The Phenomenauts are a musical band from

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, that combine several styles of music with a

futuristic The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...

science fiction theme The following is a list of articles about recurring theme (narrative), themes in science fiction. Overarching themes *First contact (science fiction), First contact with aliens *Artificial intelligence in fiction, Artificial intelligence **Mac ...

. Their sound uses elements from

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

, punk, glam,

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

and new wave styles of music. They call their style "rocket roll". The band is known for throwing sudden, unexpected shows at places where they are not invited. They often play in front of existing concerts where crowds have already gathered. They gained notoriety in 2003 for sneaking into the

Warped Tour The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...

, following the tour in their own vehicle and performing at each stop for several weeks. The Phenomenauts perform under a

space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...

and science fiction persona. Each band member uses a stage name and dress in

uniform A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, se ...

. Most of the band's songs revolve around science,

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...

s, and the future. The band has even decorated their vehicles to match their theme. Their live shows often feature special effects like clouds of smoke or

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fir ...

s, and they are known to shoot toilet paper into the crowd and set their drum cymbals on fire. The Phenomenauts also use their music to promote science education and learning. They have played and promoted events such as the

Bay Area Science Festival The Bay Area Science Festival (BASF) is an annual science festival started in 2011 that takes place in the San Francisco Bay Area counties every year at the end of October/beginning of November. The BASF program features over 50 events each year. ...

and the March for Science. In 2015 they released the album ''I'm With Neil'', a tribute to astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and the public radio program Science Friday.

History

Band formation and ''Rockets And Robots'' (2000–02)

The Phenomenauts were formed in 2000 in

, which the band refers to as "Earth's capital". They were formed from the band Space Patrol, a 1980s cover band that played on homemade instruments. Space Patrol members included Commander Angel Nova, Corporal JoeBot, and Major Jimmy Boom. The trio added bass player Captain Chreehos and formed The Phenomenauts—a name which means "to pilot an unusual experience". In 2002 The Phenomenauts released their first album, ''Rockets And Robots''. It was self-published on their own label, Arlington Lab Recordings. The album was well received "by radio stations and audiences surrounding the

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...

". It rose on the

music charts A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...

on local college stations such as KSSU in

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and KALX in

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. ''Rockets and Robots'' was also reviewed favorably in local music publications; for instance, '' Zero Magazine'' wrote, "What separates this East Bay foursome from all the other bands of this type is their sense of humor and songwriting craft". Band manager Colonel Reehotch explained that recording the first album was "a process f'Delusional Exploration'. ''Rockets and Robots'' was an experiment to take the Phenomenauts rock show ... and translate it to your mind. So that if you had never seen the band before and listened to the album you could paint the picture of the show in your imagination". Later in 2002 The Phenomenauts won two awards. They were chosen as California's Best Live Band by the '' East Bay Express'', and called the Best Lifestyle Music artist by ''

SF Weekly ''SF Weekly'' was a free alternative weekly newspaper founded in the 1970s in San Francisco, California. It was distributed every Thursday, and was published by the San Francisco Print Media Company. The paper has won national journalism awards, ...

''. After touring to support their debut album, the band signed with

Springman Records Springman Records is an independent record label founded in 1998 by Avi Ehrlich that was run out of his parents' garage in Cupertino, California, until late 2005, when Ehrlich moved the label to Sacramento. The label's official slogan is "Frie ...

. "After a year of touring up and down the Bay ... Avi heowner of Springman Records ... saw us at the Gilman. He said, ‘You guys are something I want to be a part of’. ... It was one of our best ideas to work together". In the spring of 2003, ''Rockets and Robots'' was remastered and re-issued on Springman Records.

