At the Drive-In
Encyclopedia
At the Drive-In was an American rock
band from El Paso, Texas
, considered part of the post-hardcore
genre and active from 1993 to 2001. They were known for their extremely energetic stage shows which hearkened back to the 1980s hardcore scene. They were also recognized for their blend of surrealistic lyrics, unorthodox guitar melodies and unpredictable shifts in tempo and rhythm.
and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala
(then credited simply as Cedric Bixler). The newly formed band played its first live show on October 15, 1994 at the Loretto High School
Fair in El Paso, Texas. Not long after, At the Drive-In released its first studio recording entitled Hell Paso
, a 7-inch EP issued in November 1994
. Following Hell Paso’s release, the band members embarked on their first tour – a 2,000-mile trek across the state of Texas. After a drummer change, At the Drive-In released its second EP ¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo! in June 1995
. The band then set out on another tour, this one in a newly purchased 1981 Ford Econoline
and spanning 42 days and 10,000 miles across the United States. During these tours, At the Drive-In began developing a large underground following by mostly playing in basements and small venues across the western United States, with their popularity spread by word of mouth
among fans. One such show that changed the course of history for the band was in a now defunct bar in Los Angeles
, where the band put on an explosive performance for just nine people – some of them employees of the Flipside
record label. The staffers were so enthralled by the show that they offered to put out At the Drive-In’s record then and there. Accepting the offer, the band first headed out on another 21-day tour of the Southwest
before ending in Los Angeles again where they recorded their debut full-length album titled Acrobatic Tenement
for $600.
Following the recording of Acrobatic Tenement in July 1996, the final line-up of At the Drive-In fell into place with the addition of Tony Hajjar
and Paul Hinojos
and with Omar Rodríguez-López
transitioning from bass to guitar. The album hit stores August 18, 1996
, and with its release the band commenced another U.S. tour the following year spanning 100 days (February to June 1997) and 24,000 miles. This tour included shows with hundreds of other bands such as Screw 32
, J Church
, AFI
, Still Life
, Mustard Plug
, Face to Face
, and Cosmic Psychos
. At the Drive-In’s fan base began to swell with every show it performed. Following this tour, the band members took a month vacation (Jim Ward remained on vacation until the recording of In/Casino/Out
) before rehearsing for their next record and subsequent tour. At the Drive-In’s third EP titled El Gran Orgo
was released on September 18, 1997
, and “showed a more melodic side of the band, but the musical depth and heartfelt emotion was never more apparent.” Two days after its release, the band was in Boulder, Colorado
playing a show with Welt
to kick off its next 35-day, 11,000-mile tour that also included six dates with Karp
and the Young Pioneers
, and one-offs with Guttermouth
, The Criminals
, Piss Drunks, and the Humpers
. At the Drive-In’s popularity at this point was undeniable, with headlining shows in the Midwest drawing between 100 and 350 fans.
quit producing records and Offtime was financially unable to, "so the band literally approached almost every indie label they could think of." When hope was almost lost and the possibility of another record seemed dim, Bob and Michelle Becker of Fearless Records
saw At the Drive-In open for Supernova
at a bar named Club Mesa. Despite Fearless’s history of producing mainly pop punk
bands, the band members "felt very comfortable with Bob and Michelle on a personal level" and a deal was signed. Consequently, At the Drive-In began recording its second full-length album titled In/Casino/Out
on June 3, 1998. With producer and mixer Alex Newport
, the band spent four days recording at Doug Messenger's, in North Hollywood, and an additional two days mixing the album at Paramount, in Hollywood. This album marked a notable maturation in At the Drive-In’s sound and is special in that it was recorded live with just a small amount of overdubs. In/Casino/Out was chosen to be recorded live because, according to some sources, At the Drive-In struggled to capture the intensity and emotion of its live shows in the recording studio.
In/Casino/Out was released on August 18, 1998
, although the band toured almost non-stop from July until December, playing shows with bands like Knapsack
and The Murder City Devils. At the Drive-In took a couple month break until March, 1999, at which point they kicked off another tour with a two week stint with Jimmy Eat World
in the U.S. until they headed to Europe
for a six week European tour spanning eleven countries. Upon returning to the U.S., At the Drive-In played a handful of shows before returning to the studio to record their fourth EP entitled Vaya
, which was released on July 13, 1999
. Without missing a beat, the band kicked off another tour on July 28 in Austin, TX with Universal Recovered, another band from El Paso. This tour included shows with bands like The Get Up Kids
and Rage Against the Machine
. Later, in April 2000
, At the Drive-In released a split EP with Sunshine. The five song EP only contained two tracks by At the Drive-In.
began on January 17, 2000. The recording took place at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California with producer Ross Robinson
(and mixer Andy Wallace
), who the band had met in an earlier tour and who had "convinced the boys that he was the guy who could get every ounce of them onto tape." Relationship of Command was recorded over a seven week period and featured Iggy Pop
with minor parts in a couple of the album’s songs. It was released September 12, 2000
to critical acclaim, and catapulted At the Drive-In into the mainstream musical spotlight.
