Vegetarian Meat was an

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...

band originally formed in 1990 in Dayton, Ohio by Alex McAulay, Dennis Cleary and Matt Cleary when they were in their early teens. Signed by the

No.6 Records No.6 Records was an independent record label, started in 1989 as a subsidiary of Rough Trade Records by A&R representative and booking agent Terry Tolkin. The name of the label came from the British television series ''The Prisoner''; the main ch ...

label in 1992, a subsidiary of Elektra Records, while the band was still in high school, they released two 7" singles. The band was termed "One to Watch" in Billboard magazine during a review of the "Squirrels in my Pumpkin" single. Later, the band added their classmates Manish Kalvakota on guitar, Matt Diggs on vocals and sound effects, and Erin Castle on additional vocals. In 1995, the band released its lone album on No.6/

Caroline Records Caroline Records is a record label originally founded in 1973. Initially founded in the United Kingdom to showcase British progressive rock groups, the label ceased releasing titles in 1976, and then re-emerged in the United States in 1986. ...

, ''Let's Pet'', which was produced by Sonic Youth's producer,

Wharton Tiers Wharton Tiers (born 1953, in Philadelphia) is an American audio engineer, record producer, drummer and percussionist. Biography After receiving a diploma from Villanova University (Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania), he moved to ...

. Soon after a series of shows with the bands

Luna Luna commonly refers to: * Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin * Luna (goddess), the ancient Roman personification of the Moon Luna may also refer to: Places Philippines * Luna, Apayao * Luna, Isabela * Luna, La Union * Luna, San Jose Roma ...

and

Stereolab Stereolab are an Anglo- French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's music combines influences from krautrock, lounge and 1960s pop music, often incorporating a repeti ...

, Vegetarian Meat disbanded. Alex McAulay went on to become an American film director. Dennis Cleary currently works for the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

. Matt Cleary owns a public relations firm in Indianapolis that represents race car drivers. Matt Diggs died in a car accident in July 2000. In April 2009

Teenbeat Records Teen Beat is an American independent record label, originally based in Arlington, Virginia, now based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded by Mark Robinson (of Unrest) in 1984 at Wakefield High School, along with Phil Krauth (of Unrest ...

released a compilation titled ''Speed Dating: A No.6 Records Compendium'' which features all six songs from Vegetarian Meat's out of print 7" singles, along with tracks from

Unrest Unrest, also called disaffection, is a sociological phenomenon, including: * Civil unrest * Civil disorder * Domestic terrorism * Industrial unrest * Labor unrest * Rebellion * Riot * Strike action * State of emergency Notable historical in ...

Dean Wareham Dean Wareham (born 1 August 1963) is an American musician and actor who formed the band Galaxie 500 in 1987. He left Galaxie 500 in April 1991 and founded the band Luna. Since Luna's breakup in 2005, Wareham has released albums with fellow Lun ...

Tindersticks Tindersticks are an English alternative rock band formed in Nottingham in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples embarked on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006 and more permanently the following year. Th ...

Pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

, and

The Dwarves The Dwarves are an American punk rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois and based in San Francisco, California as of 2009.Gentile, John (2009)Interview: Blag Dahlia of the Dwarves, ''The A.V. Club'', April 13, 2009, retrieved February 7, 2010 ...

. In March 2023, the original surviving line up of the band announced they will return with a second album in 2025, exactly thirty years after their first one.

External links

Interview with Alex McAulay
{{Authority control Musical groups established in 1990 Alternative rock groups from Ohio Indie rock musical groups from Ohio Musical groups from Dayton, Ohio