Expansion and mini-albums (2002–04)

The Phenomenauts - Professor Arius - Visor - Gilman California - 2009 - Photo by Amy Klimt

Leading up to their second full-length album The Phenomenauts released two smaller works. These releases, in turn, were preceded by the band adding a fifth member to their lineup—Professor Greg Arius playing

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

. This gave the group an "extra layer" and type of sound. Then in 2003 the band released ''Mission Transmission'', a 7" vinyl containing two new songs. To celebrate The Phenomenauts went on their first European tour in November 2003 with fellow punk/rockabilly band

Demented Are Go Demented Are Go (DAG aka Demented Are Go!) are a Welsh psychobilly band that was formed around 1982 in Cardiff, Wales. They were one of the earliest in the initial wave of bands to mix punk rock with rockabilly, and as a result, are conside ...

. This was followed by their second

mini-album A mini-LP or mini-album is a short vinyl record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A ...

''Pre-Entry'' in 2004. ''Pre-Entry'' had live versions of the two ''Transmission'' songs as well as three new ones.

''Re-Entry'' (2004)

The Phenomenauts released their second full-length album ''Re-Entry'' later in 2004. "With the new record ... the band felt really comfortable about the vision and going into the studio. We didn't worry so much about akinga movie this time as we did trying to capture the energy of the songs". Shortly after releasing ''Re-Entry'', the Phenomenauts were a finalist for the "Not So Silent Night" concert held by San Francisco radio station

Live 105 Kits may refer to: *Kitsilano, a neighbourhood of the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada *Kits, an American taffy candy made by Gilliam Candy Company *KITS, a San Francisco, California radio station *Kottayam Institute of Technology & Scie ...

. Discussing their music-making process, the band noted that trying out songs live before they were recorded "enabled the band to sort through their best material, and eliminate any excess fat". While it had been two years since their previous album release, the band was "glad

hey had Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...

waited until

hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...

had enough 'A' material". Both ''Pre-Entry'' and ''Re-Entry'' were engineered by Chris Dugan at Nu-Tone Studios, who later went on to win a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

as an audio engineer for

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

. Through heavy touring and promotion the album charted at No. 10 on the College Media Journal (CMJ) Top 25. The band also played and interviewed on G4 TV's ''Screen Savers’ Live Music Fridays'' to promote the album. In late 2005 the Phenomenauts lineup changed, with Corporal JoeBot departing the band. He was replaced by a new member who went by the name Corporal JoeBot 2.0. Then in late 2006 the band released a music video for the ''Re-Entry'' song "Mission". The video appeared on the front page of both YouTube and MySpace, receiving more than 430,000 combined views.

''For All Mankind'' (2008)

The Phenomenauts released their third full-length album ''For All Mankind'' in 2008, on Springman Records imprint

Silver Sprocket Silver Sprocket is a San Francisco-based indie comics publisher and independent record label, founded in 2007 by Avi Ehrlich of Springman Records. In addition to publishing records and comics, Silver Sprocket also supports a range of independent ...

. The band said the album was "inspired by new wave and 70's punk", and "serves as a call to arms to defenders of science and honor across the galaxy". The album contained the track "Science And Honor", which explained the band's

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

and philosophy. At release the physical copies of the album were sold with extra items, including a die-cast metal pin, a 24-page color booklet, and a package that folded out to make a

rocket ship A space vehicle is the combination of a spacecraft and its launch vehicle which carries it into space. The earliest space vehicles were expendable launch systems, using a single or multistage rocket to carry a relatively small spacecraft in p ...

. The band explained that they added these items to give fans an extra reason to purchase the album: "The biggest negative right now is that CDs just don't sell. Vinyl actually is selling more than CDs, because it's got some extra flavor to it. It has something people want to hold in their hand. e added the itemsfor that reason. ... I think it's people wanting to reach out and touch a piece of the band—to hold something they have created, tgets them a little closer". The album was reviewed favorably in local publications such as ''East Bay Express'', which wrote, "The Phenomenauts come roaring out of the gate at warp speed on their third album". To promote the album The Phenomenauts went on two tours. The first was a United States national tour with

The A.K.A.s The A.K.A.s, a.k.a. The A.K.A.s (Are Everywhere!) is a band that started in Pittsburgh then followed in New York City and later relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They call their music "dancehall fight music" They followed up with an international tour across the U.S. and Canada with San Francisco band The Re-Volts. The band also collaborated with

