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GOGO13 is an American
ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...
band formed in 1993 by singer and artist
Parker Jacobs Parker LeGrand Jacobs (born July 17, 1975) is an American artist, musician, author and actor. He is known for his work as an art director on the children's television series ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'', for which he has been nominated for four Daytime E ...
and currently based out of
Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was originally called Pacific City, but it was changed in 1903 to be named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 as of ...
. Originally formed in
St. George, Utah St. George or Saint George is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Utah, United States. Located in southwestern Utah on the Arizona border, it is the principal city of the St. George metropolitan statistical area (MSA). The cit ...
, the first incarnation of GOGO13 lasted for just under a year, yet ultimately helped pioneer a thriving ska scene in Utah during the mid-1990s. In 2001, following their rediscovery through their association with the popular Orange County band
The Aquabats The Aquabats are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1994. Throughout many fluctuations in the group's line-up, singer Christian Jacobs, the MC Bat Commander and bassist Chad Larson, Crash McLarson have ...
, GOGO13 permanently reunited and continue to play shows throughout the southwestern region. The band released their first studio album ''I Like It!'' in April 2012.


History


1993-1994: original incarnation

GOGO13 was formed in late 1993 by singer
Parker Jacobs Parker LeGrand Jacobs (born July 17, 1975) is an American artist, musician, author and actor. He is known for his work as an art director on the children's television series ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'', for which he has been nominated for four Daytime E ...
and his brother Tyler, two former
child actor The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting on stage, television, or in film, movies. An adult who began their acting career as a child may also be called a child actor, or a "former child actor". Closely associa ...
s who had recently relocated back to Utah from southern California. Billed as "Southern Utah's first ska band", GOGO13 were credited for helping build a flourishing ska scene in Utah during the first half of the 1990s alongside such regionally successful bands as Swim Herschel Swim, Stretch Armstrong and Model Citizen. Musically, GOGO13 were heavily influenced by the
2 Tone Two-tone, two tone, or 2 tone, etc., may refer to: Audio and sound * Second-order intercept point#Two-tone analysis, Two-tone analysis, in nonlinear system measurement * Two-tone attention signal * Two-tone Warning chime, chime, such as the "ding ...
and
Mod revival The mod revival is a subculture that started in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and later spread to other countries (to a lesser degree). The Mod Revival started with disillusionment with the punk scene when commercialism set in. It was f ...
scenes of the late 1970s and early 1980s, in particular the bands
Madness Madness or The Madness may refer to: Emotion and mental health * Anger, an intense emotional response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat * Insanity, a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns * ...
and
Bad Manners Bad Manners are an English Two-tone (music genre), two-tone and ska Musical ensemble, band led by frontman Buster Bloodvessel. Early appearances included ''Top of the Pops'' and the live film documentary ''Dance Craze'' (1981). They were at ...
, whose irreverent sense of humor was similarly adopted by the band: deriving their name from the Japanese spy
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
''
Golgo 13 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takao Saito, published in Shogakukan's manga magazine ''Big Comic'' since October 1968. The series follows the title character, a professional assassin for hire. ''Golgo 13'' is ...
'', GOGO13 boasted a
spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...
-themed aesthetic which manifested itself in such stage theatrics as
cap gun A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...
fights and other assorted antics. The first incarnation of GOGO13 lasted for less than a year, up until several factors - including Tyler Jacobs' relocation to Northern Utah and the impending missions of Parker Jacobs and co-vocalist Dustin "Skip" Blad - prompted an early disbandment. The band played their final shows in September 1994 with
Reel Big Fish Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Huntington Beach, California. The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold-certified album '' Turn the Radio Off''. So ...
and Mealticket, concluding with a performance on a tennis court which ended with Parker Jacobs humorously firing each of the band members. Just prior to their break-up, GOGO13 had recorded a seven-track EP, ''Toy Guns & Pixy Stix'', which was ultimately never released due to the band's dissatisfaction with the production, though two of its tracks, "Idiot Box" and "Espionage", would later appear on the
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
''
Rice Capades ''The Aquabats and Horchata Records Present: Rice Capades, Music Sampler Vol. 1'' is a 2000 compilation album independently produced and compiled by American rock band The Aquabats and released on their self-operated record label Horchata Records ...
'' in 2001. Following the end of his mission, Parker Jacobs moved back to California where he became involved with his brother
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
s then up-and-coming band
The Aquabats The Aquabats are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Huntington Beach, California, in 1994. Throughout many fluctuations in the group's line-up, singer Christian Jacobs, the MC Bat Commander and bassist Chad Larson, Crash McLarson have ...
, providing artwork for their albums and merchandise as well as various creative and musical ideas, running their official
fan club A fan club is an organized group of fans, generally of a celebrity. Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to support them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the pers ...
and, most notably, playing the role of "The Professor" in the band's live shows and music videos. In the earliest years of the band, The Aquabats regularly played older GOGO13 songs, the most notable of which being "Idiot Box", which was recorded for their 1996 album ''
The Return of The Aquabats ''The Return of the Aquabats'' is the debut studio album by American band The Aquabats, independently released on Horchata Records in December 1995, and subsequently re-issued by Fearless Records. Overview ''The Return of the Aquabats'' firmly ...
'' and again for their 1997 follow-up ''
The Fury of The Aquabats! ''The Fury of the Aquabats!'' is the second studio album by American rock music, rock band the Aquabats, released on October 28, 1997, by Goldenvoice Records and Time Bomb Recordings. Overview Much like their The Return of The Aquabats, debut al ...
''.