In addition to touring worldwide in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. following the release of Relationship of Command, At The Drive-In also performed on several television shows. The band's first nationally televised performance was on Farmclub
, a now defunct television show which aired late at night on the USA Network
. After that performance, they also appeared on Later with Jools Holland
, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
and The Late Show with David Letterman. Additionally, their minor hit radio single "One Armed Scissor
" had circulation on MTV
and significantly contributed to the band's popularity.
for the Big Day Out
music festival. While performing in Sydney
, they left partway through their set after telling the attendance to calm down and observe the safety rules against moshing
. After the refusal of the crowd, frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala told them "You're a robot, you're a sheep!" and bleated at them several times before the band left the stage after performing only three songs. "I think it's a very, very sad day when the only way you can express yourself is through slam-dancing," he proclaimed. The following month, At the Drive-In canceled the last five dates of its European tour, citing "complete mental and physical exhaustion" of the members.
In March 2001—less than a month away from a U.S. tour set to commence on April 14—at the peak of their popularity and following a world tour, At the Drive-In broke up, initially referring to the split as an "indefinite hiatus." The band played their last show at Groningen's Vera venue on February 21, 2001. A combination of excessive hype, relentless touring, artistic differences, and Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala's drug habits contributed to the demise of the band. Commenting on the hiatus, guitarist Rodriguez said: "After a non-stop six-year cycle of record/tour/record/tour, we are going on an indefinite hiatus. We need time to rest up and re-evaluate, just to be human beings again and to decide when we feel like playing music again."
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
took responsibility for the breakup, saying repeatedly in interviews that he felt almost as if At the Drive-In was holding him back and that he didn't want his music to be confined to punk
or hardcore
— that it should encompass many genres and be even more progressive
, alternative
, and "against-the-grain." Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez had stated that they wanted their next album to sound like Pink Floyd
's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
, while the other members were intent on progressing in a more alternative rock
direction.
Following the break-up of At the Drive-In, Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez started The Mars Volta
. This project was a departure from their previous work, as it pursued the progressive rock
sound that they had been interested in. Meanwhile, the other members — Jim Ward, Paul Hinojos, and Tony Hajjar — started the more traditional band Sparta
. Hinojos would then leave Sparta and to join Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López in The Mars Volta from 2005 to 2009.
In direct, response to Bixler-Zavala's Drowned in Sound comments, guitarist Jim Ward quickly threw water on the rumors of a reunion by telling Buzzgrinder, "I don’t think that I’ll be answering any questions or doing any interviews anymore, thank you very much. I haven’t got much to say about anything except with songs which I will continue to make and release — cheers… -jimward."
Regarding the relationship between the band members, Omar Rodríguez-López
stated to The Skinny in July 2009 that:
In an interview with NME
in March 2011, when "asked about continuing rumours that he would reunite with his former bandmates in At The Drive-In, Rodríguez-López said that there were no plans afoot. He did add 'never say never' about a possible reunion, though."
acts of the late 90s and early 00s. Some of the group's influences include bands such as Indian Summer, Swing Kids
, Fugazi, Sunny Day Real Estate
(referred by Ward as "Fugazi beyond Fugazi"), Bad Brains
, and the Gravity Records
-led post-hardcore sound of the 90s that featured acts such as Antioch Arrow
and Heroin
. The band also performed cover versions of songs such as "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" by The Smiths
and "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
" by Pink Floyd
, both included in the 2004 compilation This Station Is Non-Operational
. Their name was taken from the fact that Bad Brains took their name from the Ramones
' song "Bad Brain" (from Road to Ruin
), and Bixler liked the Bad Brains' song title "At the Movies" (track featured in Rock for Light
); while Ward liked "at the drive-in" (lyric found in Poison
's "Talk Dirty to Me
"), and his suggestion would eventually won out.
Though In/Casino/Out was recorded live, "Relationship of Command may very well be the first record to harness the chaotic balance of adrenaline and intellect of ATDI's live performance." "Ross was instrumental in bringing out a lot of feeling from us," Bixler recalls. "We channeled a lot of emotion into this record. He pushed us farther than we thought we could go. I learned to cut loose the way we do live and not to be afraid to break something or whatever." While capturing the essence of At the Drive-In's live shows in a way never before seen, the record also featured some of the bands most experimental songs, including "Rolodex Propaganda
", "Non-Zero Possibility," and "Invalid Litter Dept.
"
Relationship of Command is now seen as one of the most influential rock albums of the decade, receiving accolades such as being ranked 47th in the 50 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century in Kerrang!