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

winning writer Rich Fogel and

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

winning artist

Erica Henderson Erica Henderson is an American two-time Eisner Award-winning comics artist and animator, known for her work on ''The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl'' and '' Jughead'', and for her animation work on ''Venture Bros.'' Early life Henderson was born in New ...

to create an animated music video for the song "Infinite Frontier". In February 2009 The Phenomenauts lineup changed again, with JoeBot 2.0 and Captain Chreehos leaving. Two new members took their place: Leftenant AR-7 on guitar and vocals, and Deck Chief Nick Wayzar playing bass.

''Electric Sheep'' (2010)

In 2010 The Phenomenauts released the digital-only mini-album ''Electric Sheep'', containing four new songs. The album featured AR7's first songwriting and singing with the band. The band departed on their second European tour, "Operation: Europe!", to promote the album after release. Between ''Electric Sheep'' and their next album the band changed bass players. Nick Wayzar was replaced by Chief Engineer Atom Bomb, playing the Stand-Down Bass.

''Escape Velocity'' (2013–present)

The Phenomenauts - Atom Ripley Angel - Sing and Play - The Viper Room 2017 - Photo by Erica Dominguez

In 2013 the Phenomenauts ran an online fundraiser for their next album, to raise money for studio time and to cover a tour. Fans could bid to vote on naming the album, or on other items such as playing laser tag or

bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), though ...

with the band. The album was released in 2014 with the title ''Escape Velocity'', an album they hoped "encourages people to break free of their own limitations". The band described the album sound as a departure from their previous albums. Rather than focusing on one style or theme, ''Escape Velocity'' was a combination of "second half of the 20th century Rock and Roll". It combined many different sounds including 50s Rock and Roll, 60s Soul music, 70s glam, and early 80s punk rock. Nova said "musically, it's more diverse than anything we’ve ever recorded". The Phenomenauts used the album launch to visually

rebrand Rebranding is a marketing strategy in which a new name, term, symbol, design, concept or combination thereof is created for an established brand with the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors ...

. Atom Bomb designed a new logo, and Nova designed new uniforms. A Huffington Post reviewer said that ''Escape Velocity'' stepped away from the "pure rockabilly music" of the band's previous albums. They felt the work had a "more polished ... clean ... and futuristic style" in songs like "Infinity Plus One", but kept "fast hooks" and was "right at home at a ... sock hop" with songs like "Rocket Soul". A ''For The Love Of Punk'' reviewer noted " treminds me of a modern, punk rock Chuck Berry that’s about science". The band went on their third European tour at the end of 2014 to promote the album, playing in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and

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. In 2015 Ripley Clipse joined the band playing keyboard, taking over from Professor Arius. Starting in 2015 the ''Escape Velocity'' song "Theme for Oakland" was used as the official after-game celebration song for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...

. The song was used again in 2017 in a series of commercials promoting the Athletics and the city. In February 2020, The Phenomenauts issued a statement on the band's Facebook page, announcing the firing of Angel Nova from the group, stating, "We recently learned that a member of our band has violated these principles. So as a band, we’ve made the decision to move forward without Angel Nova. We do not condone his actions and find them completely unacceptable. We respect the privacy of those involved – their stories are not ours to tell, so we would like to focus on what we can do moving forward. We are thankful to the brave people who have come forward to tell their stories and we’ll continue to support survivors of sexual and emotional abuse." While not specifically mentioning what allegations led to Nova's removal, the band encouraged fans to support anti-sexual abuse and anti-domestic violence support organizations.

Commando performances

The Phenomenauts earned a reputation for "staging commando performances" at venues where they were not booked, and were often unwelcome. They played "on the sidewalk in front of the venue" after a show at

The Fillmore The Fillmore is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California. Built in 1912 and originally named the Majestic Hall, it became the Fillmore Auditorium in 1954. It is in Western Addition, on the edge of the Fillmore District and Upper Fil ...