2001-present: second incarnation

In 2001, a new version of GOGO13 featuring Parker and Tyler Jacobs as the only original members reunited for a one-off show in Orange County promoting the release of ''
Rice Capades ''The Aquabats and Horchata Records Present: Rice Capades, Music Sampler Vol. 1'' is a 2000 compilation album independently produced and compiled by American rock band The Aquabats and released on their self-operated record label Horchata Records ...
''. The following year, GOGO13 decided to officially reunite, spending the next several years playing sporadic shows throughout Southern California and recording numerous demos with a frequently rotating line-up, with Parker Jacobs as the sole constant member. While the band primarily play smaller ska shows, GOGO13 have also performed to wider audiences as a regular opening act for The Aquabats and such 1990s ska bands as
Five Iron Frenzy Five Iron Frenzy is an American band which formed in Denver, Colorado, in 1995. Best known for playing ska punk music characterized by an offbeat sense of humor and prominent Christian themes, Five Iron Frenzy was one of the pioneering figure ...
and My Superhero, as well as part of the 2010 and 2012
Warped Tour The Warped Tour is a Concert tour, touring Rock music, rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music ...
and at the 2013 Orange County Music Awards. In 2008, Jacobs was also interviewed for ''The Up Beat'', a documentary film chronicling the Utah ska scene of the 1990s. GOGO13 may be currently best known for their musical contributions to ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'', namely the original song "Pick It Up", featuring
Alex Désert Alex Désert is an American actor and musician, known for his roles in the TV series ''The Flash'', '' The Heights'' with Jamie Walters, ''Becker'' with Ted Danson, and Mr. Williams on ''Boy Meets World'', as well as the voice of Nick Fury for '' ...
of Hepcat, which was featured in an animated short designed by Jacobs. The short won the award for "Excellence in Humor" at the 2008 ASIFA-East Animation Festival, while the song remains a staple of GOGO13's live shows, eventually appearing several years later on the ''Gabba'' CD ''Music Is...Awesome!, Vol. 3'' soundtrack ("at last", an enthusiastic review on
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
wrote). On April 13, 2012, nearly 20 years after their original formation, GOGO13 independently produced and released their debut studio LP, ''I Like It!'', featuring both new and old songs spanning the band's entire career. ''I Like It!'' was released to positive critical reviews, with the ''
OC Weekly ''OC Weekly'' was a free alternative weekly paper distributed in Orange County and Long Beach, California. It was founded in September 1995 by Will Swaim, who acted as editor and publisher until 2007. The paper was distributed at coffee shops, ...
'' calling GOGO13 "OC's most underrated ska band".


