Mischief Brew was an American

folk punk Folk punk (known in its early days as rogue folk) is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was popularized in the early 1980s by the Pogues in England, and by Violent Femmes in the United States. Folk punk achieved some mainstream success in ...

band from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

consisting of vocalist and guitarist Erik Petersen, bassist Shawn St. Clair, and drummers Christopher Petersen and Christopher Kulp. The band played

DIY "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...

and

anarcho-punk Anarcho-punk (also known as anarchist punk or peace punk) is ideological subgenre of punk rock that promotes anarchism. Some use the term broadly to refer to any punk music with anarchist lyrical content, which may figure in crust punk, hardcor ...

music; it incorporated styles including American folk,

Celtic folk Celtic music is a broad grouping of music genres that evolved out of the folk music traditions of the Celtic people of Northwestern Europe. It refers to both orally-transmitted traditional music and recorded music and the styles vary considerab ...

, Gypsy-punk, and swing with lyrics influenced by the

labour movement The labour movement or labor movement consists of two main wings: the trade union movement (British English) or labor union movement (American English) on the one hand, and the political labour movement on the other. * The trade union movement ...

protest music A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. Among social mov ...

, and

punk culture The punk subculture includes a diverse and widely known array of ideologies, fashion, and other forms of expression, visual art, dance, literature, and film. Largely characterised by anti-establishment views, the promotion of individual freedom ...

. It was started by Erik Petersen as a solo project, but eventually grew into a band. Petersen drew inspiration from the protest movements of the 1960s, "the idea that

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

in music didn't originate in punk rock" (

Profane Existence Profane Existence is a Minneapolis-based anarcho-punk collective. Established in 1989, the collective publishes a nationally known punk zine, zine (also called ''Profane Existence''), as well as releasing and distributing anarcho-punk, crust punk, ...

No. 54, 2007), and

anti-establishment An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958, by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...

artists like

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

and

Crass Crass were an English art collective and punk rock band formed in Epping, Essex in 1977, who promoted anarchism as a political ideology, a way of life, and a resistance movement. Crass popularised the anarcho-punk movement of the punk s ...

. Petersen's lyrics often pay homage to American labor radicalism of the early 20th century. Mischief Brew has released albums and EPs on many different labels, notably Art of the Underground, Gunner Records, and Fistolo Records. In support of these records, Mischief Brew toured extensively throughout the United States as well as Europe. When playing live, they performed with four to five people, incorporating such instruments as junk/found percussion, trumpet, accordion, violin,

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

, and

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

into their set.

History

Mischief Brew started after Erik Petersen's previous band, The Orphans, broke up in 2000. The Orphans were a punk band formed in

West Chester, Pennsylvania West Chester is a borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania. Located within the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,461 at the 2010 census. West Chester is the mailing address for most of its neighb ...

in 1995 consisting of Erik Petersen on vocals and guitar, Andrew (Drew) Petersen on vocals and bass, Tom Johnson on guitar, and Andrew Baxter on drums. The group would go on to perform reunion shows in 2004 and 2008. At first, Mischief Brew consisted of only Petersen on an

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

, playing songs off of the ''Mirth'' demo. In 2003, Petersen released the ''Bellingham & Philadelphia'' split with

Robert Blake Robert Blake may refer to: Sportspeople * Bob Blake (American football) (1885–1962), American football player * Robbie Blake (born 1976), English footballer * Bob Blake (ice hockey) (1914–2008), American ice hockey player * Rob Blake (born 19 ...

, and the ''Bakenal'' CDEP. After extensive acoustic touring in support of the first two releases, Petersen assembled the first full-band incarnation of Mischief Brew, featuring Chris "Doc" Kulp (of Red Devil) on drums and Sean "Shantz" Yantz (of Evil Robot Us' and Abusing the Word) on bass. In 2005, Petersen released his first full-length, '' Smash The Windows'', featuring guest spots by artists from

Leftöver Crack Leftöver Crack is an American punk rock band formed in 1998, following the breakup of Choking Victim. The band is currently signed to Tankcrimes for CD releases, and Alternative Tentacles for vinyl releases. Leftöver Crack spans several di ...

World/Inferno Friendship Society The World/Inferno Friendship Society (also referred to as World Inferno, or Inferno) was an American band from Brooklyn, New York. Its style merged punk, soul, klezmer and jazz, while its collective membership featured horns, piano and guitar a ...

