The Pandoras is an all-female garage punk band from

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...

with a run from 1982 to 1991. The band is among the first handful of all-female rock bands to ever be signed. From the beginning, the band found a strong following in the Hollywood

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

Paisley Underground Paisley Underground is a musical genre that originated in California. It was particularly popular in Los Angeles, reaching a peak in the mid-1980s. Paisley Underground bands incorporated psychedelia, rich vocal harmonies and guitar interplay, owi ...

scene, making the gossip pages almost weekly. The Pandoras enjoyed strong radio support from DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. The band graduated from the garage rock sound to a more contemporary, hard rock style in later years, spawning the off-shoot band

The Muffs The Muffs were an American pop punk band based in Southern California, formed in 1991. Led by singer and guitarist Kim Shattuck, the band released four full-length studio albums in the 1990s, as well as numerous singles including "Lucky Guy" a ...

. The Pandoras founder/singer/songwriter, Paula Pierce, died on August 10, 1991, of a brain aneurysm at the age of 31.

front-woman/founder

Kim Shattuck Kimberly Dianne Shattuck (July 17, 1963 – October 2, 2019) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. She was the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the American punk rock band the Muffs, which formed in 1991. From ...

who played bass in the Pandoras from 1985 to 1990 passed in October 2nd, 2019 from ALS. Shattuck had appeared as lead singer/lead guitarist of the reunited Pandoras in recent years, until her passing.

Formation

The Pandoras began in late 1982 as part of the 1960s garage rock revival. They were associated with the

era in Hollywood's underground rock scene that shared an aesthetic heavily influenced by 1960s garage rock and

psychedelia Psychedelia refers to the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic music and style of dress during that era. This was primarily generated by people who used psychedelic dr ...

. Pierce, a resident of

Chino, California Chino ( ; Spanish for "Curly") is a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, California, United States, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino is adjacent to Chin ...

until 1984, had been a member of the Hollywood music scene; playing in bands since 1976. The Pandoras were formed when singer/guitarist Pierce, a member of the mod/garage/pop Action Now, met singer/guitarist/bass player Deborah Mendoza (aka Menday), at

Chaffey College Chaffey College is a public community college in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The college serves students in Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Upland. It is the oldest community college in California. History ...

Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Bernardino County, California, given in 1839 to the dedicated soldier, smuggler and politician Tiburcio Tapia by Mexican governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. The grant formed parts of pres ...

in 1982. Mendoza, an art major, answered an ad that Pierce, a graphic arts major, had posted on the bulletin board in the cafeteria. The ad read, "Wanted, another female musician to jam with! Influenced by sixties garage punk." They began bringing their guitars to school and jamming between classes. Pierce, singer/songwriter/lead guitarist, brought in Gwynne Kahn on keyboards/guitar/backing vocals. Mendoza on bass, brought in drummer Casey Gomez. After a band meeting in December 1982, The Pandoras were born, though names such as The Keyholes, Hole, The wHolesome, and The Goodwylls were considered first.

Early career and controversy

After recording their first EP in 1983, ''I'm Here I'm Gone'' on Moxie Records, Mendoza left the group. She was replaced on bass by Bambi Conway. Conway, Kahn, Gomez, and Pierce appeared on The Pandoras' debut album, ''It's About Time'', on Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 449 In 1984, The Pandoras split into two factions just as the ''It's About Time'' LP was being released. Founder/Singer/Songwriter Paula Pierce had focus on the direction she wanted to go with her band. Bassist Conway, unhappy with Pierce, quit The Pandoras; followed by Pierce firing keyboardist Kahn. Shortly thereafter, drummer Gomez split from Pierce. Pierce decided to continue as The Pandoras, immediately recruiting three new members who embarked on tour for the ''It's About Time'' LP release. Former members Gomez and Conway joined Kahn in the short-lived Gwynne's Pandoras. The brief dispute over the Pandoras name was discussed on a

KROQ-FM KROQ-FM (106.7 Hertz, MHz) is a commercial Radio broadcasting, radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronou ...

radio show hosted by

Rodney Bingenheimer Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he also m ...

and in the local music zines such as BAM, Music Connection, and the

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose pare ...