, and had shows "cut short by security guards" after sneaking backstage at the 2003 California Music Awards. "Security couldn’t figure out how to unplug us cause we brought our own power source. ... Eventually, between songs they asked us to stop but they were kind of powerless". The band frequently staged performances in front of other venues, where crowds had already gathered:

Sneaking into the Warped Tour

The band gained notoriety in 2002 and 2003 for sneaking onto the

. In 2002 they "found an open gate in the back, hid behind a dumpster and then quickly set up in front of the stage and started playing". In San Francisco "a security guard told them to get a move on. However, while loading their gear—in full 'uniform'—into the group's 'space van', another security guard ... assumed they were supposed to be there ... ndkindly directed them to the official artist entrance". In Portland 2003 they drove their tour van into the backstage area "and cooked breakfast for the technical crew", including "the people that actually make the passes". Once they had laminated all-access, photo-ID passes the Phenomenauts followed the tour from city to city in their own vehicle. They set up their own gear each time and played sets for another six full weeks. The Phenomenauts were officially invited back to play on the Warped Tour in 2004, with a press release that read "The Phenomenauts have been announced as the official Breakfast Band for this years Vans Warped Tour". A Philadelphia Inquirer review of the tour called The Phenomenauts "one of the best performances", saying they "played a swinging amalgam of dusty garage rock and new wave". The band declined an offer to join Warped Tour again in 2005. Instead they played with

The Aquabats The Aquabats are an American rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1994. Throughout many fluctuations in the group's line-up, singer the MC Bat Commander and bassist Crash McLarson have remained the band's two constant fixtures. ...

and the

Epoxies The Epoxies were an American New wave music, new wave band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. Heavily influenced by new wave, the band jokingly described themselves as robot garage rock. Members included FM Static on synthesizers, guitarist ...

on the "Teenage Pajamas from Outer Space Tour". The band noted that playing the Warped Tour led to many introductions and collaborations with other artists. Through contacts from the Warped Tour, they opened for Les Claypool of Primus at his 2005 New Year's Eve show, and worked with children's author

Sandra Boynton Sandra Keith Boynton (born April 3, 1953) is an American humorist, songwriter, director, music producer, children's author, and illustrator. Boynton has written and illustrated over seventy-five books for children and seven general audience books ...

on the album ''Dog Train''.

Theatrics and theme

The Phenomenauts perform under a space and science fiction persona, and are fully committed to their theme. Each band member uses a stage name. They wear

uniforms A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, se ...

. They call their shows "missions" and their fans "cadets". They even wear uniforms when not performing, considering themselves to be "always on duty". Each live show begins with the band's signature launch status check. Commander Nova instructs "Give me a go, no-go to Rock", and the band makes sure that all equipment (and the audience) are working. Once the show is declared "Cleared to rock" the band kicks off a 10-second

launch countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

and leaps into the first song.

Live shows

The Phenomenauts - Ripley Angel Atom - Streamerator Action Shot - The Slidebar Rock N Roll Kitchen 2017 - Photo by Erica Dominguez

The Phenomenauts gained praise for their stylized live shows and performances. The San Francisco Chronicle said "it is live where the Phenomenauts truly excel", and a Huffington Post reviewer noted they had "a live show that explodes on the stage".

Thrasher Magazine ''Thrasher'' is a skateboarding magazine founded in January 1981 by Eric Swenson and Fausto Vitello. The publication consists primarily of skateboard- and music-related articles, photography, interviews and skatepark reviews. The magazine also ...

said The Phenomenauts "put on one of the best live shows you'll ever see". Colonel Reehotch, the band's Mission Operations Specialist commented that "The Phenomenauts really are at their visual best on a big stage". During performances the band wears uniforms of their own design and uses custom-made "Phenoma-gadgets". This includes items such as the "Theramatic Helmerator" – a helmet with a wireless

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...

that sounds like "old

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

episodes". The "Streamerator", created by Professor Greg Arius, blows rolls of toilet paper into the crowd. They blast clouds of

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...

