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Polar Bear Club was an American
post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...
band from Rochester and
Syracuse Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...
in
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...
. Formed in 2005, the band underwent multiple line-up changes, with vocalist Jimmy Stadt and lead guitarist Chris Browne as the only consistent members. The band released four studio albums and toured internationally before announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2015.


History


Early history (2005–2007)

Polar Bear Club formed in summer 2005 with its members coming from a variety of
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region of New York (state), New York that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area of downstate New York. Upstate includes the middle and upper Hudson Valley, ...
-based
hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
and
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
bands. They started as a spinoff of New York band Marathon. Their influences were said to include Small Brown Bike,
Third Eye Blind Third Eye Blind is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. After years of lineup changes in the early and mid-1990s, the songwriting duo of Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan signed the band's first major-label reco ...
,
Hot Water Music Hot Water Music is an American punk rock band formed in October 1994 and based in Gainesville, Florida. Since their formation, the group has consisted of Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard on shared lead vocals and guitars, bass guitarist Jason B ...
,
Jimmy Eat World Jimmy Eat World is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Mesa, Arizona, in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and lead guitarist Jim Adkins, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch, and drummer Zach ...
,
The Weakerthans The Weakerthans are a Canadian indie rock band from Winnipeg. The band, led by John K. Samson, has released four studio albums and is currently inactive. History The band was formed in 1997 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by John K. Samson, after he l ...
, Lifetime, and
Silent Majority The silent majority is an unspecified large group of people in a country or group who do not express their opinions publicly. The term was popularized by U.S. President Richard Nixon in a televised address on November 3, 1969, in which he said, "A ...
, whose song "Polar Bear Club" the band was named after. Shortly after the release of their debut five-song demo
CD-R CD-R (Compact disc-recordable) is a digital media, digital optical disc data storage device, storage format. A CD-R disc is a compact disc that can only be Write once read many, written once and read arbitrarily many times. CD-R discs (CD-Rs) ...
, they were noticed by Triple Attack Records, who released their first EP, '' The Redder, the Better'', in May 2006 in conjunction with Luchador Records. The EP received rave reviews by
webzine An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a print magazine format to an online only magazine was the computer ...
s and made a number of year-end "best of" lists, topping the list on Australian radio Triple R's Bullying The Jukebox program. The success also garnered the band enough notice for Red Leader Records to sign them in July 2007. This EP is now out of print on CD, but has since been made available for digital download and on
12" vinyl The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12) is a type of vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a "single" or a few related sound tracks on each surface, compar ...
.


Debut album and Bridge Nine (2008–2009)

The band's debut album, ''Sometimes Things Just Disappear'', was released in March 2008, also receiving glowing reviews from an even wider number of webzines and great reception from their rapidly growing
fanbase A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant portion of ...
. More appearances in "best of" lists followed, as well as tours with
The Gaslight Anthem The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing ...
, American Steel,
Crime in Stereo Crime in Stereo is a Long-Island-based hardcore punk band. The group released four full-length albums and a compilation, recording for the labels Blackout!, Nitro, and Bridge Nine before disbanding in 2010 and subsequently re-forming in 2012 ...
,
A Wilhelm Scream A Wilhelm Scream (abbreviated as AWS) is a melodic hardcore band from New Bedford, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. Sonically, their music has been compared to that of Strung Out, Hot Water Music, Propagandhi, and Strike Anywhere. Their nam ...
and
Cancer Bats Cancer Bats are a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario. To date, they have released seven studio albums and six extended plays; with their most recent LP, ''Psychic Jailbreak'', having been released on 15 April 2022. The band is cu ...
, leading to the band's signing to Bridge Nine Records, officially announced on January 8, 2009. Label owner Chris Wrenn said the following in regards to the bands signing: The label at the same time announced they would issue ''Sometimes Things Just Disappear'' on vinyl sometime during spring. On March 19 the vinyl was made available for
pre-order A pre-order is an order placed for an item that has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came because people found it hard to get popular items in stores because of their popularity. Companies then had the idea to allow customers to r ...
, with a shipping start date set for March 24, even though its official release date was April 7.