(and its "L.A. Dee Da" gossip column). Pierce's fresh, new line-up of The Pandoras included Melanie Vammen on keyboards, Julie Patchouli on bass, and Karen Blankfeld on drums. Momentum began picking up with the release of the ''Hot Generation'' single on Bomp! Records in late 1984. The Pierce-led band toured the east coast with the Fuzztones to promote the single. Gwynne's Pandoras released "Worm Boy" on an

Enigma Records Enigma Records (also known as Enigma Entertainment Corporation) was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. History Enigma Records launched as a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/d ...

compilation, '' Enigma Variations'', in 1985. When readying for an EP on Enigma Records, the label insisted that Gwynne's Pandoras change their name. This ended the gossip-column controversies, and the Pierce-led Pandoras prevailed. Gwynne's EP, to be titled ''Psycho Circus'', was never released, and a new band name never settled upon. Bassist Julie Patchouli departed The Pandoras in the spring of 1985. A fill-in bassist Gayle Morency joined The Pandoras on bass for two shows. Morency was replaced by bassist, and future founder of

in July 1985.

Rhino era

The Pandoras were signed to

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

and began recording the basic tracks for the ''Stop Pretending'' album during the winter of 1985 with producer Bill Inglot, who had produced earlier Pandoras and Action Now releases. In 1986, ''Stop Pretending'' was released. The Pandoras was labeled "one of the bands that matter" by the ''

''. The band continued to play live and record new songs for their major label debut and were a top live club draw outside of Los Angeles, touring with

Nina Hagen Catharina "Nina" Hagen (; born 11 March 1955) is a German singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her theatrical vocals and rose to prominence during the Punk subculture, punk and New wave music, new wave movements in the late 1970s a ...

, and performing on bills with such acts as

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 ...

, The Fuzztones, The Beat Farmers,

Johnny Thunders John Anthony Genzale (July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991), known professionally as Johnny Thunders, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of the New York Dolls. He later played wit ...

, The Alarm,

Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...

, The Blasters, and

The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. ...

. The music video for "Stop Pretending" appeared on air, in the United States, Canada and Europe. The Pandoras played the inaugural LA Weekly Music Awards and showcased a slightly harder sound and were interviewed on the roof of the Variety Arts Center for French TV by Laurent Basset who would in later years go on to marry drummer Karen Blankfeld and direct the hit series

Below Deck ''Below Deck'' is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on July 1, 2013. The show chronicles the lives of the crew members who work and reside aboard a superyacht during charter season. The series has a number of spin-o ...

on Bravo.

Elektra era

Elektra A&R man Steve Pross signed the band to Elektra Records. The band made numerous attempts to record the album, to be titled ''Come Inside.'' During this period, Blankfeld was forced from the band due to disagreements about band management, and was replaced with Kelly Dillard on drums. Blankfeld went on to play bass with former Enigma recording artists Wednesday Week, before forming the Billboard-charting all-female band The Rebel Pebbles. Dillard was in The Pandoras for only two months; during that time she appeared in photoshoots intended for the Elektra cover of ''Come Inside'' and recorded "Run Down Love Battery" for the album as well. She was replaced on drums in November 1987 by Sheri Kaplan. Before the release of the LP, which had reached the test-pressing stage, Pross was let go by Elektra Records. As a result, the label dropped both bands he had signed — Jetboy and The Pandoras — with their respective records being withdrawn from release. Many of the demo recordings The Pandoras made during the Elektra-era eventually surfaced on the ''Psychedelic Sluts'' bootleg CD.

Restless era

The band continued to play live while looking for a new record deal.

Rita D'Albert Rita may refer to: People * Rita (given name) * Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984) * Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962) * Rita (Japanese singer) * Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita Places * Djarrit, also known as Rita, a ...

joined as a guitarist in 1988. The Pandoras recorded new songs and released the ''Rock Hard'' mini-LP on Restless Records. A video for "Run Down Love Battery" received airplay on MTV's

Headbangers Ball ''Headbangers Ball'' is a music television program that consisted of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV and its global affiliates. The show began on MTV on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal music videos from both well-known and more o ...