and use inflatable models of Earth. They have been known to use dry-ice blasts and set cymbals on fire. The band believes their special effects, act, and devices are an integral part of the show. "It’s important to us", explained Leftenant AR-7, "because we want to just blow the lid off of every place we play. We want to give the most entertaining show — visually and aurally — that we can". Drummer Jimmy Boom noted " e'retrying to encompass it all. We're not just audio. We're not just visual. We try to say hi to the crowd. The best effects are the ones that actually touch the crowd – when they can feel the cold of the . We're trying to hit as many senses as possible". Ronen Kauffman from the Issue Oriented podcast commented that The Phenomenauts were "revisiting the rift between performer and audience, and helping to break that down". In 2008 Professor Arius' "Streamerator 2000" was featured in Issue 8 of ''

Make magazine ''Make'' (stylized as ''Make:'' or ''MAKE:'') is an American magazine published by Make: Community LLC which focuses on Do It Yourself (DIY) and/or Do It With Others (DIWO) projects involving computers, electronics, metalworking, robotics, woodwork ...

''. The band

borrowed the device for their 21st Century Breakdown tour in 2009.

Phenomenaut vehicles

Phenomenauts - Phenomabomber Customized Vehicle - Rebecca Lynn 2004

The Phenomenauts have customized their own fleet of vehicles to match their science fiction theme. It started with a car, which the band nicknamed "The Phenomenator". The vehicles are covered with electronic gadgets such as

remote controls In electronics, a remote control (also known as a remote or clicker) is an electronic device used to operate another device from a distance, usually wirelessly. In consumer electronics, a remote control can be used to operate devices such as ...

stereo Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...

components, and computer parts, all spray-painted silver. The trend continued with their first tour van, which they named "The Phenomabomber". Nova was inspired to create his own space-themed vehicle by watching

Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. ...

. "I noticed one night ... hatstuff was just glued on and painted the same color, and it just made it look spacey. So I ... did it o my carand it looked really cool. Everyone was driving around staring at the PhenomaBomber, and I realized if I had a band name on there it would be a moving billboard". The Phenomenaut vehicles even made impressions on interviewers, with Frank Meyer from G4 TV noting "It sn'teveryday that a metallic space-van pulls up ... and five guys dressed in space suits pile out".

Command Center

When they are not touring the Phenomenauts hang out at their personal top-secret "Command Center". The Command Center is a large converted

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities ...

located in the industrial heart of Oakland. The Command Center serves as home, rehearsal den, and performance space. It has a musical stage for performing and sub-stage hot tub. The band also uses it to host regular parties. To create the Command Center the band "set up their own rehearsal studio, completely transforming a typical storage area nd decorating itto look like outer space". Then they began hosting parties "to showcase their unusual music and worldview". Commander Nova explains: "it's not easy to break into San Francisco when you've never played anywhere. ... We didn't feel like starting from scratch, so we ... made the place all nice and had shows here. And before long, there were 200 people seeing us. And then we stepped out, and we already had a draw". JoeBot expands: "It’s one of the only venues in (the Bay Area) that can get an audience from San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley, which is an odd thing. ... We must be on to something to have all these people show up". The Command Center was featured in a three-page spread in Punk Rock Confidential, and appears in the independent feature film ''Punk Rock Holocaust''.

Musical style

The Phenomenauts combine the music styles of many genres, including punk, new wave,

psychobilly Psychobilly is a rock music fusion genre that fuses elements of rockabilly and punk rock. It's been defined as "loud frantic rockabilly music", it has also been said that it "takes the traditional countrified rock style known as rockabilly, ram ...

and

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

. Their songs contain fast drum beats and guitar riffs, often combined with doo-wop style lyric repetition or callback. Commander Nova describes the formation of the band's style as taking all of their favorite styles of music, "cramm ngthem all in and launch ngit straight into orbit. Also, we put a little more get up and go into it. ... higher punk-to-rock ratio". Reviewers have described the band as everything from "mixes the mantra-style punk of

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

with the lovable lunacy of

Devo Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a ...