''Chasing Hamburg'' and ''Clash Battle Guilt Pride'' (2009–2012)

In February/March 2009, the band toured the UK and
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
with
The Gaslight Anthem The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing ...
and
Frank Turner Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981) is an English Punk rock, punk and Folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primaril ...
, with a small string of UK headlining dates subsequent to the tour. During the European visit, they announced plans to return for a US tour with labelmates
Have Heart Have Heart were an American straight edge hardcore punk band formed in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 2002. The band recorded a demo that was released in 2003. In 2004, they released the ''What Counts'' EP ( Think Fast! Records), with their deb ...
. They also announced that they were to start work on their sophomore album, to be produced by
Matt Bayles Matt Bayles (; born October 19, 1972) is an American record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician, based in Seattle, Washington. Bayles is known for his work with bands such as The Classic Crime, Isis, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Botch, Mastodon, ...
. The album, '' Chasing Hamburg'', was released on September 8, 2009 by Bridge Nine Records on both
12" vinyl The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12) is a type of vinyl (polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a "single" or a few related sound tracks on each surface, compar ...
and CD. On June 21, 2010 the ''Chasing Hamburg'' b-side "Drifting Thing ( Team Goldie Remix)" was posted for exclusive streaming at
AbsolutePunk ''AbsolutePunk'' was a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate (the most recent CEO). The website mainly focused on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it was known to featu ...
.net and was released by Bridge 9 Records as a 7 inch record (limited to a pressing of 500) during their Fall 2010 Mystery Box Sale. On August 8, 2010, they played at the
Hevy Music Festival Hevy Music Festival was a rock festival established by Claire Baker and James that took place annually near Folkestone, Kent, in the UK. It was originally held on 1 August 2009 on Folkestone seafront as a one-day festival with Feeder, Gary Num ...
held near
Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...
,
Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
, England. On one of the early tour dates for The AP Fall Ball 2010, Polar Bear Club announced they would be taking the next six months after the tour's end to write and record a new album. They replaced
Alesana Alesana ( ) is an American post-hardcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. The group was founded by Shawn Milke, Dennis Lee, Patrick Thompson, Steven Tomany and Daniel Magnuson during the fall of 2004, and is currently signed to Revival Record ...
on the 2011 Australian festival
Soundwave Soundwave or Sound Wave may refer to: * Sound, a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave * Acoustic wave, the wave which carries sound Festivals * Soundwave (Australian music festival), an annual music festival 2007–2016 * Soundwave Fe ...
. Whilst in Australia, the group also performed some select sideshows along acts such as Terror,
Fucked Up Fucked Up is a Canadian hardcore punk band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2001. The band consists of guitarists Mike Haliechuk and Josh Zucker, bassist Sandy Miranda, lead vocalist Damian Abraham and drummer Jonah Falco. From 2007 to 2021, t ...
, and H2O. The band's third album, '' Clash Battle Guilt Pride'', was recorded with
Brian McTernan Brian McTernan is an American musician and record producer from Baltimore, Maryland. McTernan was the lead vocalist in the hardcore punk band Battery, the guitarist in Ashes, and is the singer in Be Well. In 2009, he was named one of "the 50 ...
at Salad Days Studio in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
and released in September 2011. They embarked on a headline tour that fall with support from
Fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...
,
Balance and Composure Balance and Composure is an American emo band from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. They formed in the winter of 2007, after the breakup of two local Doylestown bands. The band's musical style has been compared those of Nirvana and fellow Pennsylvania ...
, and
Make Do and Mend Make Do and Mend was one of several campaigns introduced by the British Government (with the help of voluntary organisations) to reduce clothing consumption and save resources during the Second World War. Offering practical guidance on caring for ...
. In March and April 2012, the band embarked on the Glamour Kills tour as direct support for The Wonder Years, alongside opening acts Transit,
The Story So Far The Story So Far may refer to: __NOTOC__ Books * ''The Story of Far'' (book), a 2003 book by Bhawana Somaaya Films * ''The Story So Far'' (2001 film), a film about the band Sick of It All * ''The Story So Far'' (2002 film), a documentary about ...
,
A Loss For Words A Loss for Words (formerly Last Ride) was an American pop punk band from Abington, Massachusetts, Abington, Massachusetts. History Early years (1999–2004) Matty Arsenault and Danny Poulin from Lions Lions started a new band, Last Ride Pony R ...
and
Into It. Over It. Into It. Over It. is an indie rock band founded in 2007 as the solo project of Chicago, Illinois-based musician Evan Thomas Weiss. It is considered a leading act of the early-2010s emo revival scene. History Evan Weiss grew up in Cherry Hill, ...
, before embarking on the entirety of the 2012
Vans Warped Tour The Warped Tour is a touring 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 festival in the United S ...
. That year they also played the Lock Up stage at the
Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
. On July 31, 2012 they released their first live album, ''Live at the Montage''. During their set opening for
The Gaslight Anthem The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing ...
in Boston on November 26, 2012, the band announced that it was Nate Morris' last show with the band.


