Blatz

Blatz was a punk band formed in 1989 in Berkeley, California. Blatz came out of the 924 Gilman Street Project scene during the late 80s, and early 90s along with bands like Crimpshrine, Operation Ivy, and Filth. Blatz is well known as an integral representation of early 1990s East Bay punk. Touring only throughout southern California, Arizona and Nevada, they did most of their gigs and practicing at 924 Gilman St. The band was known for their highly provocative and sarcastic lyrics, including such themes as autoerotica, the glorification of methamphetamine usage, and wishing to "abort" Berkeley. Blatz came to life when Joey Perales and Robert Eggplant, (editor of the zine Absolutely Zippo) went to a party on acid where Sweet Children, better known later as Green Day, were playing and began trying to think of the most embarrassing band name possible. They took the name Blatz, after one of the cheapest brands of beer available in the U.S., and convinced John Santos, a high school drinking buddy, to play with them for their first show, a 924 Gilman Street holiday show. After that first show John quit but with Joey on drums and Robert on guitar they continued and, in the summer of 1989, recruited Marshall Stax to play bass. At the time Marshall was a DJ for Berkeley campus radio station KALX, as well as a volunteer sound engineer at Gilman St. While practicing at Gilman St., the band noticed a loner hanging around the club who they invited to take on vocal duties. His name was Jesse Luscious, editor of a zine called Berkeley Sucks, and as the singer for Blatz, he immediately gained a reputation for being hilarious and often shocked punks of modesty by frequently taking his clothes off on stage. The band expanded further, adding Annie Lalania, another schoolmate of Perales and Eggplant, as well as Anna Joy, a brilliant and sarcastic poet. Billie Joe Armstrong occasionally played second guitar for the band, and Aaron Cometbus occasionally sat in on second drums.The three singers were often too "screechy" for people, Eggplant was often too stoned to tune his guitar, and band members were often floating away to go to college or Europe. Nonetheless, they managed to release a number of recordings on Lookout! Records, which are highly regarded. The recordings were re-released as a compact disc by Life Is Abuse, but are out of print again. After the band broke up in 1991, Eggplant went on to play with The Hope Bombs, Harbinger with Aaron Cometbus and John Geek of Fleshies, and, currently, Lil' Runt; Marshall Stax played drums for Subincision; Joey Perales played with Jack Acid, Dead And Gone and more recently joined Swann Danger; Anna Joy and Jesse went on to perform with the band Gr'Ups, which also included Daniela Sea; after the demise of that band Jesse sang for The Criminals and The Frisk and Anna Joy and fellow Gr'ups alumna Daniela Sea performed with Cypher In The Snow. from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blatz_(band)