" to combining "upbeat, happy, dance vibrations" with a

thrash Thrash may refer to: *Thrashing (computer science), where increasing resources are used to do a decreasing amount of work *Thrash (surname) *Thrash, mascot of the Atlanta Thrashers *''Thrash Rally'', a top-down perspective rally racing video game ...

that "sound like they brought it back ... from the future". A ''Zero Magazine'' reviewer called out the song "Mission" as "an excellent example of the Phenomenauts’ versatility". "Mission" covers several music styles, "with a big punk chorus of 'Oh, Oh,' the thumping stand-up bass..., keyboard and a ‘50s style guitar twang". But the reaction from the band is that they've created a style all their own. "We find it fascinating when people call us a punk band, or a

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...

band, or a

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

band. We fit into all categories and none of them. We have roots in punk and new wave and all the other things we listen to, but we're our own thing". Regardless of the tune, the Phenomenauts' songs deal with the subjects of science, outer space, and robots. "We’re trying to take smartness and nerdiness and jam it together with cool and sexy and have ... all of those things happening at the same time". The band truly believes in the topics both on and off the stage. The members are interested in science,

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

, technology and

humanity Humanity most commonly refers to: * Humankind the total population of humans * Humanity (virtue) Humanity may also refer to: Literature * Humanity (journal), ''Humanity'' (journal), an academic journal that focuses on human rights * ''Humanity: A ...

. The band believes that using a theme of space and the future allows them more freedom to write about present-day issues. The song "Earth Is The Best" calls for inspiration and caring about the planet. "The Tale Of Europa" considers how isolated cultures might react to new visitors and traditions. Corporal JoeBot attests that the Phenomenauts' music can help push forward ideas and make the world a better place. "A lot of bigger music industry corporations want a watered down, formulaic, non-confrontational musical direction. There’s no challenge. I believe that can change, and that we can make a difference".

Creative process

When creating their music The Phenomenauts consider themselves a working democracy: "All songs were communally written and arranged". In an interview Nova stated "different people come in with different song ideas, and then we all collaborate". For the album ''Escape Velocity'', bassist Atom Bomb noted "For instance, one week we gave ourselves a homework assignment. We had to each bring in a new song to the next practice".

Promoting science and learning

The Phenomenauts' motto is "Science and Honor". The phrase was captured in the song "Science And Honor" on their 2008 album ''For All Mankind''. But the words are "more than just a nifty catchphrase" says Commander Angel Nova. "'Science and Honor' has become a genuine way of life. Science is the search for truth, without any kind of agenda, ... and honor is honesty and integrity. ... So, honest search for truth and don't be a jerk, what more do you need to live by? It's something that I actually honestly believe in". The band has done several shows and releases promoting science and learning. Nova said "it is especially great when we can trick someone into learning something". In 2011 they played at the Sacramento

Freethought Day Freethought Day is October 12, the annual observance by freethinkers and secularists of the anniversary of the effective end of the Salem Witch Trials. History The seminal event connected to Freethought Day is a letter written by then Massachusetts ...

, an event "encouraging ... science and the

First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

". In 2014 they played the

. In 2017 the Phenomenauts played at the March for Science in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

and an event at the

Chabot Space and Science Center Chabot Space and Science Center, located in Oakland, California, is a center for science learning featuring interactive exhibits, planetariums, a large screen theater, hands-on activities and three powerful telescopes. The center is the continu ...

. In 2008 The Phenomenauts were invited on a tour of

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is NASA's center for human spaceflight (originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. It was renamed in honor of the late U ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

. The visit included meetings with astronauts, scientists, and "hands-on experience with space station parts" and training facilities. They also ran a seven-stop "Large Hadron Collider" tour around the Western United States to celebrate the completion of the

Large Hadron Collider The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and highest-energy particle collider. It was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and hundred ...