''Death Chorus'' and hiatus (2013–2015)

On April 17, 2013, the band announced that their bassist Erik "Goose" Henning had decided to part ways with the band. In late February and early March, Polar Bear Club headed over to Australia as part of the Soundwave Festival, playing all five dates of the festival as well as club shows with
All Time Low All Time Low is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Towson, Maryland, in 2003. Consisting of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, lead guitarist Jack Barakat, bassist/backing vocalist Zack Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson ...
and
Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! (also known by the acronym C!NCC!) is a French rock band formed in 2007 in Paris. The band consists of vocalist Bertrand Poncet, guitarists Éric Poncet and Paul Wilson and bassist Mathias Rigal, with founding drummer Jon ...
In May and June 2013, the band toured the UK, playing Slam Dunk Festival as well as more intimate shows. At the last date of the tour at Camden Underworld in London, Jimmy Stadt outlined that the band would be in the studio recording the new album shortly after returning home from tour. On November 18, the band's fourth album, '' Death Chorus'', was released on
Rise Records Rise Records is an American record label currently based in Beaverton, Oregon, mainly focusing on alternative rock, heavy metal, and punk rock music artists. History Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Nevada City, California. He relea ...
, produced by
Will Yip William Yip ( Chinese: 葉浩仁; born February 18, 1987) is an American record producer, audio engineer, songwriter and musician. Yip is an owner of Studio 4 Recording in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Yip is also the owner of Memory Music, an indep ...
. Following the album's release, the band toured with Citizen, Sainthood Reps, and Diamond Youth in November and December 2013. In May 2015, lead singer Jimmy Stadt confirmed via social media that the band is currently on hiatus.


Other projects

Following his departure from Polar Bear Club, original guitarist Kevin Mahoney joined
Hit the Lights Hit the Lights is an American pop punk band from Lima, Ohio. It is named in allusion to the '80s skateboarding film, '' Gleaming the Cube'', and has sold over 120,000 albums in North America. History Formation and ''Until We Get Caught'' EP (2 ...
. Since the breakup of Polar Bear Club, Jimmy Stadt and Nate Morris released formed Wax Bottles alongside Jasmyn Morris and
Benny Horowitz The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 2006. The band consists of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano), Alex Rosamilia (lead guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass guitar, backing ...
, releasing a self-titled EP in 2017. Stadt has also played in Shy Tooth, who released the ''3 Songs'' EP in 2019. Steve Port opened a School of Rock franchise in
Fayetteville, New York Fayetteville is a village located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 4,225. The village is named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a national hero of both France and the United States. It is ...
in 2024.


Band members

;Final line-up * Jimmy Stadt – lead vocals (2005–2015) * Chris Browne – guitar, backing vocals (2005–2015) * Steve Port – drums (2012–2015) * Patrick Benson – guitar (2012–2015) * Tyler Smith – bass (2013–2015) ;Former members * Kevin Mahoney – guitar (2005–2006) * Nate Morris – guitar (2006–2012) * Josh Dillon – bass (2005) * Greg Odom – bass (2005–2008) * Erik Michael "Goose" Henning – bass (2008–2013) * Bob O'Neil – drums (2005–2006) * Emmett Menke – drums (2006–2011) * Tyler Mahurin – drums (2011–2012)


Timeline


Discography

*'' Sometimes Things Just Disappear'' (2008) *'' Chasing Hamburg'' (2009) *'' Clash Battle Guilt Pride'' (2011) *'' Death Chorus'' (2013)


References


External links


Polar Bear Club's official MySpace pageBand profile on Bridge NineThe band's official blog, run by persistent roadie TrackerLengthy 2010 Interview with JimmyThe band's tour dates listed on Bridge 9's websiteBeatbots Audio Review of ''Sometimes Things Just Disappear''
{{Authority control Alternative rock groups from New York (state) Punk rock groups from New York (state) American emo musical groups American post-hardcore musical groups Musical groups established in 2005 Bridge 9 Records artists