Sponge is an American
rock band formed in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
in 1992 by vocalist
Vinnie Dombroski
Mark "Vinnie" Dombroski (born December 4, 1962) is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist and main songwriter for the American rock band Sponge. He also fronted the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has been a member of sev ...
, guitarist Mike Cross, bassist Tim Cross, drummer Jimmy Paluzzi, and guitarist
Joey Mazzola
Joe "Joey" Mazzola (born April 13, 1961) is a guitarist, songwriter, music educator and visual artist and is probably best known as a founding member of the American rock band, Sponge. Joe was the original Sponge guitarist and played with th ...
. Dombroski and the Cross brothers were previously in the
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
band
Loudhouse
Loudhouse was a hard rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan during 1989. The band consisted of vocalist Kenny Mugwump, drummer Vinnie Dombroski, bassist Tim Cross, and guitarist Mike Cross. Second guitarist Joey Mazzola was added to the b ...
, with Mazzola joining later before the end of the band's tenure. Sponge's discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums, and several charting singles. They are best known for their 1994 hit "
Plowed", their 1995 hit "
Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)", and their 1996 hit "
Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)
"Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" is a song by American rock band Sponge, released in 1996 as the first single from their second album ''Wax Ecstatic''.
Release and reception
It is the band's third song to appear on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot ...
".
Sponge has undergone several lineup changes throughout the band's history, with founder and frontman Dombroski serving as the band's sole constant member.
The band released their ninth studio album, ''Lavatorium'', on August 6, 2021.
History
Formation, ''Rotting Piñata'', and ''Wax Ecstatic'' (1991–1998)
Vinnie Dombroski
Mark "Vinnie" Dombroski (born December 4, 1962) is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist and main songwriter for the American rock band Sponge. He also fronted the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has been a member of sev ...
, Mike Cross, and Tim Cross were in a
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
band called
Loudhouse
Loudhouse was a hard rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan during 1989. The band consisted of vocalist Kenny Mugwump, drummer Vinnie Dombroski, bassist Tim Cross, and guitarist Mike Cross. Second guitarist Joey Mazzola was added to the b ...
, fronted by vocalist Kenny Mugwump. They released one album and had a song appear on the
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...
to the 1991 film ''
Point Break
''Point Break'' is a 1991 American action crime film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by W. Peter Iliff. It stars Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. The film's title refers to the surfing term " point break", wher ...
''. The band then recruited
Joey Mazzola
Joe "Joey" Mazzola (born April 13, 1961) is a guitarist, songwriter, music educator and visual artist and is probably best known as a founding member of the American rock band, Sponge. Joe was the original Sponge guitarist and played with th ...
as a second guitarist. Shortly after, Mugwump decided to pursue a career in acting and directing, so Dombroski switched from drums to vocals and drummer Jimmy Paluzzi was recruited to round out the lineup. The band decided to start fresh and named themselves Sponge. They began working on new music and performed in bars and clubs; recognized for having a dual-guitar sound reminiscent of the
MC5. Their debut album, ''
Rotting Piñata'', was released in 1994 through
Work Group. The songs "Neenah Menasha" and "
Plowed" were released as the first and second singles, with "Plowed" entering the
Mainstream Rock
Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.
Format background
Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active ro ...
chart on November 19, 1994. By the end of 1994, Charlie Grover had replaced Paluzzi on drums. Sponge toured with
Live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
* Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of album ...
,
Love Spit Love
Love Spit Love was an alternative rock band founded in 1992 by singer Richard Butler during the 1990s hiatus of the Psychedelic Furs.
History
When the Psychedelic Furs went on extended hiatus in 1992, Richard Butler contacted guitarist Richard ...
, and
Soundgarden in 1995, and also performed at the music festivals
Edgefest,
Rock am Ring
The (German for "Rock at the Ring") and ("Rock in the Park") festivals are two simultaneous rock music festivals held annually. While ''Rock am Ring'' takes place at the Nürburgring race track, ''Rock im Park'' takes place at the Zeppelinfeld ...