''I'm With Neil'' video and album

In 2012 the Phenomenauts released the music video "I'm With Neil", an homage to astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The band said the video was "chock-full of the scientist’s best media appearances ... to encourage our fans to love him too". Tyson said he was "simultaneously flattered and weirded out". In 2015 the Phenomenauts released a new recording of "I'm with Neil" on a two-song album of the same name. The album was released as a collectable 7" EP, paying tribute to Tyson and the public radio program Science Friday for "science, education, exploration, and progress". The band decided to make the release because "We're all excited and inspired by science, ndby the prospect of using that knowledge to make tomorrow better than today. ... It is one of the best ways to inspire everyone to work toward a better future". The band donates a portion of the proceeds to the Harlem Educational Activities Fund, an educational non-profit where Tyson is a member of the board of trustees.

Tours

The Phenomenauts have toured with many bands, including The Slackers,

, and

The Epoxies The Epoxies were an American new wave band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. Heavily influenced by new wave, the band jokingly described themselves as robot garage rock. Members included FM Static on synthesizers, guitarist Viz Spectrum, l ...

. They have travelled across the United States on several headlining tours with support from acts like The A.K.A.'s,

Teenage Bottlerocket Teenage Bottlerocket is an American punk rock band formed in Laramie, Wyoming in 2000. The band was formed by twin brothers Ray and Brandon Carlisle, following the dissolution of their previous band, Homeless Wonders. The band's music is heav ...

and Kepi Ghoulie. They have played at

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...

, San Francisco Comic-Con, several years at the

Maker Faire Maker Faire is a convention of do it yourself aka-DIY enthusiasts started by ''Make'' magazine in 2006. Participants come from a wide variety of interests, such as robotics, 3D printing, computers, arts and crafts, and hacker culture. History ...

in 2006 and 2010, as well as the KerPunk Music Festival in London, England. Bay Area Punk rated the Phenomenauts the "#3 most prolific Bay Area punk band" for performing at least 239 shows in the Bay Area alone from 2000 to 2014.

Other works

Comic books

In 2011 Silver Sprocket published the Phenomenauts comic book ''Adventures in the Third Dimension!''. The comic was written by

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

winner Rich Fogel, with art by Eisner winner

, as well as

Mitch Clem Mitch Andrew Clem (born September 15, 1982) is an American cartoonist best known for his web comics '' Nothing Nice To Say'', ''San Antonio Rock City'', and ''My Stupid Life''. Biography Early life Clem was born in Minneapolis, on September 15 ...

, Nation of Amanda, Nicholas Kole, Claire Hummel, Stephen R. Buell, and Chris Wisnia. The 48-page comic contains five short stories about the Phenomenauts' adventures. It also has articles such as a word search and "Get To Know Your Phenomenauts" biography. The comic was used to promote the mini-album ''Electric Sheep''. Each comic was sold with a collectible colored vinyl EP containing two ''Electric Sheep'' songs, as well as a digital download code. In 2015 a six-page Phenomenauts mini-comic, ''Ghost Ship'', was produced by Alice Hill and Johnny Dalton.

Video game

In 2006 the Phenomenauts video game ''Space Flight'' was released by Smiley Crew Productions. ''Space Flight'' is a 2D, horizontal scrolling shoot 'em up. It was written in

Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...

. Programming and voice acting were done by Noah Wilson, with art direction and design by Katie Horn. In ''Space Flight'' the player pilots the Phenomenauts' vehicle The Phenomenator. They move around the screen to collect power-ups and avoid explosive space mines. The player must shoot obstacles such as asteroids and enemy ships. ''Space Flight'' features a "Story Mode", where players navigate through 10 "missions" and defeat powerful boss characters. It also offers a "Marathon Mode" with endless play, where players work to attain a high score. While running ''Space Flight'' plays music from The Phenomenauts' album ''Re-Entry''. The game was awarded "Daily 3rd Place" on Newgrounds on May 4, 2006.