, number 83 on Spin Magazine's 100 Greatest Albums 1985 - 2005, as well as number 90 on MTV2
's greatest albums ever list. BBC
's Mike Diver
stated that the success and eventual "landmark status" of the album helped post-hardcore position itself as a "vital commercial force", adding that Relationship of Command "is the high against which every post-hardcore record since 2000 has been measured against."
Drummers
Bassists
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, considered part of the post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
genre and active from 1993 to 2001. They were known for their extremely energetic stage shows which hearkened back to the 1980s hardcore scene. They were also recognized for their blend of surrealistic lyrics, unorthodox guitar melodies and unpredictable shifts in tempo and rhythm.
Early years (1993–1997)
At the Drive-In was founded in 1993 by guitarist Jim WardJim Ward (musician)
James David Ward is an American musician. A self-taught guitarist and pianist, he was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the band Sparta; he was also the co-founder of the seminal post-hardcore band At the Drive-In.-At the Drive-In:While in At the Drive-In, Ward played rhythm guitar and...
and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American musician known for his work as frontman and lyricist of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta, and previously as frontman and occasional guitarist of the post-hardcore punk group At the Drive-In...
(then credited simply as Cedric Bixler). The newly formed band played its first live show on October 15, 1994 at the Loretto High School
Loretto Academy (El Paso, Texas)
Loretto Academy is a private Roman Catholic school in El Paso, Texas. It is a part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso alongside Cathedral High School and Father Yermo. Grades K-5 are coeducational, while grades 6-12 are all girls.-Background:...
Fair in El Paso, Texas. Not long after, At the Drive-In released its first studio recording entitled Hell Paso
Hell Paso
Hell Paso is the first EP released by the band At the Drive-In."In November of 1994, using Ward's college savings, the band released their first seven-inch single, 'Hell Paso', on their own Western Breed Records." The title is play on words of the band's hometown, El Paso.The track title "Grand...
, a 7-inch EP issued in November 1994
1994 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....
. Following Hell Paso’s release, the band members embarked on their first tour – a 2,000-mile trek across the state of Texas. After a drummer change, At the Drive-In released its second EP ¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo! in June 1995
1995 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- January–February :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....
. The band then set out on another tour, this one in a newly purchased 1981 Ford Econoline
Ford E-Series
The Ford E-Series, formerly known as the Econoline or Club Wagon, is a line of full-size vans and truck chassis from the Ford Motor Company. The E-Series is related to the Ford F-Series line of pickup trucks. The line was introduced in 1961 as a compact van and its descendants are still produced...
and spanning 42 days and 10,000 miles across the United States. During these tours, At the Drive-In began developing a large underground following by mostly playing in basements and small venues across the western United States, with their popularity spread by word of mouth
Word of mouth
Word of mouth, or viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Oral tradition is cultural material and...
among fans. One such show that changed the course of history for the band was in a now defunct bar in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where the band put on an explosive performance for just nine people – some of them employees of the Flipside
Flipside (fanzine)
Flipside was a punk rock fanzine published in Los Angeles, California from 1977 to 2000.As one of the first and longest running US punk rock fanzines, this publication extensively chronicled the world of independent and underground music during this era. Known for its highly opinionated cast of...
record label. The staffers were so enthralled by the show that they offered to put out At the Drive-In’s record then and there. Accepting the offer, the band first headed out on another 21-day tour of the Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
before ending in Los Angeles again where they recorded their debut full-length album titled Acrobatic Tenement
Acrobatic Tenement
Acrobatic Tenement is the debut album from At the Drive-In, released in 1996. Only one of the album's tracks made it to the 2005 compilation album This Station Is Non-Operational, with "Initiation" appearing as a live BBC recording...
for $600.
Following the recording of Acrobatic Tenement in July 1996, the final line-up of At the Drive-In fell into place with the addition of Tony Hajjar
Tony Hajjar
Tony Hajjar is a Lebanese American drummer, best known for playing in At the Drive-In and Sparta.-Biography:...
and Paul Hinojos
Paul Hinojos
Pablo J. Hinojos-Gonzalez is a Grammy award winning musician, and former member of The Mars Volta, Sparta and At The Drive In. Sometimes credited under the name Paul Hinojos, he was the bass guitarist of At the Drive-In...
and with Omar Rodríguez-López
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, writer, actor and film director who was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico...
transitioning from bass to guitar. The album hit stores August 18, 1996
1996 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...
, and with its release the band commenced another U.S. tour the following year spanning 100 days (February to June 1997) and 24,000 miles. This tour included shows with hundreds of other bands such as Screw 32
Screw 32
Screw 32 was a Berkeley/East Bay area US punk rock band.Their name has many supposed origins, the most popular states that it is derived from an anti-skateboarding measure on the ballots in Concord, California. They were noted for self-publicity. For example, they ordered stickers by the thousands...
