jac ...

– drums * Corey Turner – bass guitar *

Aaron Glass According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Ancient Greek, Greek (Septuagint): wikt:Ἀαρών, Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high p ...

– guitar *Bryan Nelson – bass guitar *

Rob Felicetti Rob or ROB may refer to: Places * Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia * Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia People * Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn * Rob (s ...

– lead guitar , drums *Thomas Holst – lead guitar , rhythm guitar * Erik Perkins – drums *

Brian Bonsall Brian Eric Bonsall (born December 3, 1981) is an American rock musician, singer, guitarist and former child actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Andrew "Andy" Keaton, the youngest child on the NBC sitcom ''Family Ties'' from 1986 unt ...

– lead guitar *Mike Woods – bass guitar

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:110 bottom:90 top:5 right:15 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:11/01/1996 till:01/01/2023 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:cello value:darkblue legend:Cello id:lguitar value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:rguitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:perc value:claret legend:Percussion id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album id:bars value:gray(0.95) BackgroundColors = bars:bars Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1997 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1997 BarData = bar:Kris text:Kristopher Roe bar:Angus text:Angus Cooke bar:Jasin text:Jasin Thomason bar:Marco text:Marco Peña bar:Patrick text:Patrick Riley bar:John text:John Collura bar:Paul text:Paul Carabello bar:Christopher text:Christopher Swinney bar:Aaron text:Aaron Glass bar:Rob text:Rob Felicetti bar:Thomas text:Thomas Holst bar:Brian text:Brian Bonsall bar:Dale text:Dale Nixon bar:Bob text:Bob Hoag bar:Marko text:Marko DeSantis bar:Mike text:Mike Davenport bar:Sean text:Sean Hansen bar:Bryan text:Bryan Nelson bar:Woods text:Mike Woods bar:Duke text:Danny Duke bar:Derrick text:Derrick Plourde bar:Chris text:Chris Knapp bar:Shane text:Shane Chikles bar:Jacob text:Jacob Dwiggins bar:Erik text:Erick Perkins bar:Phillips text:Dustin Phillips PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-4) bar:Kris from:11/01/1996 till:end color:vocals bar:Kris from:11/01/1996 till:end color:rguitar width:3 bar:Kris from:11/01/1996 till:03/01/1997 color:bass width:7 bar:Kris from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2008 color:bass width:7 bar:Jasin from:11/01/1996 till:12/01/1997 color:lguitar bar:Jasin from:11/01/1996 till:12/01/1997 color:vocals width:3 bar:Marko from:03/01/1997 till:12/01/1997 color:bass bar:Mike from:12/01/1997 till:01/01/2005 color:bass bar:Chris from:12/01/1997 till:01/01/2005 color:drums bar:Marco from:12/01/1997 till:05/01/1998 color:lguitar bar:Marco from:11/01/1998 till:07/01/2001 color:lguitar bar:Patrick from:05/01/1998 till:11/01/1998 color:lguitar bar:John from:07/01/2001 till:01/01/2008 color:lguitar bar:John from:07/01/2001 till:01/01/2008 color:keys width:7 bar:John from:07/01/2001 till:01/01/2008 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Paul from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2008 color:rguitar bar:Paul from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2008 color:lguitar width:7 bar:Paul from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2008 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Sean from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2008 color:bass bar:Sean from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2008 color:drums width:7 bar:Sean from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2008 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Angus from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2008 color:cello bar:Shane from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2008 color:drums bar:Shane from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2008 color:perc width:3 bar:Christopher from:01/01/2007 till:01/01/2010 color:lguitar bar:Jacob from:01/01/2008 till:01/01/2012 color:drums bar:Aaron from:01/01/2010 till:01/01/2010 color:lguitar bar:Rob from:01/01/2010 till:10/09/2012 color:lguitar bar:Rob from:01/01/2012 till:10/09/2012 color:drums width:3 bar:Bob from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2013 color:keys bar:Bob from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2013 color:perc width:3 bar:Bob from:01/01/2012 till:01/01/2013 color:drums width:7 bar:Bryan from:01/01/2008 till:12/01/2016 color:bass bar:Thomas from:01/01/2012 till:10/09/2012 color:rguitar bar:Thomas from:01/01/2012 till:10/09/2012 color:lguitar width:3 bar:Thomas from:10/09/2012 till:12/01/2016 color:lguitar bar:Derrick from:03/01/1997 till:12/01/1997 color:drums bar:Phillips from:01/01/2017 till:end color:drums bar:Erik from:01/01/2013 till:01/01/2015 color:drums bar:Brian from:12/01/2016 till:01/01/2018 color:lguitar bar:Woods from:01/01/2017 till:01/01/2018 color:bass bar:Duke from:06/01/2018 till:end color:bass bar:Dale from:01/01/2018 till:end color:lguitar LineData = layer:back color:studio at:04/29/1997 at:04/13/1999 at:02/06/2001 at:03/04/2003 at:02/20/2007

Discography

Studio albums *'' Anywhere but Here'' (1997) *'' Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits'' (1999) *''

'' (2001) *'' So Long, Astoria'' (2003) *''

'' (2007) *''Hang Your Head in Hope'' (2011)

References

External links

Bandcamp profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ataris, The Musical groups established in 1995 1995 establishments in Indiana American emo musical groups American pop punk groups Skate punk groups Punk rock groups from Indiana Columbia Records artists Fat Wreck Chords artists Kung Fu Records artists Sanctuary Records artists American punk rock groups