Discography

*''Rockets And Robots'' (2002, CD, 8-Track, Arlington Lab Recordings / 2003, CD, Springman Records) *''Mission Transmission'' (2003, 7", Springman Records) – two live songs, later re-released on ''Re-Entry'' and ''Electric Sheep'' *''Pre-Entry'' (2004, EP-CD, Springman Records) – five songs, two live. All later re-released on ''Re-Entry'' *''Re-Entry'' (2004, CD, Springman Records; LP, 2007) *''Beyond Warped Live Music Series'' (2005, DualDisc/

DVD-Audio DVD-Audio (commonly abbreviated as DVD-A) is a digital format for delivering high-fidelity audio content on a DVD. DVD-Audio uses most of the storage on the disc for high-quality audio and is not intended to be a video delivery format. The sta ...

, Immergent Records) *''For All Mankind'' (2008, CD, Silver Sprocket) *''Electric Sheep'' (2010, Electronic EP, Silver Sprocket) *''Escape Velocity'' (2014, Vinyl, CD, Digital, Silver Sprocket) *''I'm with Neil'' (2015, EP, Digital, Silver Sprocket)

Compilations

* ''

The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show ''The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show'' is an album featuring the soundtrack of the 1975 cult film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' as performed by modern punk rock bands. The album was released in 2003 on Springman Records. Background The alb ...

'' (2003, CD, Springman Records) – 8. "Hot Patootie (Bless My Soul)" * '' Dog Train: A Wild Ride on the Rock and Roll Side'' (2005, book and audio CD) – 12. "(Don't Give Me That) Broccoli" * ''Vans Warped Tour '05 (2005 Tour Compilation)'' (2005, CD, SideOneDummy Records) – 24. "Mission" * ''Go Cat Go! A Tribute to the Stray Cats'' (2006, CD, Hairball 8) – 1. "Cry baby" * ''Hooligans United: A Tribute to Rancid'' (2015, CD & Vinyl, Smelvis Records) – 4. "Life Won't Wait" (feat. Vic Ruggiero)

Filmography

* '' Punk Rock Holocaust'' (2004), as themselves – Chapter 12, "Space Fight". Music video for "The Year 2000" appears in DVD Special Features * ''

Dead And Deader ''Dead and Deader'' (formerly known as ''House of the Dead 3'') is a 2006 American television film, made-for-television zombie comedy horror film directed by Patrick Dinhut. The film stars Dean Cain, Guy Torry, Peter Greene and Susan Ward, with ca ...

'' (2006) – "Galactic Pioneers" plays during ending credits

Band members

Current and past band members are known only by their stage names, which fit their humorous science fiction theme. * Major Jimmy Boom — drums, backing vocals ''(founder)'' * Leftenant AR-7 — vocals, guitar, keys ''(joined 2009)'' * Chief Engineer Atom Bomb – bass, backing vocals, sanitation administrator ''(joined approx. 2012)'' * Lunar Captain Ripley Clipse – synthesizer, MOOG, backing vocals, guitar ''(joined 2015)''

Past members

* Corporal JoeBot 1.0 — vocals, guitar,

''(founder to approx. 2006)'' * Captain Chreehos – double bass, backing vocals ''(founder to 2009)'' * Professor Greg Arius – synthesizer, MOOG, backing vocals ''(joined 2002 to approx. 2014)'' * Corporal JoeBot 2.0 — vocals, guitar ''(joined approx. 2006 to 2009)'' * Angel Nova – vocals, guitar, bass ''(founder to 2020)'' * Fritz M. Static – vocals, guitar, keys ''(joined approx. 2008 to approx. 2014)'' * Deck Chief Nick Wayzar – double bass, backing vocals ''(joined 2009 to approx. 2011)'' * Agent Ion O'Clast – chaos engineering, keyboard ''(joined approx. 2012 to 2014)'' * Colonel Reehotch —

talent manager A talent manager (also known as an artist manager, band manager or music manager) is an individual who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-da ...

("mission operation specialist") ''(founder)''

Timeline

References

Other sources

External links

The Phenomenauts official websiteSilver Sprocket
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phenomenauts, The American psychobilly musical groups Bands with fictional stage personas Geek rock groups Indie rock musical groups from California Musical groups established in 2000 Musical groups from Oakland, California Punk rock groups from California Country musicians from California