, J Church
J Church (band)
J Church was an American punk rock band formed by guitarist and vocalist Lance Hahn and bassist Gardner Maxam in 1992 in San Francisco, California after the demise of Hahn and Maxam's former band, Cringer...
, AFI
AFI (band)
AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
, Still Life
Still Life (US band)
- History :Still Life was a 3-piece rock band from Moorpark, California. They are credited for helping pioneer the first wave of what is often referred to as emo/emocore /screamo bands in this subgenre that is rooted in punk rock. They started in the late 80s with the name Monster Club...
, Mustard Plug
Mustard Plug
Mustard Plug is a ska punk band from Grand Rapids, Michigan.Formed in 1991, the band's original members were Dave Kirchgessner, Mike McKendrick, Colin Clive, and Anthony Vilchez. Currently the band consists of Dave , Brandon Jenison , Jim Hofer , Nate Cohn , Colin Clive , and Rick Johnson...
, Face to Face
Face to Face (punk band)
Face to Face is an American pop punk band from Victorville, California formed in 1991 by frontman Trever Keith. Originally known as "Zero Tolerance", Keith had been the only constant member of the band during their years of touring and recording albums. The group was initially signed by Dr. Strange...
, and Cosmic Psychos
Cosmic Psychos
The Cosmic Psychos are a punk rock band based in Melbourne and rural Victoria in Australia. An underground band that has only ever achieved limited recognition.-Description:...
. At the Drive-In’s fan base began to swell with every show it performed. Following this tour, the band members took a month vacation (Jim Ward remained on vacation until the recording of In/Casino/Out
In/Casino/Out
In/Casino/Out is the second full-length LP by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released in 1998. It was recorded as a live studio album, with the intention of better capturing the energy and sound of their live shows....
) before rehearsing for their next record and subsequent tour. At the Drive-In’s third EP titled El Gran Orgo
El Gran Orgo
El Gran Orgo is the third EP by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In. It was recorded and released in 1997 without the presence of Jim Ward, whose guitar duties were filled by Ben Rodriguez and Omar Rodríguez-López, who had previously played bass on Acrobatic Tenement.The Title "El Gran...
was released on September 18, 1997
1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
, and “showed a more melodic side of the band, but the musical depth and heartfelt emotion was never more apparent.” Two days after its release, the band was in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
playing a show with Welt
Welt
A welt is an alternative name for a wheal, a skin lesion. Welt may also refer to:* Die Welt, a German national newspaper* Welt , a part of a shoe* Welt , an album by ohGr* Welt, Germany...
to kick off its next 35-day, 11,000-mile tour that also included six dates with Karp
Karp (band)
Karp was a post-hardcore band from Tumwater, Washington, that formed in 1990 and lasted until 1998. The band was formed by Chris Smith aka Chris "Slayer", Jared Warren, and Scott Jernigan. They released three full length albums entitled Mustaches Wild, Suplex, and Self Titled LP. Karp was a...
and the Young Pioneers
(Young) Pioneers
Pioneers was an influential American folk punk band from Richmond, Virginia, active from 1993–1999.-History:...
, and one-offs with Guttermouth
Guttermouth
Guttermouth is an American punk rock band formed in 1988 in Huntington Beach, California and currently recording for Hopeless Records. They have released nine full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
, The Criminals
The Criminals
The Criminals were a punk rock band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1994. The lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jesse Luscious and bassist Mike Sexxx throughout the bands' existence...
, Piss Drunks, and the Humpers
Humpers
The Humpers were a garage punk band formed in 1989 led by Scott "Deluxe" Drake, formerly of The Suicide Kings. Despite being based out of Long Beach, California, they first won acclaim in Yugoslavia, where their debut EP, My Machine , was released...
. At the Drive-In’s popularity at this point was undeniable, with headlining shows in the Midwest drawing between 100 and 350 fans.
In/Casino/Out and Vaya (1998-2000)
When the time came for At the Drive-In’s next recording, FlipsideFlipside
Flipside, flip side, or flipsyde may refer to:* The B-side of a gramophone record.* An opposite, reverse, or sharply contrasted side or aspect of something or someone.-Print:...
quit producing records and Offtime was financially unable to, "so the band literally approached almost every indie label they could think of." When hope was almost lost and the possibility of another record seemed dim, Bob and Michelle Becker of Fearless Records
Fearless Records
Fearless Records is an alternative rock-oriented record label that has been signing artists since 1994. Fearless is based in Westminster, California and are best known for their early pop-punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by...
saw At the Drive-In open for Supernova
Supernova (band)
Supernova is an American pop punk band formed in Costa Mesa, California in 1989. The band has released three full-length albums, numerous singles and EPs and were part of the original 1995 Vans Warped Tour line-up...
at a bar named Club Mesa. Despite Fearless’s history of producing mainly pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
bands, the band members "felt very comfortable with Bob and Michelle on a personal level" and a deal was signed. Consequently, At the Drive-In began recording its second full-length album titled In/Casino/Out
In/Casino/Out
In/Casino/Out is the second full-length LP by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released in 1998. It was recorded as a live studio album, with the intention of better capturing the energy and sound of their live shows....
on June 3, 1998. With producer and mixer Alex Newport
Alex Newport
Alex Newport is a Grammy-nominated record producer, mixer and engineer, based in New York City.Newport was born in Wolverhampton, UK, in 1970 and grew up in the Midlands area....