(
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
),
X-Fest, Sunstroke (
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
), and
Pukkelpop
Pukkelpop is an annual music festival that takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium, in mid- to late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—adjacent to a dual carriageway called ''Kempische Steenweg''—in the ...
(
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
) that year. "Plowed", along with the third single that was released, "
Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)", received heavy airplay on radio and
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, and the album was certified gold by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
on July 14, 1995. The fourth single, "
Rainin'", was released in October 1995 and had moderate success on the Mainstream Rock and
Alternative Songs
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...
charts. ''Rotting Piñata'' entered the
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of ar ...
in February 1995, peaked at #58 in May, and stayed on the chart for 40 weeks.
Throughout 1995 and 1996, the band also performed on several
late-night talk show
A late-night talk show is a genre of talk show popular in the United States, where the format originated. It is generally structured around humorous monologues about the day's news, guest interviews, comedy sketches and music performances. It i ...
s, including ''
The Jon Stewart Show
''The Jon Stewart Show'' is a late night talk show that was hosted by comedian Jon Stewart. The program premiered on MTV in 1993 as a 30-minute daily offering and became one of the network’s more popular shows.
Through a series of events tha ...
'', ''
The Late Show with David Letterman
The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production c ...
'', and ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' (with
Kay Hanley
Kay Hanley is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known as the vocalist for the alternative rock band Letters to Cleo.
Life and career
Hanley grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts across the street from the Wahlberg family. She atte ...
of
Letters to Cleo
Letters to Cleo is an American alternative rock band originating from Boston, Massachusetts, best known for the 1994 single, "Here & Now", from their full-length debut album, '' Aurora Gory Alice''. The band's members are Kay Hanley, Greg McKe ...
as a guest vocalist). On June 28, 1996, Sponge, along with
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...
, opened for
Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
at
Tiger Stadium in Detroit on their
reunion tour. It was previously announced that
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots (also known by the initialism STP) is an American rock band from San Diego, California, that originally consisted of Scott Weiland (lead vocals), brothers Dean (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass, backing vocals), and Eric Kr ...
would open the show, but had to cancel their performance due to vocalist
Scott Weiland
Scott Richard Weiland (; né Kline, October 27, 1967 – December 3, 2015) was an American singer and songwriter. During a career spanning three decades, Weiland was best known as the lead singer of the rock band Stone Temple Pilots from ...
's issues related to
substance abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
. The show was reported as having an attendance of almost 40,000 people. Sponge's second album, ''
Wax Ecstatic
''Wax Ecstatic'' is the second studio album by American rock band Sponge. It was released on July 2, 1996 through Columbia Records. The album features a more '70s hard rock-influenced sound compared with the band's previous release. It is the ban ...
'', was released shortly after in 1996 and the first single, "
Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)
"Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina)" is a song by American rock band Sponge, released in 1996 as the first single from their second album ''Wax Ecstatic''.
Release and reception
It is the band's third song to appear on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot ...
", received significant airplay on radio and MTV. Sponge also performed on the
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...
festival tour that summer. The second single, "
Have You Seen Mary
"Have You Seen Mary" is a song by American Rock music, rock band Sponge (band), Sponge. The song was released in 1996 as the second single from the group's second studio album, ''Wax Ecstatic''.
Release and reception
"Have You Seen Mary" is the ...
", also received significant airplay and was included in the 1997 film ''
Chasing Amy
''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jason Lee. The film is about a male comic artist (Affleck) who falls in love with a lesbian woman ...
''. Around this time, Sponge's manager
Susan Silver
Susan Jean Silver (born July 17, 1958) is an American music manager, best known for managing Seattle rock bands such as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Screaming Trees. Silver also owns the company Susan Silver Management, and co-owns the clu ...
retired from the music business to focus on her family. Columbia was dissatisfied with the sales figures for ''Wax Ecstatic'' and dropped Sponge from the label once the album left the charts. Undaunted, the band continued making music while in search of a new label.
