Cap'n Jazz

Short-lived but highly influential, Cap'n Jazz helped transform emo from a deeply underground punk subgenre into a more widely accepted subset of indie rock. Not terribly popular or well-known outside of the Midwest, Cap'n Jazz's main contribution was stylistic. They helped shift midwest-emo's always-elusive musical focus from post-hardcore prog-punk to an arty but more accessible pop-punk. Their discography was as scant as it was rare, but that very obscurity helped build their underground legend through word of mouth, until a double-CD retrospective was finally issued several years after their breakup. By that time, most of the members had moved on to other, better-known midwest-emo bands, most notably Joan of Arc and the highly successful Promise Ring , which helped spread Cap'n Jazz's influence far beyond their original audience. The first incarnation of Cap'n Jazz was formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States circa 1989, when brothers Tim Kinsella (guitar, vocals) and Mike Kinsella (drums) teamed up with bassist Sam Zurick and guitarist Victor Villareal ; all were still in school at the time. The band went through several name changes and added guitarist Davey von Bohlen , but took a few years to get serious about pursuing music. Eventually, they earned a cult following around Chicago and the Midwest, honing a sound that was at once complicated and sloppily enthusiastic. Frontman Tim Kinsella's cryptic wordplay and naïve, amateurish vocals became the group's focal points; although some found those traits polarizing, they gave Cap'n Jazz a distinct personality. During the early '90s, the band recorded several singles for tiny independent labels, and also contributed tracks to several indie and emo compilations. In 1995, they issued their first and only album, Shmap'n Shmazz , on the tiny, poorly distributed Man With Gun label; the album also had an incredibly lengthy alternate title, which most fans ignored. It quickly became a collector's item. Cap'n Jazz broke up not long after its release in July 1995 in Little Rock, Arkansas; they were scheduled to play that night at DIY punk venue Das Yutes a Go-Go. In 1998, three years after the band's breakup, the Jade Tree label assembled a generous double-disc Cap'n Jazz retrospective titled Analphabetapolothology . It contained the band's complete recorded works -- the entirety of Shmap'n Shmazz , material from their early singles and split releases, compilation tracks, unreleased demos and outtakes, and several songs from their farewell concert in Chicago. The line up of the band included Tim Kinsella (vocals); Samuel Zurick (bass guitar); Mike Kinsella (drums, vocals); Victor Villareal (guitar, vocals); and Davey von Bohlen (guitar, vocals from 1994-95). Although their talent and influence stands on its own, they are also notable for the significant careers that former members of the band have charted since the demise of Cap'n Jazz in 1995, most notably Make Believe, The Promise Ring, American Football, Owls, Ghosts and Vodka, Joan of Arc and Owen. The band reunited for what was intended to be a single show in January 2010 but due to continued interest they scheduled two shows in Chicago on July 17 and July 18, 2010. The band since has added several other dates in Washington DC, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Los Angeles, with more shows possibly to be added later.