Club Awesome began as a rotating cast of musicians and instruments in 2004, finally settling around founders Errol Crane and Rick Kemp, joined by Blair Gainous and Lance Warner. The band soon became known for inventively self-aware stage pranks like stopping mid-set to read aloud from their suggestion box, staging impromptu “battles” with other bands on the bill, performing in a handmade white tiger costume – and later, convincing clubs to let them install and fill a twelve-foot aboveground pool near the stage for their annual summer Pool-Party Parties. Thankfully, the music began to get noticed as well, prompting comparisons ranging from Joy Division and Tullycraft to Joe Jackson and Superchunk.

Crane, Kemp, Gainous and Warner recorded an EP with Brian Slusher of Slushco and a split seven-inch with Tokyo Sex Destruction on Passive Aggressive Network, and then teamed with producer Nev Walker for Dynamos, their full-length debut. After recording the album, Club Awesome suddenly lost both Gainous (to Berkeley) and Warner (to New York), but found handy replacements in friends and East Bay, CA, transplants Mikey Holliday and Erik Armenia. Club Awesome is currently touring in support of Dynamos, and writing and recording for a follow-up album.

Click here to listen to an interview with the band.