, the band spent four days recording at Doug Messenger's, in North Hollywood, and an additional two days mixing the album at Paramount, in Hollywood. This album marked a notable maturation in At the Drive-In’s sound and is special in that it was recorded live with just a small amount of overdubs. In/Casino/Out was chosen to be recorded live because, according to some sources, At the Drive-In struggled to capture the intensity and emotion of its live shows in the recording studio.
In/Casino/Out was released on August 18, 1998
1998 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...
, although the band toured almost non-stop from July until December, playing shows with bands like Knapsack
Knapsack (band)
Knapsack was formed in 1993 by Blair Shehan and Colby Mancasola . Shehan and Mancasola were two high school friends studying at the University of California, Davis. Guitarist Jason Bokros and bassist Rod Meyer completed the lineup....
and The Murder City Devils. At the Drive-In took a couple month break until March, 1999, at which point they kicked off another tour with a two week stint with Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
in the U.S. until they headed to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for a six week European tour spanning eleven countries. Upon returning to the U.S., At the Drive-In played a handful of shows before returning to the studio to record their fourth EP entitled Vaya
Vaya
Vaya is the fourth EP by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released in 1999. The sound of the album bridges the musical gap between In/Casino/Out and their following album, Relationship of Command....
, which was released on July 13, 1999
1999 in music
-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
. Without missing a beat, the band kicked off another tour on July 28 in Austin, TX with Universal Recovered, another band from El Paso. This tour included shows with bands like The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids are an American alternative rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-90's emo scene, otherwise known as the "second wave" of emo music...
and Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
. Later, in April 2000
2000 in music
See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
, At the Drive-In released a split EP with Sunshine. The five song EP only contained two tracks by At the Drive-In.
Relationship of Command (2000-2001)
Recording for At the Drive-In’s third and final full-length album Relationship of CommandRelationship of Command
Relationship of Command is the third and final studio album by the post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, and was released in September 2000. The band reached mainstream success through the album, if only for a short time before their indefinite break-up....
began on January 17, 2000. The recording took place at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California with producer Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
(and mixer Andy Wallace
Andy Wallace (producer)
Andy Wallace is a Grammy Award-winning music studio engineer with a long track record of successful productions, beginning with the 1986 production of the Run-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration on "Walk This Way" with Rick Rubin...
), who the band had met in an earlier tour and who had "convinced the boys that he was the guy who could get every ounce of them onto tape." Relationship of Command was recorded over a seven week period and featured Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
with minor parts in a couple of the album’s songs. It was released September 12, 2000
2000 in music
See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
to critical acclaim, and catapulted At the Drive-In into the mainstream musical spotlight.
In addition to touring worldwide in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. following the release of Relationship of Command, At The Drive-In also performed on several television shows. The band's first nationally televised performance was on Farmclub
Farmclub
- Track listing :# Alley Life - "Thats the Way we Roll"# Eminem - "The Real Slim Shady" # DMX - "Party Up" # Nelly - "Country Grammar " # Ja Rule - "Between Me and You" # Powerman 5000 - "Nobody's Real" # Mýa - "Case of the Ex"...
, a now defunct television show which aired late at night on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
. After that performance, they also appeared on Later with Jools Holland
Later with Jools Holland
Later... with Jools Holland is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jools Holland. A spin-off of The Late Show, it has been running in short series since 1992 and is a part of BBC Two's late-night line-up, usually at around 11pm to 12 midnight...
, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
and The Late Show with David Letterman. Additionally, their minor hit radio single "One Armed Scissor
One Armed Scissor
"One Armed Scissor" is a song by At the Drive-In. It was the first single from their album Relationship of Command, and was the first At the Drive-In song to be played regularly on a number of radio stations...
" had circulation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and significantly contributed to the band's popularity.
Breakup
On November 12, 2000, At the Drive-In was involved in a motor vehicle accident when their touring van skidded out of control on ice and flipped onto its roof. Though the accident left the band shaken and traumatized for the rest of its career, none of the members sustained serious injury — Tony and Cedric were taken to the hospital for minor injuries and released. In January 2001, At the Drive-In traveled to AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
music festival. While performing in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, they left partway through their set after telling the attendance to calm down and observe the safety rules against moshing
Moshing
Moshing is a dance in which participants push or slam into each other. They also flail their limbs to breakdowns of hardcore punk and its sub-genres. It is most associated with aggressive music genres, such as hardcore punk and heavy metal...