, expanding their audience to include metal fans. D'Albert left The Pandoras in February 1989, just before a tour in support of ''Rock Hard'', to join Human Drama, which had signed to RCA records. She would go on to found Lucha VaVoom in subsequent years. The Pandoras concert at Z Rock in Dallas, Texas was recorded for a "Coast to Coast Concert Series" broadcast. They also made an appearance on the first episode of The

Arsenio Hall Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1956) is an American comedian, actor and talk show host. He hosted the late-night talk show, '' The Arsenio Hall Show'', from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014. He has appeared in ''Martial Law'', '' Co ...

Show where they performed "Run Down Love Battery." Billie Jo Hash joined the band on guitar for the second leg of the Rock Hard tour. She lasted through the summer of 1989. Lissa Beltri joined The Pandoras in late 1989. Restless Records release the Z-Rock concert as a live mini-album. ''Live Nymphomania.'' Pierce and bandmates were not happy with the release, though the band went out on tour promoting it for Restless.

Disbandment and Pierce's Death

In July 1990, keyboardist Vammen was removed from The Pandoras by Pierce, over Shattuck's and Kaplan's objections. Though Pierce toiled over removing Vammen, she felt keyboards weren't right for band's newest direction. Both an Australian tour and a European tour in 1990 were cancelled; prompting Shattuck to leave the band two months later. There was a single show with Chris from the Sunset Strip rock band Taz, on bass, and then Kaplan quit the band to join Hardly Dangerous, ending The Pandoras. In the wake of their departure, Vammen and Shattuck, had been plotting a band of their own. They went on to form

, enjoying great success in the alternative music scene. In 1991, Pierce slowly worked on new material with guitarist Beltri. A new drummer joined Pierce and Beltri, as they began auditioning bass players. On August 9, a bass player auditioned who both Pierce and Beltri liked. She was to be brought back in for a rehearsal on August 11. However, on August 10, after dinner and an exercise session, Pierce suffered a fatal aneurysm in the shower of her Hollywood Hills apartment at the age of 31. Pierce had complained of painful headaches for two weeks before her death, but did not seek medical help. Former Pandoras' crew Dave Eddy and organized a tribute and fundraising show at the Coconut Teaser on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. The show saw performances by Cherie Currie of

The Runaways The Runaways were an all-female American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. The band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are " Cherry Bomb", " Hollywood", " Queens o ...

and her twin sister Marie Currie in their first public performance together in 20 years, with the final line up of the Pandoras backing them, as well as Precious Metal, who had broken up but who reunited for the show, Redd Kross and

Abby Travis Abby Travis (born November 10, 1969) is an American musician. In the 1990s, she began working as a touring bass player. She has worked with The Go-Go's, The Eagles of Death Metal, Masters of Reality, The Bangles, KMFDM, Beck, and Elastica. Ab ...

, Dramarama with Clem Burke of Blondie and Sylvain Sylvain from the

New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial suc ...

, The Muffs (Shattuck's and Vammen's band), African Violet (D'Albert band), Hardly Dangerous (Kaplan's band,)

White Flag White flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale. Contemporary use The white flag is an internationally recognized protective sign of truce or ceasefire, and for negotiation. It is also used to symbol ...

featuring Bill Bartell. Photographer Dianne Carter's 35mm slide show played in the club, with over 800 images of Pierce and The Pandoras.

