Riverdales

Disclaimer: This is the official Riverdales myspace site, but that does not mean that you can reach the band through it. All the day-to-day operations are conducted by a third party. Please do not write messages and expect the band to read or respond to them.
The Riverdales are a Chicago-based band which formed in 1994 in the wake of prominent Chicago punk band Screeching Weasel. At a time when pop-punk was breaking through to the mainstream, Screeching Weasel front man Ben "Weasel" Foster elected to end the band and get back to his Ramones-based roots. Foster shared vocal and songwriter duties equally with co-frontman Dan "Vapid" Schafer (a proven frontman in his own right from his days in Sludgeworth). Foster elected to write riff-based songs with fun themes, while Schafer tempered this goofiness with catchy, oldies-themed pop songs, as well as a few goofy themes of his own.
1995 saw the band recording their self-titled debut, and touring extensively with the Mr. T Experience in smaller venues, and with Green Day in stadiums. Although a Screeching Weasel reunion put the Riverdales on the back burner for a short while, they came back strong with the phenomenal Storm the Streets in 1997, a record which saw the band hit their stride despite the fact that they had stopped performing live after the Green Day tour. After another hiatus during which Foster pursued a solo career and Schafer formed the Mopes and later the Methadones, the Riverdales released the fan favourite Phase 3, and immediately shelved the band again.
Now, 15 years after their original formation, The Riverdales are back in full force, playing select one-off shows across the nation in support of their new album Invasion USA, an absolute gem in the sub-genre some have called "retardo." Featuring song-titles almost exclusively inspired by Mystery Science 3000 and a new, fuller 4-piece lineup, the boys in blue jeans might be missing the MENSA convention, but they'll rock you hard and leave you sweaty. Look for them in your area soon!