, and

Guignol Guignol () is the main character in a French puppet show which has come to bear his name. It represents the workers in the silk industry of France. Although often thought of as children's entertainment, Guignol's sharp wit and linguistic verve ha ...

. This release saw him experiment more musically, with styles ranging from gypsy-folk to swing. The second album was ''Songs From Under the Sink'', a collection of songs written between 1997 and 2002 which stresses his anarchist beliefs and is complemented by his clever guitar melodies. Yantz left the band shortly after ''Songs from Under the Sink'' was released, and was replaced for a few shows by Kevin Holland and later by Shawn St. Clair (of Endless Nightmare, Lost Cause, Stations, the Bad Dudes and Wrought With Sickness), who played bass. Mischief Brew's released ''Photographs from the Shoebox'' in 2008, a split LP/CD with

Joe Jack Talcum Anthony Joseph "Joe" Genaro (born October 15, 1962 in Wagontown, Pennsylvania) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the guitarist and co- lead vocalist for the punk rock group The Dead Milkmen. Residing in Philadelphia, Genar ...

The Dead Milkmen The Dead Milkmen is an American punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia. Their original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman ("Rodney Anonymous"), guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro ("Joe Jack Talcum"), bassist Da ...

. In 2009, two versions of the song "Punx Win!" appeared on a split with Andrew Jackson Jihad. Rather than a traditional 7" single, Pirates Press Records released the record as an 8" with parallel grooves, therefore able to play either version of the track depending on where the needle is dropped. Petersen and

collaborated in 2009 on ''Fight Dirty''. Mischief Brew released '' The Stone Operation'' in May 2011. The previous year, on October 18, 2010, an unmastered track from the album, "Dallas In Romania," was previewed by Y-Rock on WXPN. Leading up to and following the release of ''This Is Not For Children'', Mischief Brew released three music videos for their songs "O, Pennsyltucky!" (Fistolo, 2014), "City of Black Fridays" (Shibby Pictures, 2015), and "Squatter Envy" (Shibby Pictures, 2016), all three of which appeared on the album. Mischief Brew have played shows in support of

Food Not Bombs Food Not Bombs (FNB) is a loose-knit group of independent collectives, sharing free vegan and vegetarian food with others. The group believes that corporate and government priorities are skewed to allow hunger to persist in the midst of abundance ...

Iraq Veterans Against the War Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is an advocacy group of formerly active-duty United States military personnel, Iraq War veterans, Afghanistan War veterans, and other veterans who have served since the September 11, 2001 attacks; who were oppos ...

, and

ABC No Rio ABC No Rio is a collectively-run non-profit arts organization on New York City's Lower East Side. It was founded in 1980 in a squat at 156 Rivington Street, following the eviction of the 1979-80 Real Estate Show. The centre featured an art gal ...

. In October 2011, Petersen played an acoustic set at Occupy Philadelphia. Founding member and vocalist Erik Petersen took his own life on July 14, 2016. Three days later, a tribute to Petersen was held on WXPN radio’s The Folk Show.

Band members

;Mischief Brew members At the time of Erik Petersen's death in 2016, Mischief Brew consisted of three members—brothers Erik and Chris Petersen and Shawn St. Clair. * Erik Petersen – vocals, guitar, mandolin * Shawn St. Clair – bass * Christopher Petersen – drums, percussion * Christopher "Doc" Kulp – drums, percussion, guitar * Sean Yantz – bass Original bassist Sean Yantz was briefly replaced by Kevin Holland (for a few shows) and later Shawn St. Clair, who remained with the band until its end. As well, original drummer Christopher "Doc" Kulp, who had played with Erik since Kettle Rebellion and was replaced by Erik's brother Chris, continued to make guest appearances with the band following his departure. Along with these members, the band regularly featured other musicians such as

Franz Nicolay Franz Nicolay (born 1977) is an American musician and writer. He is best known for playing the accordion and piano in The World/Inferno Friendship Society and keyboards in The Hold Steady from 2005 to 2010 and again from 2016 onwards. He is also ...

and Tom Swafford, as well as other guests and early members.'''' ;Kettle Rebellion members Kettle Rebellion was the first "full-band" group that later became Mischief Brew. The group was formed in 2001 following the ''Mirth'' demo, and they recorded eight songs in 2002, which were later discovered and released on an eponymous EP in 2014. * Erik Petersen – vocals, guitar, mandolin * Jon Foy – bass, backing vocals * Christopher "Doc" Kulp – drums, percussion, backing vocals, bugle

