The Go Team
Encyclopedia
The Go Team was a 1980s band from Olympia, Washington
, consisting of Tobi Vail
and Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening
.
The Go Team released several cassettes
and 9 single
s on the independent label K Records
. The records were often collaborations with other musicians and the musical style varied from single to single. Kurt Cobain
of Nirvana
, Billy Karren
, The Legend!, Dave Nichols of The Cannanes
, Donna Dresch
of Team Dresch
, Lois Maffeo
, Rich Jensen, and Jeffery Kennedy were some of the artists the duo worked with. Billy "Boredom" Karren
was one of the rotating musicians who played with The Go Team, and it was in this band that he and Vail played together for the first time, later collaborating in several other bands like Bikini Kill, The Frumpies, the upallnighters, and Spray Painted Love. They toured the West Coast as a two piece, adding Billy Karren for two U.S. tours.
Tobi Vail went on to form Bikini Kill
with Kathleen Hanna
, Kathi Wilcox
and occasional Go Team member, Billy Karren. Presently, she plays with the band Spider and the Webs. Calvin Johnson currently records as a solo artist and with The Hive Dwellers, and continues to operate K records.
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, consisting of Tobi Vail
Tobi Vail
Tobi Vail is an independent musician, DIY zinester, and feminist activist from Olympia, Washington, noted primarily as the drummer of the defunct punk band Bikini Kill. She formed one of her first bands as the drummer for The Go Team when she was 15, later collaborating in several other groups...
and Calvin Johnson of Beat Happening
Beat Happening
Beat Happening is an American punk band formed in Olympia, Washington in 1982. Calvin Johnson, Heather Lewis and Bret Lunsford have been the band's continual members...
.
Career
The Go Team was founded in 1985. As Vail described:The Go Team released several cassettes
Cassette culture
Cassette culture, or the cassette underground , refers to the practices surrounding amateur production and distribution of recorded music that emerged in the late 1970s via home-made audio cassettes...
and 9 single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s on the independent label K Records
K Records
K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and presently in the bands Dub Narcotic Sound System and The Hive Dwellers...
. The records were often collaborations with other musicians and the musical style varied from single to single. Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
of Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Billy Karren
Billy Karren
Billy Karren is an American musician and feminist most commonly known as the lead guitarist of the influential punk band Bikini Kill. He was also active in many other music projects in the Olympia music scene including: The Go Team, The Frumpies, Corrections, and Spray Painted Love.He was not often...
, The Legend!, Dave Nichols of The Cannanes
The Cannanes
The Cannanes are a longstanding Australian indie pop band formed in Sydney in late 1984.-History:The original line-up of the band was Stephen O'Neil , Annabel Bleach , Michelle Cannane , Frances Gibson , and David Nichols...
, Donna Dresch
Donna Dresch
Donna Dresch is an American punk rock musician, perhaps best known as founder, guitarist and bass guitarist of Team Dresch and the Queen of Grunge....
of Team Dresch
Team Dresch
Team Dresch is an American punk band from Portland, Oregon, originally formed in Olympia, Washington, which was initially active from 1993 until 1998. The band made a significant impression on the do-it-yourself movement queercore, which gave voice through zines and music to the passions and...
, Lois Maffeo
Lois Maffeo
Courtney Love is an American musician and writer who lives in Olympia, Washington. Although never achieving mainstream success, she has been closely involved with and influenced many independent musicians, especially in the 90s Olympia, Seattle and DC based musician.-as Lois Maffeo:albums*The...
, Rich Jensen, and Jeffery Kennedy were some of the artists the duo worked with. Billy "Boredom" Karren
Billy Karren
Billy Karren is an American musician and feminist most commonly known as the lead guitarist of the influential punk band Bikini Kill. He was also active in many other music projects in the Olympia music scene including: The Go Team, The Frumpies, Corrections, and Spray Painted Love.He was not often...
was one of the rotating musicians who played with The Go Team, and it was in this band that he and Vail played together for the first time, later collaborating in several other bands like Bikini Kill, The Frumpies, the upallnighters, and Spray Painted Love. They toured the West Coast as a two piece, adding Billy Karren for two U.S. tours.
Tobi Vail went on to form Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill was an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington in October 1990. The group consisted of vocalist and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band is widely considered to be the pioneer of the riot grrrl movement,...
with Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna is an American musician, feminist activist, and punk zine writer. In the early- to mid-1990s she was the lead singer and songwriter of Bikini Kill, before fronting Le Tigre in the late 1990s and early 2000s...
, Kathi Wilcox
Kathi Wilcox
Kathi Wilcox is an American musician. Currently the bass player in The Julie Ruin, she has previously been in bands such as Bikini Kill, The Casual Dots and The Frumpies.- Music :...
and occasional Go Team member, Billy Karren. Presently, she plays with the band Spider and the Webs. Calvin Johnson currently records as a solo artist and with The Hive Dwellers, and continues to operate K records.
Singles
- "Sand/Jigsaw" (January 1989)
- "Outside/Stay Ready" (February 1989) with Billy KarrenBilly KarrenBilly Karren is an American musician and feminist most commonly known as the lead guitarist of the influential punk band Bikini Kill. He was also active in many other music projects in the Olympia music scene including: The Go Team, The Frumpies, Corrections, and Spray Painted Love.He was not often...
, Louise Olsen, Dave Nichols - "Breakfast In Bed/Safe Little Circles" (March 1989) with The Legend!
- "Milquetoast Brigade/She Was Sad" (April 1989) with Jeffery Kennedy
- "Ribeye/935 Patterson" (May 1989)
- "Go Team Call/Three Ways To Sunday" (June 1989) with Quang H., Billy Karren, Brad Clemmons
- "Scratch It Out/Bikini Twilight" (July 1989) with Tamra Ohrmund, Louise Olsen, Donna DreschDonna DreschDonna Dresch is an American punk rock musician, perhaps best known as founder, guitarist and bass guitarist of Team Dresch and the Queen of Grunge....
, Kurt CobainKurt CobainKurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana... - "Tummy Hop/Maverick Summer" (August 1989) with Brad Clemmons
- "The Pines Of Rome" (September 1989) with Brad Clemmons
Cassettes
- Recorded Live At The Washington Center For The Performing Arts
- Your Pretty Guitar with Steve Peters
- Archer Come Sparrow
- Donna Parker Pop