Crimpshrine's origins are traced back to S.A.G. S.A.G. was formed in Berkeley, CA during the summer of 1982 by Jesse Michaels (of later Operation Ivy fame) (just 12 at the time) and Aaron Cometbus. The band mostly did just tape dubs with Jesse and Aaron trading off on instruments. It wasn't a functioning band until 1983 when Jeff Ott (at 12 years old) was brought in. Jeff played drums (even though they only had one drum). Jesse only sung, and Aaron played a guitar with only 3 strings. Later, they had changed their name to Revolution Through Apathy. S.A.G. had split up in early 1984. There were some rumors that Jesse was kicked out for smoking too much pot, so Jesse went one way and Aaron and Jeff went another. Jesse was Crimpshrine's original vocalist until he was not in the band. However, years later he came back and did some live backup vocals with Crimpshrine. There may be some tape dubs floating around, but other than that, the only released material that can be found by S.A.G. was one song- "I Had To Kill Some Ants Today" on Aaron Cometbus's "Lest We Forget" compilation. It was released in 1991 on tape by BBT Tapes. Other than that song, no other songs are known to be released by S.A.G. However, some S.A.G. lyrics were used in Operation Ivy in the end of Plea for Peace and some other songs such as Steppin' out.
After S.A.G.'s breakup, Aaron and Jeff switched off on instruments. Sometimes Aaron would play guitar and Jeff would play the synthesizer or piano or they would both play guitar. Eventually, Isaac (unsure of his last name) joined the band, first on violin, and then synthesizer. Lint from Operation Ivy played bass for a little while. This was the start of Crimpshrine. Finally, Crimpshrine became Jeff on guitar and Aaron playing drums and percussion. The only song used from those early Crimpshrine days on their later recordings was Tomorrow, which was originally an instrumental but eventually had words. In late 1984, Aaron was able to get a real drum set, and it was decided that Jeff would sing. The original plan was to have a female vocalist but that never happened. After going through 6 bassists (Ron, Chalky, Lint, and later Dave Ed, Spider, Suzie, David, Chris, Ben Weasel, and John J.) and one and a half years of confusion, Crimpshrine played their first show. However, their bassist decided to quit right before the show, so they had to get a replacement bassist learn 3 of their songs in 5 minutes. Pete Rypins joined the band in October of 1986 as the bassist and Crimpshrine finally began to play some real shows instead of playing in Jeff's basement most of the time. Their first demo was recorded in February of 1987. Then, they did 2 songs, Another Day and Rearranged, for the Turn It Around compilation. Their first EP, "Sleep, What's That?" was recorded in September of 1987 and released in January 1988 on Lookout Records.
They gained a second guitarist, Idon Bryant, prior to Sleep, What's That's release. He was not included on that album, but played on their second full-length, "Lame Gig Contest." It was rejected by Lookout Records, but put out by Musical Tragedies, a German label, with the lyrics translated from English to German in the sleeve. This is a very rare album to come across, however much of it was released in other Crimpshrine albums, such as Duct Tape Soup and The Sound of a New World Being Born.
The band was in various newspaper articles in their time, some describing them, others for their way of publicizing themselves. They would write "Crimpshrine" (which was a name they gave to a girl they knew with crimped hair) all over Berkeley High School's walls, as well as purple dots and other grafitti. Their principal actually supported the grafitti! One of their best articles was from in the Oakland Tribune, who went to BHS wanting to interview a band. They were interviewed by Maximum Rock N' Roll in 1988 as well.
After Lame Gig Contest came another EP, "Quit Talkin' Claude." Quit Talkin' Claude was released Claude was a renowned Berkeley scenester who was said to never shut up. Idon Bryant and Pete Rypins had left the band by that time. Pete was replaced by Paul Curran on bass. When Paul joined the band in 1988, Crimpshrine toured for awhile. His brother, Jack, was a roadie. Paul drove the Pinto they toured in. Jake was a roadie from time to time as well. He sang on one of their songs. Zak and Dennis were also roadies.
The 1989 release of Quit Talkin' Claude on Lookout Records was their farewell record, as they had split up. Quit Talkin' Claude was recorded in January of 1989 with Kevin Army, who worked with Operation Ivy and many other bands. After this release Crimpshrine was on some other compilations. Lookout released two retrospectives, containing some unreleased and hard-to-find Crimpshrine songs, The Sound of a New World Being Born and Duct Tape Soup. They made a split EP in 1988 with Boneyard and A Priori called Caution. It was released on Skene Records. They appeared on "The World's In Shreds" with the song Pretty Mess. It was an EP released in 1989 on the record label Shredder. Jawbreaker, Moral Crux, and A Priori appeared on this album as well. They appeared in 1993's "Benicia..." compilation put out by Take A Day on cassette. The song "Going Home" by Crimpshrine on that compilation is not known to be released on any other album. Other bands on it were Pinhead Gunpowder (Aaron's drumming) and Monsula. Crimpshrine were on some Lookout compilations. One of the obvious ones was The Thing that Ate Floyd, which contained many other of the Gilman era bands. They appeared with the song "Sanctuary" on Lookout's 1998 compilation Forward Till Death. They did a split with Mutley Chix in the No Idea Fanzine (issue 7). The Crimpshrine songs were Closed Doors Closed Minds, Caught Up, and Fucked Up Kid. Mutley Chix did Small Town, Big Hell and Lamp. Their real farewell album was a split single released in 1990 on the record label No Reality. It was called the Burning Bridges EP on their side. On the other side was Angel... Your Hair Looks Good! by G-Whiz. The two songs by Crimpshrine on their farewell album were Over the Years and The Direction of Things to Come. Over the Years was taken from their first demo which was recorded with Brian Edge at Gilman in January of 1987. It was recorded with Pete but not with Idon. The Direction of Things to Come was taken from their last studio recording session in January of 1989. It was recorded by Kevin Army. It featured Paul, Jeff, and Aaron.