Timeline

;Mischief Brew (2000-2016) and Kettle Rebellion (2001-2002)

Discography

Studio albums

* ''Bellingham & Philadelphia'' (Art of the Underground, 2003) – split with

; as Erik Petersen * '' Smash The Windows'' (Fistolo/Gunner, 2005) * ''Songs From Under The Sink'' (Fistolo, 2006) – reissued 2016 * ''Photographs From The Shoebox'' (Fistolo, 2008) – split with

; reissued 2014 * ''Fight Dirty'' (Fistolo, 2009) – collaboration with

* ''The Stone Operation'' (Fistolo, 2011) * ''This Is Not For Children'' (

Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...

, 2015) * ''Bacchanal 'N' Philadelphia'' (Fistolo, 2016)

Extended plays and 7"s

Mischief Brew regularly released extended plays and 7"s throughout their time as a band, many of which were split with other bands. The ''Under The Table'' 7" was originally part of Suburban Home Records' ''Under The Influence'' series. The ''Kettle Rebellion'' EP was a long-lost EP with studio songs from ''Mirth''; the master tape was stolen from Petersen's house and leaked online with incorrect song titles, but the EP was properly released. * ''Bakenal'' EP (Fistolo, 2003) * ''Oh Sweet Misery'' 7" (Art of the Underground, 2005) * ''Two Boxcars'' 7" (Fistolo, 2005) – split with

David Dondero David Dondero (born 24 June 1969 in Duluth, Minnesota, United States) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. In 2006, NPR's All Songs Considered named David one of the "best living songwriters" alongside Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and T ...

* ''Loved, But Unrespected'' 7" (Fistolo, 2006) – split with

Bread and Roses "Bread and Roses" is a political slogan as well as the name of an associated poem and song. It originated from a speech given by American women's suffrage activist Helen Todd; a line in that speech about "bread for all, and roses too" inspired ...

* ''Jobs in Steeltown'' 7" (Fistolo, 2008) * ''Partners In Crime No. 2'' 7" (Fistolo/Crafty, 2009) – split with Guitar Bomb, Wingnut Dishwashers Union, Endless Mike and the Beagle Club * ''Punx Win!'' 8" (Pirates Press, 2009) – split with AJJ * ''Rhapsody For Knives'' 7" EP (Fistolo, 2012) * ''Free Radical Radio Fever'' 7" (Gunner, 2013) * ''Under The Table'' 7" (Silver Sprocket Bicycle Club, 2013) – split with

* ''Kettle Rebellion'' EP (Fistolo/Different Circle, 2014)

Demos/cassettes

* ''Mirth, or Certain Verses Composed and Fitted to Tunes, for the Delight and Recreation of All'' (Fistolo, 2000) *''Live on WKDU 91.7 FM'' (Fistolo, 2001) * ''Live in Ray's Basement'' (Square of Opposition, 2002) – split with

* ''Don't Spoil Yer Supper!'' (Fistolo, 2003) * ''Boiling Breakfast Early'' (Dead Format, 2008) – a collection of early demos * ''Fight Dirty'' (The Cottage Records, 2009) – collaboration with

* ''Thanks, Bastards!'' (Fistolo, 2014) – collection of unreleased demos, Bandcamp only * ''O, Pennsyltucky!'' (Fistolo, 2014) – cassette single, later released on ''This is Not For Children''

Compilation appearances

* ''Where the Wild Things Rock'' - Philly Punk Comp. (song: "Weapons") * ''This is War!'' - Comp. & Double Zine (song: "Liberty Unmasked (radio performance)") * ''Artists Fight the System'' -

Pacifica Radio Pacifica may refer to: Art * ''Pacifica'' (statue), a 1938 statue by Ralph Stackpole for the Golden Gate International Exposition Places * Pacifica, California, a city in the United States ** Pacifica Pier, a fishing pier * Pacifica, a conceiv ...

