Riverdales

The Riverdales were an American Punk Rock music group from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by Ben Foster (guitar), Dan Schafer (bass), and Dan Sullivan (drums), all former members of Screeching Weasel. Unlike in Screeching Weasel, the members of The Riverdales would be credited under their real names. Their first album was released July 7 1995 on Lookout! Records and was produced by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and Mass Giorgini (from Squirtgun and Screeching Weasel). Playing off this synergy, the Riverdales supported Green Day's 1995 Insomniac Tour. Despite the reformation of Screeching Weasel in 1996, the Riverdales did not split until after recording a second album, Storm The Streets, in 1997. Ben would later say that the stress of the Green Day tour severely damaged the relationship between the band members and that, in turn, led to the break up and Schafer and Sullivan's subsequent departures from Screeching Weasel. In 2003, Foster and Schafer, who had since repaired their relationship, reformed the group with drummer Dan Lumley to record Phase Three. The band has been inactive since then and there appears to be no future plans to write or record.

Throughout their career, The Riverdales stuck with a Punk Rock sound very reminiscent of The Ramones. They were originally going to create a Ramones cover band, but decided to go ahead and write their own songs with the same style as the Ramones, but with slightly modernized instrumentals. Both Schafer and Foster perform lead vocals for the group, and songwriting credits are split evenly between the two.

In 2004 Ben Weasel rescinded all of the Screeching Weasel and Riverdales masters from Lookout! Records after being unable to resolve a breach of contract dispute over unpaid royalties with the label. All of these masters have since been licensed to Asian Man Records. Asian Man Records reissued the first Riverdales album in 2006[1]. The album was re-mastered & had bonus tracks including live versions of several songs. The Label is also re-issuing "Phase Three", due out on October 7th, 2008. On June 11, 2008, Ben Weasel announced on his ESPN radio show, "Weasel Radio" that not only would there tentatively be five bonus tracks on the reissue of "Phase Three", but also that he and the existing Riverdales band members were contemplating a reunion show to promote the CD reissue of "Phase Three."

Trivia

The original drummer for the band, (Dan Panic) was kicked out due to molestation charges set upon him

The Riverdales' song "Back To You" appeared in the movie Angus in 1995[2].

The band takes it's name from the fictional town of Riverdale, the setting of the Archie Comics and home of the fictional band, The Archies.

Some say that Ben Weasel and Dan Vapid are the voices (Similar to Joe Queer of The Queers) of Pop punk

Discography

Original Releases

Back To You EP (1995)
Fun Tonight EP (1995)
Riverdales LP (1995)
Storm the Streets LP (1997)
Blood On The Ice EP (1997)
Phase Three LP (2003)

Re-Releases

Riverdales Reissue (2006)
Phase Three Reissue (2008)

External links

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