. After the refusal of the crowd, frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala told them "You're a robot, you're a sheep!" and bleated at them several times before the band left the stage after performing only three songs. "I think it's a very, very sad day when the only way you can express yourself is through slam-dancing," he proclaimed. The following month, At the Drive-In canceled the last five dates of its European tour, citing "complete mental and physical exhaustion" of the members.
In March 2001—less than a month away from a U.S. tour set to commence on April 14—at the peak of their popularity and following a world tour, At the Drive-In broke up, initially referring to the split as an "indefinite hiatus." The band played their last show at Groningen's Vera venue on February 21, 2001. A combination of excessive hype, relentless touring, artistic differences, and Rodriguez-Lopez and Bixler-Zavala's drug habits contributed to the demise of the band. Commenting on the hiatus, guitarist Rodriguez said: "After a non-stop six-year cycle of record/tour/record/tour, we are going on an indefinite hiatus. We need time to rest up and re-evaluate, just to be human beings again and to decide when we feel like playing music again."
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Cedric Bixler-Zavala is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American musician known for his work as frontman and lyricist of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta, and previously as frontman and occasional guitarist of the post-hardcore punk group At the Drive-In...
took responsibility for the breakup, saying repeatedly in interviews that he felt almost as if At the Drive-In was holding him back and that he didn't want his music to be confined to punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
or hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
— that it should encompass many genres and be even more progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, and "against-the-grain." Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez had stated that they wanted their next album to sound like Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is the debut album by the English rock group Pink Floyd, and the only one made under founding member Syd Barrett's leadership. The album contains whimsical lyrics about space, scarecrows, gnomes, bicycles and fairy tales, along with psychedelic instrumental songs...
, while the other members were intent on progressing in a more alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
direction.
Following the break-up of At the Drive-In, Bixler-Zavala and Rodriguez-Lopez started The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
. This project was a departure from their previous work, as it pursued the progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
sound that they had been interested in. Meanwhile, the other members — Jim Ward, Paul Hinojos, and Tony Hajjar — started the more traditional band Sparta
Sparta (band)
Sparta is an American band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. Founding members Jim Ward and Tony Hajjar are former members of post-hardcore group At the Drive-In...
. Hinojos would then leave Sparta and to join Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López in The Mars Volta from 2005 to 2009.
Possible reunion
During an interview with Drowned in Sound in June 2009, Bixler-Zavala stated that he has been in discussions with the band's former members and suggested that they could get back together after they sort their financial business out. He added, "I wouldn't mind it. It might happen, we just have to iron out a lot of personal things. A lot of it we've dealt with already and I've apologized for a lot of things I've said and the way it ended... we'll see what happens."In direct, response to Bixler-Zavala's Drowned in Sound comments, guitarist Jim Ward quickly threw water on the rumors of a reunion by telling Buzzgrinder, "I don’t think that I’ll be answering any questions or doing any interviews anymore, thank you very much. I haven’t got much to say about anything except with songs which I will continue to make and release — cheers… -jimward."
Regarding the relationship between the band members, Omar Rodríguez-López
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, writer, actor and film director who was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico...
stated to The Skinny in July 2009 that:
The fact of the matter is that we’re in our thirties now and that breakup happened ten years ago. As a human being you just don’t want that kind of karma. We did a lot of shit talking, and they did a lot of shit talking, so I just called everybody up and invited them to my house and said ‘hey, listen, we’re in our thirties now, I’m sorry for whatever I said, I’m sure you guys didn’t mean what you said–you guys were upset because I split up the band and we were upset because of whatever. Let’s be friends again. But do I want to reunite and play fucking 15 year old songs? Well, it would be like asking you, ‘do you want to get back together with your first girlfriend?’ You learn some amazing things together, but I just shudder at the thought. We were a band that went out on top, which is good, but it’s just a coincidence. We were also a band that had been together for seven years, and for six of those years played to nobody and had a great time but were also on the verge of splitting up many times before that. It’s an old relationship. People would like to think of it as unfinished business because to them we went out when we were most popular, but that has nothing to do with the creative element. As far as the creative element went, it very much was finished business. That’s why I ended the band! Now, thank god, fucking ten years later, we’re not holding a grudge and we’re all cool with it. People pick up on the difference of attitude and think ‘oh, this could mean a possible reunion’, but that’s just them projecting their own desires upon us.
In an interview with NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
in March 2011, when "asked about continuing rumours that he would reunite with his former bandmates in At The Drive-In, Rodríguez-López said that there were no plans afoot. He did add 'never say never' about a possible reunion, though."