Crimpshrine fell apart in 1989 and the members went their separate ways. Jeff went into Fifteen, Aaron got involved with countless bands such as Pinhead Gunpowder (with Billie Joe Armstrong) and Astrid Oto. Paul was in Go Sailor and Shotwell Coho, and also did a stint with Sweet Baby; he now plays bass and sings in both Surrender and Onion Flavored Rings. Idon has been in a fairly popular East Bay hardcore punk, Strychine. Pete resurfaced in Tilt, and has been playing with The Tantrums for over 10 years. Check them out at their homepage or at their Myspace page. Crimpshrine, the heart and soul of the East Bay, lives on through the other members projects and through the people that still listen to them and are inspired by them today.
Along The Way
Crimpshrine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they had all been strictly taught
Just how to look and what to say
We used to look at them and laugh
Pretending we were so detached
We used to put them on display.
You were off being a recluse
Joining hands to tie the noose
Things were getting really hectic
I was too distant to detect it
I hope you knew that I'd get back to you.
Then the lines were not as clear
And I began to really fear
'cuz it got hard to just get by
I felt badly out of place
And took some time to get some space
And try some things I hadn't tried.
Somehow we both pulled together
Hoping that things would get better
Yeah, there were some casualties
Along the way
But here we are, a few years older
I'm no convict, and you're no soldier
Smile 'cuz we made it to this day
In "Along the Way", Crimpshrine explores the theme of growing up and evolving as individuals within the context of changing societies. The lyrics speak of an "us" versus "them" mentality that the singer and his or her friends used to have, where they would mock and ridicule those who followed societal norms and rules. However, as time goes on, the lines between the two groups become blurred, and the singer begins to feel lost and unsure of their place in the world. This is especially highlighted when the singer's friend becomes a recluse and seems to be contemplating suicide.
Despite the challenges they face along the way, the singer and their friend eventually come together and support each other, ultimately making it to the present day. The song suggests that growing up and facing difficult times is a necessary part of life, and that there will always be casualties along the way. However, the message is ultimately a hopeful one, as the singer and their friend emerge from these struggles stronger than before.
Overall, Crimpshrine's "Along the Way" is a poignant reflection on the ups and downs of life, and the importance of sticking together through the difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
It was "us" and "them" we thought
We used to believe that there were two distinct groups of people, "us" and "them."
And they had all been strictly taught
We thought that members of the other group had been indoctrinated and taught to act and think a certain way.
Just how to look and what to say
We believed that the other group had been instructed on their appearance and communication.
We used to look at them and laugh
We would mock the other group.
Pretending we were so detached
We would act like we were separate and above the other group.
We used to put them on display.
We would showcase and parade the other group to our advantage.
You were off being a recluse
At some point, the other person became more isolated and solitary.
Joining hands to tie the noose
They were beginning to feel overwhelmed and perhaps even considering self-harm.
You weren't sure just what to do
The other person was uncertain about how to proceed.
Things were getting really hectic
The situation was becoming increasingly chaotic and stressful.
I was too distant to detect it
I was too far removed to notice what was happening.
I hope you knew that I'd get back to you.
Despite my distance, I wanted them to know that I would eventually re-engage with them and be there for them.
Then the lines were not as clear
The distinction between "us" and "them" began to blur or fade away.
And I began to really fear
As the lines blurred, I became apprehensive about my place in the world.
'Cuz it got hard to just get by
Difficulty arose in merely surviving or getting through each day.
I felt badly out of place
I had a great sense of displacement or not belonging.
And took some time to get some space
I purposely created some distance or alone time to sort through my emotions.
And try some things I hadn't tried.
During this alone time, I attempted new things or experiences.
Somehow we both pulled together
Eventually, we were able to come back together again.
Hoping that things would get better
We were optimistic that things would improve.
Yeah, there were some casualties
Unfortunately, some people suffered or were lost in this process.
Along the way
Throughout the journey.
But here we are, a few years older
Now, we are a bit older and wiser.
I'm no convict, and you're no soldier
We have both grown and changed, and are not who we were before.
Smile 'cuz we made it to this day
We can smile and be happy because we made it through all the tough times to arrive at this moment.
Contributed by Colton I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.