Double Disc (song: "Every Town Will Celebrate") * ''Art of the Underground Sampler CD'' - Art of the Underground (song: "Boycott Me!") * ''Beyond the Ballot'' (song: "The Lowly Carpenter (radio performance)") * ''Up the Stairs and Through the Hall'' - Sherman Arts Comp. (song: "Departure Arrival") * ''Rising Tide'' - Riotfolk (song: "Save a City...") * ''A Wrench in the Works: Radical Library Benefit CD'' - (song: "The Lowly Carpenter (radio performance)") * ''Never Forgotten, Never Forgiven'' - Profane Existence Records (song: "A Liquor Never Brewed") * ''0 to 60 in 59 Bands'' - No!No Records (song: "Ode to a Safecracker") * ''Profane Existence No. 54'' - Sampler and interview with Mischief Brew (song: "Tell Me A Story") * ''The State I'm In'' - Crafty Records (song: "A Peasant's Rebellion") * ''Mancubbers'' - Mancub Tribute compilation (song: "An Open Letter to the North American Continent") * ''Still Kicking'' - Kebele Benefit Comp. (song: "All About the Class War") * ''And You Call This Civilization?'' - Pumpkin Records (song: "The Riverflow") * ''A Benefit For Anthony Poynter'' -

Get Better Records Get Better Records is an American independent record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. History and background The label was founded by Alex Lichtenauer and Nick King in 2009 in Keene, New Hampshire. King left the label in 2010; Get Bet ...

(song: "The Midnight Special 2002 (Country Mile Version)") * ''Too Punk To Folk'' - Dying Scene (song: "Catch Fire") * ''A Tribute To

Rudimentary Peni Rudimentary Peni are a British anarcho-punk band formed in 1980, emerging from the London anarcho-punk scene. Lead singer/guitarist Nick Blinko is notorious for his witty, macabre lyrics and dark pen-and-ink artwork, prominently featured on a ...

'' - Pumpkin Records (song: "Drinking Song From The Tomb") * ''WKDU Live!!!! Volume One: Resurrect Music On Planet Earth'' -

WKDU WKDU (91.7 FM) is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned by Drexel University and operated by Drexel students, with several alumni among its on-air staff. It is the only free-format no ...

(song: "Liberty Unmasked (radio performance)") * ''The Songs Of

Neutral Milk Hotel Neutral Milk Hotel was an American band formed in Ruston, Louisiana, by musician Jeff Mangum. They were active from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2013 to 2015. The band's music featured a deliberately low-quality sound, influenced by indie rock ...

: A Tribute'' - Fringe Sound/Swamp Cabbage Records (song: "The Fool") * ''My Org'' Cassette Mixtape - Punknews (song: "Progress,"

Flux Of Pink Indians Flux of Pink Indians was an English punk rock band from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England, active between 1980 and 1986. Biography The band formed in Hertfordshire, England in 1980 from the remaining members of The Epileptics ( ...

cover) * ''Punks Vs. Pigs'' - LATFO Records (song: "Working Class Pride," 2.5 Children Inc. cover) * ''Art of the Underground Single Series: Year 1'' 7" (Art of the Underground, 2005)

Soundtrack/film appearances

* ''Con Artist'' - 2009 (song: "Fight Dirty") * ''Deadpool 2'' (song: "Fight Dirty") (Deadpool 2 Plus Super Duper Cut only) * ''The Farmer And The Horse'' - 2010 (song: "Olde Tyme Mem'ry")

Bootlegs/unofficial releases

* ''Live At Punx Picnic Baltimore'' (Acoustic set recorded in 2004, mix of originals and covers by

The Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse". T ...

Doom Doom is another name for damnation. Doom may also refer to: People * Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed * Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist * Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher * ...

Culture Shock Culture shock is an experience a person may have when one moves to a cultural environment which is different from one's own; it is also the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration ...

, and

Chumbawamba Chumbawamba () were a British rock band formed in 1982 and disbanded in 2012. They are best known for their 1997 single "Tubthumping", which was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. Other singles include "Amnesia", " Enou ...

) * ''Live At Coyle Street Collective Apartment'' (Acoustic set recorded on April 24, 2005 in Portland, Maine) * ''Live At The Bike Barn'' (Live set recorded on August 2, 2005 in Falmouth, Maine)

References

External links

Official Site

Official Myspace Page

Review of Songs From Under the Sink

{{Authority control Anarcho-punk groups Gypsy punk groups Musical groups established in 2000 Musical groups disestablished in 2016 Folk punk groups Musical groups from Philadelphia

History

Band members

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays and 7"s

Demos/cassettes

Compilation appearances

Soundtrack/film appearances

Bootlegs/unofficial releases

See also

References

External links