''New Pop Sunday'' and lineup changes (1999–2002)
Sponge signed a new deal with Beyond Records and released their third album, ''
New Pop Sunday'', in 1999. The album was a departure from the grittier sound of their first two albums, featuring songs that were more
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
in nature. The band also performed again at Edgefest and X-Fest that year. There wasn't much tour support from Beyond and the new album attracted little commercial attention; however, "Live Here Without You" was nominated for the Outstanding National Single award by the
Detroit Music Awards Foundation in 2000. Around this time, the Cross brothers had gotten tired of touring and left Sponge.
Charlie Grover also left shortly after and the band would go on a brief hiatus. The remaining members (Mazzola and Dombroski) recruited Robby Graham on bass along with Paluzzi on drums to form the
side project
In popular music, a side project is a project undertaken by one or more people already known for their involvement in another band. It can also be an artist or a band temporarily switching to a different style.
Usually these projects emphasize ...
group Crud.
In 2001, Dombroski was invited by Alice in Chains drummer
Sean Kinney to
jam with him in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region o ...
, along with bandmate
Mike Inez on bass and
Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche is an American heavy metal band. It formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, out of the local band the Mob. The band has released 16 studio albums, one EP, and several DVDs, and continues to tour and record. The original lineup ...
guitarist
Chris DeGarmo. The
supergroup independently recorded and released an
EP entitled ''Microfish'' under the name
Spys4Darwin
Spys4Darwin were an American rock supergroup formed in Seattle, Washington in 2001. The short-lived project featured members from Seattle-based groups Queensrÿche and Alice in Chains as well as the frontman of Detroit, Michigan-based group Spong ...
. They performed at
Endfest
Endfest was an annual summer music festival hosted by KNDD, also known as 107.7 The End, an alternative rock radio station based in Seattle, Washington. It featured such bands as Mudhoney, Beastie Boys, Interpol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wolfmother, ...
on August 4, 2001 and continued working together into the following year. Around this time, Dombroski also began performing and recording music with the side project group The Orbitsuns. It was also around this time that the members of Crud (Dombroski, Mazzola, Paluzzi, and Graham) began performing as Sponge, but only for a handful of local shows. Dombroski and Mazzola then created a new solidified lineup of Sponge consisting of drummer Billy Adams, guitarist
Kurt Marschke, and bassist Tim Krukowski.
''For All the Drugs in the World'', more lineup changes, and ''The Man'' (2003–2006)
Sponge released their fourth studio album, ''
For All the Drugs in the World'', in 2003 through
Idol Records
Idol Records is a Dallas, Texas-based record label and publishing company founded in 1993 by Erv Karwelis, who serves as president of the label. Its roster consists of bands such as The O's, Dead Flowers, The Crash That Took Me, Here Holy Spain ...
. The album includes songs that were previously released independently by Sponge on an EP of the same name, which was only available at shows and on their website. The band toured with
Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.
The band was originally called Loud Fast Rules, with a lineup consisting of D ...
,
Gin Blossoms
Gin Blossoms is an American alternative rock band formed in 1987 in Tempe, Arizona. They rose to prominence following the 1992 release of their first major label album, ''New Miserable Experience'', and the first single released from that albu ...
,
Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors are an American alternative rock band from New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at No. 7 and N ...
,
The Verve Pipe
The Verve Pipe is an American rock band from Michigan. It was formed in 1992 in East Lansing by Brian Vander Ark, Brian Stout and Donny Brown.
History
In November 1992, Brian Vander Ark of the band "Johnny with an Eye" signed a production dea ...
, and
The Presidents of the United States of America that year. Around this time, Dombroski created a new lineup once again, this time without other founding member Mazzola, replaced by guitarist
Andy Patalan
Andrew Patalan (born March 14, 1970) is an American musician best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist for the alternative rock band Sponge. He also is a founding member of Solid Frog and Throttlebody. He was also the guitarist for Bro ...