Musical style, influences and legacy
The band is considered as one of the most influential post-hardcorePost-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
acts of the late 90s and early 00s. Some of the group's influences include bands such as Indian Summer, Swing Kids
Swing Kids (band)
Swing Kids were a hardcore band from San Diego California during the mid 1990s. They were closely involved with and influenced by the forerunners of the San Diego hardcore punk scene of the 1990s....
, Fugazi, Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
(referred by Ward as "Fugazi beyond Fugazi"), Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
, and the Gravity Records
Gravity Records
Gravity Records is an underground independent record label from San Diego. It was formed in 1991 by Matt Anderson, a member of the influential underground band Heroin. It has been central in developing and promoting the "San Diego sound" - an idiosyncratic form of post-hardcore with loose, chaotic...
-led post-hardcore sound of the 90s that featured acts such as Antioch Arrow
Antioch Arrow
Antioch Arrow, from San Diego, California, was on the seminal post-hardcore label Gravity Records, responsible for putting San Diego on the map in the mid-90's as one of the centers of the movement....
and Heroin
Heroin (band)
Heroin was a short-lived but influential underground post-hardcore band, originating in San Diego in 1989.-History:Heroin was a forerunner of the screamo subgenre of hardcore punk. They were noted for the psychological intensity of their songs, which tended to be very short and include...
. The band also performed cover versions of songs such as "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" by The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
and "Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
"Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" is a song by British psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd, and appears on their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn .-Information:...
" by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, both included in the 2004 compilation This Station Is Non-Operational
This Station Is Non-Operational
This Station Is Non-Operational is a compilation album by the El Paso, Texas-based post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released May 24, 2005 by Fearless Records, four years after the band went on indefinite hiatus...
. Their name was taken from the fact that Bad Brains took their name from the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
' song "Bad Brain" (from Road to Ruin
Road to Ruin (Ramones album)
Road to Ruin is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band The Ramones. It was released on September 22, 1978 through Sire Records...
), and Bixler liked the Bad Brains' song title "At the Movies" (track featured in Rock for Light
Rock For Light
Rock for Light is the second official full-length album by hardcore punk pioneers Bad Brains. It was produced by Ric Ocasek of The Cars. The 1991 re-issue was remixed by Ocasek and bass player Darryl Jenifer...
); while Ward liked "at the drive-in" (lyric found in Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
's "Talk Dirty to Me
Talk Dirty to Me
"Talk Dirty to Me" is the second single from Poison, originally from the album Look What the Cat Dragged In. It was the band's first big international hit.It is a staple on their live shows and was named by VH1 40th greatest hard rock song of all time...
"), and his suggestion would eventually won out.
Though In/Casino/Out was recorded live, "Relationship of Command may very well be the first record to harness the chaotic balance of adrenaline and intellect of ATDI's live performance." "Ross was instrumental in bringing out a lot of feeling from us," Bixler recalls. "We channeled a lot of emotion into this record. He pushed us farther than we thought we could go. I learned to cut loose the way we do live and not to be afraid to break something or whatever." While capturing the essence of At the Drive-In's live shows in a way never before seen, the record also featured some of the bands most experimental songs, including "Rolodex Propaganda
Rolodex Propaganda
"Rolodex Propaganda" is a song by At the Drive-In, released in 2000 as the second single from their 3rd and final studio album, Relationship of Command.The track also featured Iggy Pop as a guest on backing vocals.-Track listing:...
", "Non-Zero Possibility," and "Invalid Litter Dept.
Invalid Litter Dept.
"Invalid Litter Dept." was the third single released from At the Drive-In's album Relationship of Command. The CD release in March 2001 came in a variety of international formats, including the standard two CDs in the United Kingdom...
"
Relationship of Command is now seen as one of the most influential rock albums of the decade, receiving accolades such as being ranked 47th in the 50 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century in Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
, number 83 on Spin Magazine's 100 Greatest Albums 1985 - 2005, as well as number 90 on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
's greatest albums ever list. BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Mike Diver
Mike Diver
Mike Diver is a British music journalist. He started his career at music website Drowned in Sound, where he became editor, before moving on in 2008 to become editor of Clash magazine's website. He has contributed to several magazines including NME and Rock Sound.Diver is currently album reviews...
stated that the success and eventual "landmark status" of the album helped post-hardcore position itself as a "vital commercial force", adding that Relationship of Command "is the high against which every post-hardcore record since 2000 has been measured against."
Final lineup
- Cedric Bixler-ZavalaCedric Bixler-ZavalaCedric Bixler-Zavala is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American musician known for his work as frontman and lyricist of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta, and previously as frontman and occasional guitarist of the post-hardcore punk group At the Drive-In...