Reunions

In October 2013, Pillbox front-woman Susan Hyatt, guitarist Lisa Black, Melanie Vammen, Karen Blankfeld-Basset, and Sheri Kaplan united to play three Pierce-penned Pandoras songs ("You Don't Satisfy", "In and Out of my Life In A Day" and "You're All Talk") at a private party in

Redondo Beach, CA Redondo Beach (Spanish for ''round'') is a coastal city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area. It is one of three adjacent beach cities along the southern portion of ...

in October 2013. In July 2014, the reformed Pandoras, including Shattuck, Vammen, Basset, and Kaplan recorded four songs at the

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 ...

studio JingleTown Recording in Oakland, California. One year later, at the same studio, three more songs were recorded with new drummer Hillary Burton. On June 26, 2015, Shattuck, Vammen, Basset, and Kaplan performed their first official live show as the reunited Pandoras at The Casbah in San Diego, California. On July 4, 2015, there was a reunion show billed as The Pandoras at the 2015 Burger Boogaloo (hosted by Burger Records and filmmaker

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

Mosswood J. Mora Moss House is a boldly romantic Carpenter Gothic style Victorian home located within Mosswood Park in Oakland, California. It was built in 1864, bought by Oakland in 1912 and documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1960 a ...

Park, in

Oakland, CA 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 ...

, which featured Shattuck (lead vocals, guitar), Vammen (keyboard), Basset (bass), and Kaplan (drums). In July 2015, The reunited Pandoras, featuring Shattuck, Vammen, Basset, and newly acquired drummer Hillary Burton performed in Minneapolis, Minnesota at The Turf Club. In August 2015, The Pandoras, featuring Shattuck, Vammen, Basset, and Burton embarked on a comprehensive European tour, with two U.S. East Coast dates included. In March 2018, The Pandoras, including Shattuck, Vammen, Basset, and Burton released a seven song EP titled "Hey It's the Pandoras." In June 2022, Vammen, Blankfeld-Basset, Kaplan-Weinstein, and Burton played as the "Tigerellas" at the Redwood in Downtown Los Angeles. The surviving members of Pierce's Pandoras, Vammen, Basset, Burton, and Kaplan planned to perform at a tribute concert for Kim Shattuck at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles in 2020. However, the show was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Members

Timeline

Discography

Albums and mini-albums

*'' It's About Time'' (1984 -

Voxx Records Voxx International is an American consumer electronics company founded as Audiovox Corporation in 1960, and renamed Voxx in 2012. It is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company specializes in four areas: OEM and after-market automotive e ...

) *'' Stop Pretending'' (1986 -

) *''Rock Hard'' (1988 - mini-album - Restless Records) *''Live Nymphomania'' (1989 - Restless Records) *''Hey It's The Pandoras'' (2018 - Burger Records)

Singles and EPs

*''I'm Here I'm Gone'' (1983 - EP - Moxie Records) *''Hot Generation/You Don't Satisfy'' (1984 - Single - Voxx Records) *''In And Out of My Life (In a Day)/The Hump'' (1985 - Single -

) *''I Didn't Cry/Thunder Alley'' (1999 - Dionysus)

Compilation appearances

*'' Enigma Variations'' (1985 - Enigma) *''What Surf II'' (1985 - what records) *''Battle of the Garages, Vol. 2'' (1993 -

) *''Tales From The Rhino'' (1994 -

) *''Destination Bomp'' (1994 -

) *''The Roots of Power Pop'' (1996 -

) *''Be A Caveman: The Best Of The Voxx Garage Revival'' (2000 -

)

Reissues

*''Rock Hard/Live Nymphomania'' (2005 - Reissue -

Restless Restless may refer to: * Psychomotor agitation, restlessness experienced as a result of certain medications or conditions Music * Restless Records Albums * ''Restless'' (Sara Evans album) and its title track, 2003 * ''Restless'' (Murray H ...

) *''Stop Pretending'' (2003 - Rhino Handmade - remastered re-release with additional tracks)

Videos/DVD

*''Slipping Through the Cracks (An Uprising of Young Pacifics)'' (video); IceWorld Video

Unreleased album

*''Come Inside'' (1987 -

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between th ...

)

Bootlegs

*''Psychedelic Sluts'' (1994 - Erekta)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandoras, The All-female punk bands Garage punk groups Indie rock musical groups from California Musical groups established in 1983 Musical groups disestablished in 1990 Musical groups from Los Angeles Restless Records artists Elektra Records artists