, while Marschke was replaced by guitarist Kyle Neely. At this point, Dombroski became the only remaining original member of Sponge. The band released another EP independently in 2005, entitled ''
Hard to Keep My Cool''.
Sponge's fifth studio album, ''
The Man'', was also released in 2005 and includes songs from ''Hard to Keep My Cool'' plus new tracks. Both Crud and The Orbitsuns also released albums around this time.
''Galore Galore'' and ''Stop the Bleeding'' (2007–2014)
In November 2007, Sponge announced that they would release their sixth studio album, ''
Galore Galore
''Galore Galore'' is the sixth studio album by alternative rock band Sponge.
Track listing
Band members
* Vinnie Dombroski - vocals
* Billy Adams - drums
* Tim Krukowski - bass/ back-up vocals
* Kyle Neely - guitar/back-up vocals
* Andy Pata ...
'', through their new label, Bellum Records. The album was released on December 4, 2007. In 2009, former Sponge producer Tim Patalan replaced Krukowski on bass. The band then independently released an EP entitled ''
Destroy the Boy''. The title track was co-written by Mazzola, the first time a former member had contributed to Sponge's new material. In 2010, the
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedba ...
s ''
Tony Hawk: Shred'' and ''
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock'' were released; the former features the original version of "Plowed" and the latter features a re-recorded version that is available as a downloadable song. Sponge performed with Alice in Chains,
Everclear,
Seven Mary Three, and
Marcy Playground
Marcy Playground is an American alternative rock band consisting of three members: John Wozniak (lead vocals, guitar), Dylan Keefe (bass), and Shlomi Lavie (drums). The band is best known for their 1997 hit " Sex and Candy".
History
Early ...
in 2010 and also performed at
EarthFest on May 21, 2011. On February 21, 2012, Sponge opened for
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff ...
at
The Fillmore Detroit
The Fillmore Detroit is a multi-use entertainment venue operated by Live Nation. Built in 1925, the Fillmore Detroit was known for most of its history as the State Theatre. It is located near the larger Fox Theatre in the Detroit Theatre Dist ...
during their tour that year. Sponge's seventh studio album, ''
Stop the Bleeding'', was released in 2013 and includes songs from ''Destroy the Boy'' plus new tracks. Sponge performed on the
Summerland festival tour and also toured with
Spacehog
Spacehog are an English rock band formed in 1994 in New York City. Their music is heavily influenced by David Bowie, Queen, and T. Rex. The band's best known single is "In the Meantime".
History
Though all the band members are from Leeds, We ...
that year. In 2014, Sponge won the Detroit Music Awards Foundation's Outstanding National Single award for "Come in From the Rain".
''The Beer Sessions'', original lineup reunion performance, and ''Lavatorium'' (2015–present)
Sponge continued recording new music and performed on the Summerland festival tour again in 2016. The band's eighth studio album, ''
The Beer Sessions
''The Beer Sessions'' is the eighth studio album by American rock band Sponge, released on October 8, 2016.
Production
Sponge collaborated with several local Michigan breweries during the production of the album, including Kuhnhenn Brewing Comp ...
'', was released on October 8, 2016 through Three One Three Records. In May 2018 at the annual Detroit Music Awards, the original lineup of Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross, Tim Cross, Jimmy Paluzzi, and Joey Mazzola reunited for one night only. This was the first time in 24 years that all of the original members performed on stage together. The group received the Distinguished Achievement award at the ceremony in recognition of their debut album, ''Rotting Piñata''. Sponge partnered with the Pope Francis Center in 2018 to help raise funds for the poor and homeless in Detroit. The band performed at
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...