– vocals, occasional guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, melodicaMelodicaThe melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
(1993–2001) (currently in The Mars VoltaThe Mars VoltaThe Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
) - Jim WardJim Ward (musician)James David Ward is an American musician. A self-taught guitarist and pianist, he was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the band Sparta; he was also the co-founder of the seminal post-hardcore band At the Drive-In.-At the Drive-In:While in At the Drive-In, Ward played rhythm guitar and...
– leadLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
(1993–2001) (currently in SpartaSpartaSparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
) - Omar Rodríguez-LópezOmar Rodriguez-LopezOmar Alfredo Rodríguez-López is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, writer, actor and film director who was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico...
– rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on Acrobatic Tenement (1996–2001) (currently in The Mars VoltaThe Mars VoltaThe Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
) - Paul HinojosPaul HinojosPablo J. Hinojos-Gonzalez is a Grammy award winning musician, and former member of The Mars Volta, Sparta and At The Drive In. Sometimes credited under the name Paul Hinojos, he was the bass guitarist of At the Drive-In...
– bass guitar (1997–2001) (currently in Dios Kilos) - Tony HajjarTony HajjarTony Hajjar is a Lebanese American drummer, best known for playing in At the Drive-In and Sparta.-Biography:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(1997–2001) (currently in SpartaSparta (band)Sparta is an American band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. Founding members Jim Ward and Tony Hajjar are former members of post-hardcore group At the Drive-In...
)
Former
Guitarists- Jarrett Wrenn – guitar on Hell Paso (1994) and Alfaro Vive, Carajo! (1995) (current member of Crime in ChoirCrime in ChoirSan Francisco quintet Crime In Choir are an instrumental progressive rock band, comparable to Faust, Goblin, Magma, Soft Machine, etc. Founded in 2000, Crime In Choir released their previous full-length releases on Frenetic Records and Omnibus , respectively...
) - Adam Amparan – guitar on Acrobatic Tenement (1996)
- Ben Rodriguez – guitar on El Gran Orgo (1997)
Drummers
- Bernie Rincon – drums on Hell Paso (1994)
- Davy Simmons – drums on Alfaro Vive, Carajo! (1995) (current member of Fires in Roam)
- Ryan Sawyer – drums on Acrobatic Tenement (1996) (current member of Eye Contact, Stars Like FleasStars Like FleasStars Like Fleas is a Brooklyn-based band formed by multi-instrumentalist Shannon Fields and vocalist Montgomery Knott in the winter of 1998. Frequently compared to later Talk Talk and Robert Wyatt, their music blends avant-jazz and free improvisation with electronic textures and several...
, Tall FirsTall FirsTall Firs are a New York City based underground electric folk rock band, originally formed in 1990 by Dave Mies and Aaron Mullan in Annapolis, Maryland...
, and Lone Wolf)
Bassists
- Kenny Hopper – bass guitar on Hell Paso (1994) and Alfaro Vive, Carajo! (1995) (current member of Crime in ChoirCrime in ChoirSan Francisco quintet Crime In Choir are an instrumental progressive rock band, comparable to Faust, Goblin, Magma, Soft Machine, etc. Founded in 2000, Crime In Choir released their previous full-length releases on Frenetic Records and Omnibus , respectively...
)
Discography
Studio albums- Acrobatic TenementAcrobatic TenementAcrobatic Tenement is the debut album from At the Drive-In, released in 1996. Only one of the album's tracks made it to the 2005 compilation album This Station Is Non-Operational, with "Initiation" appearing as a live BBC recording...
(1996) - In/Casino/OutIn/Casino/OutIn/Casino/Out is the second full-length LP by American post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, released in 1998. It was recorded as a live studio album, with the intention of better capturing the energy and sound of their live shows....
(1998) - Relationship of CommandRelationship of CommandRelationship of Command is the third and final studio album by the post-hardcore band At the Drive-In, and was released in September 2000. The band reached mainstream success through the album, if only for a short time before their indefinite break-up....
(2000)
See also
- De FactoDe Facto (band)De Facto was a dub reggae band which included Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Omar Rodríguez-López, Isaiah "Ikey" Owens and Jeremy Michael Ward.- Biography :...
- El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez LopezEl Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez LopezEl Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez is a band consisting of Omar Rodriguez Lopez , Cedric Bixler-Zavala , Juan Alderete de la Peña , Jonathan Hischke and Zach Hill .-History:...
- The Mars VoltaThe Mars VoltaThe Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
- Omar Rodríguez-LópezOmar Rodriguez-LopezOmar Alfredo Rodríguez-López is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, writer, actor and film director who was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico...
- Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group
- SpartaSparta (band)Sparta is an American band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. Founding members Jim Ward and Tony Hajjar are former members of post-hardcore group At the Drive-In...
External links
- At the Drive-In at Fearless Records
- [ At the Drive-In] at Allmusic