Band members


Original line-up

*
Parker Jacobs Parker LeGrand Jacobs (born July 17, 1975) is an American artist, musician, author and actor. He is known for his work as an art director on the children's television series ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'', for which he has been nominated for four Daytime E ...
- vocals *Dustin "Skip" Blad - vocals, harmonica *Tyler Jacobs - keyboards *Creed Watkins - lead guitar *Jeff Dotson - rhythm guitar *Mel aka Brad Gentry - bass *Ben Crosby - drums *Joe Gibson - bari saxophone *Abe McCormick- trumpet *Justin Vaden - tenor saxophone


Current line-up

*Parka AKA (Parker Jacobs) - vocals, ukulele *Secret Agent Johnny Spleen (Johnny Beutler) - lead guitar *Brian Gilmore - bass *Jeffrey "Dex" McFerson - organ, trombone *PK Deeeluxe (Paul Kloepfer) - drums *Scout (Erin Ashley) - saxophone ;Former members (2001–present) *Ben Action (Ben Bergeson) - guitar *Cris Crumpet (Stiles) - trumpet *The Grik (Garrick Hargrove) - bass *Tyler Jacobs - vocals,
melodica The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features 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. The keyboard usu ...
*Keith Chaos (Hetrick) - trumpet *Duke Regal (Ryan Blake) - organ *Gata Hari (Raechel Bunnell) - organ


Discography

;Studio albums ;EPs *''Toy Guns & Pixy Stix'' (1994) (unreleased) *''It's a Trap!'' (2002) *''The Fluke Sessions'' (2004) :#"Big Red Fluke" :#"El Otro Comienzo" (acoustic) *''RAAAAWR!!'' (2005) :#"Free Agent" :#"Monster" ;7" singles *"¡Es Ploded!" / "Cereal" (2009) ;Demos *''Demotape O' Fun'' (1994) *''The Jets Demos'' (1994) *''House Ape'' (2002) :#"House Ape" :#"Big Red Cup" :#"El Otro Comienzo"


Videography

*''The Bluebeat Lounge Goes O.C.'' (2005) :DVD release of a live concert hosted by Los Angeles ska music showcase The Bluebeat Lounge, also featuring material from the bands
Go Jimmy Go Go Jimmy Go was an American ska, rocksteady, reggae and Soul music, soul influenced band from Honolulu, Hawaii. Although chronologically, the band belongs to the Third-wave of ska, third-wave, their mellow, slower tempo sound is reminiscent of t ...
, La Banda Skalavera and Chris Murray. Includes live performances of "Free Agent", "Big Red Cup", "Monster" and "House Ape". *"Down in a Barrel" (2010) :Music video for a song which would eventually appear on ''I Like It!''. Directed by Tyler Jacobs and shot on location in
Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, United States. The city was originally called Pacific City, but it was changed in 1903 to be named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 as of ...
.


Compilation appearances

*''
Rice Capades ''The Aquabats and Horchata Records Present: Rice Capades, Music Sampler Vol. 1'' is a 2000 compilation album independently produced and compiled by American rock band The Aquabats and released on their self-operated record label Horchata Records ...
'' (2001) :A sampler compilation of The Aquabats' self-operated
Horchata Records The discography of The Aquabats, an Orange County, California-based rock band, consists of seven studio albums, two compilation albums, one soundtrack album, three EPs, one live album, one video album and eight music videos, among other recording ...
label, featuring the recordings of "Idiot Box" and "Espionage" from the ill-fated ''Toy Guns & Pixy Stix'' EP. *''
Yo Gabba Gabba! ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'' is a Children's television series, children's Musical film, musical television series created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz (producer), Scott Schultz and developed by Kay Wilson Stallings. The series is about five cos ...
: Music is...Awesome!, Vol. 3'' (2011) :Soundtrack compilation featuring the original recording of "Pick It Up" with
Alex Désert Alex Désert is an American actor and musician, known for his roles in the TV series ''The Flash'', '' The Heights'' with Jamie Walters, ''Becker'' with Ted Danson, and Mr. Williams on ''Boy Meets World'', as well as the voice of Nick Fury for '' ...
of Hepcat.


References


External links


GOGO13
on
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
{{The Aquabats American ska musical groups Musical groups established in 1993 Musical groups disestablished in 1994 Musical groups reestablished in 2001 Musical groups from Orange County, California Musical groups from Utah Third-wave ska groups 1993 establishments in Utah