's
SiriusXM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sa ...
studio and toured with
The Nixons
The Nixons are an American alternative rock band formed in 1989. They found commercial success during the mid-1990s, releasing two albums through MCA Records in 1995–1997. The band is best known for the hit singles "Sister" and "Wire" from ...
in 2019.
Sponge also announced tour dates in North America during the spring and summer of 2020. However, the shows were postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, with the aim to reschedule them for a later date. In August 2020,
Jason Hartless replaced longtime member Adams on drums. Sponge released a music video for the song "Stitch", directed by
James L. Edwards, on July 6, 2021.
On August 6, 2021, Sponge released their ninth studio album, ''Lavatorium'', through
Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1992 by Brian Perera. The record label has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, ...
.
Around this time, Dave Coughlin replaced Hartless on drums. Sponge performed with
Blue October
Blue October is an American rock band originally from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and is currently composed of singer/guitarist Justin Furstenfeld, drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld, multi-instrumentalist Ryan Delahoussaye, bassist ...
, Gin Blossoms, and
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thr ...
in 2021.
On March 6, 2022, founding guitarist Mike Cross had died at the age of 57.
Musical style and influences
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
described Sponge's sound as being a "versatile blend of classic hard rock and punchy alt-pop with a thin metal veneer".
Some of the bands and artists that Sponge has cited as influences include
the
MC5,
The Stooges
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
,
Iggy Pop
James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the " Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who w ...
,
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
,
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guilloti ...
,
Bob Seger
Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...
,
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues ...
,
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
, the
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
,
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 w ...
,
Fear
Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
,
The Psychedelic Furs
The Psychedelic Furs are a post-punk band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from the British post-punk scen ...
, and
Hank Williams
Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...
. In concert Sponge has also performed songs by
Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass
Danny Davis (May 29, 1925 – June 12, 2008) was an American country music band leader, trumpet player, vocalist and producer, best known as the founder and leader of the Nashville Brass.
Early life and career
Danny Davis was born as George ...
, 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 St ...
,
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades ...
,
AC/DC
AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal, but the band calls it ...
, and
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...
.
Band members
Current members
*
Vinnie Dombroski
Mark "Vinnie" Dombroski (born December 4, 1962) is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist and main songwriter for the American rock band Sponge. He also fronted the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has been a member of sev ...
–
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
(1992–2000, 2001–present)
*Kyle Neely –
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
(2004–present)
*
Andy Patalan
Andrew Patalan (born March 14, 1970) is an American musician best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist for the alternative rock band Sponge. He also is a founding member of Solid Frog and Throttlebody. He was also the guitarist for Bro ...
– guitar, backing vocals (2004–present)
*Tim Patalan –
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
(2009–present)
*Dave Coughlin –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
(2021–present)
Former members
*
Joey Mazzola
Joe "Joey" Mazzola (born April 13, 1961) is a guitarist, songwriter, music educator and visual artist and is probably best known as a founding member of the American rock band, Sponge. Joe was the original Sponge guitarist and played with th ...
– guitar, backing vocals (1992–2000, 2001–2004)
*Mike Cross – guitar, backing vocals (1992–2000) (died 2022)
*Tim Cross – bass (1992–2000)
*Jimmy Paluzzi – drums, backing vocals (1992–1994, 2001)
*Charlie Grover – drums (1994–2000)
*Robby Graham – bass (2001)
*
Kurt Marschke – guitar, backing vocals (2001–2004)
*Tim Krukowski – bass (2001–2009)
*Billy Adams – drums (2001–2020)
*
Jason Hartless – drums (2020–2021)
Touring substitutes
*Steve Dombroski – guitar (2012)
*Jeff Hayes – bass (2013–present)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
Live and compilation albums
Soundtracks and other releases
See also
*
List of alternative rock artists
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Static Magazine Interview with Vinnie Dombroski
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sponge
Musical groups established in 1992
Musical groups from Michigan
Musical groups from Detroit
Alternative rock groups from Michigan
American alternative rock groups
American post-grunge musical groups
1992 establishments in Michigan