The Glasspack is an American

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science ...

punk rock band from

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...

, United States. The band was formed in 1999 by frontman and native Louisvillian "Dirty" Dave Johnson, in hopes of giving a better alternative to the classic and hard rock played over-and-over on the radio. The Glasspack has since recorded one garage EP, two garage albums, two studio albums, and numerous cover songs, as well as toured the U.S. relentlessly. Three of the LPs were released on Detroit's

Small Stone Records ::''This page is about the record label. For the Small Stone effect pedal, see Electro-Harmonix''. Small Stone Records is an American record label based in Detroit, MI. It was founded in 1995 by Scott Hamilton and is a self-dubbed "heavy rock" ...

. The band takes its name from the high-flow fiber-glass filled automobile muffler known as a glasspack, which are known for being louder than traditional mufflers. The band's music from their 2004 release ''Bridgeburner'' has been featured in MTV shows ''

Viva La Bam ''Viva La Bam'' is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. The show is a spin-off from MTV's '' Jackass'', in which Margera and most of the main cast appeared. Each episode had a specific them ...

'' (Season 3, Episodes 7&8) and ''

Homewrecker A homewrecker (sometimes styled as home wrecker or home-wrecker) is a person, object or activity that causes or comes close to causing the breakup of a marriage (or similar partnership). The homewrecker is said to have taken one of the spouses ...

'' (Season 1, Episodes 104&107). Also the band's music from their 2007 release ''Dirty Women'' was used in FX's motorcycle club television show ''

Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008 to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club o ...

'' (Season 2, Episode 209). The band also has tracks from its 2002 ''Powderkeg'' release in video games '' MLB 2K'' and ''

Amped 3 ''Amped 3'' is a snowboarding video game, the third and final installment of the ''Amped'' sports game franchise, developed by Indie Built published by 2K Sports and released exclusively for the Xbox 360 in 2005. It expands on previous version ...

'', both made by

2K Sports 2K is an American video game publisher based in Novato, California. 2K was founded under Take-Two Interactive in January 2005 through the 2K Games and 2K Sports labels, following Take-Two Interactive's acquisition of Visual Concepts that sa ...

. ''Amped 3'' came with the package release of the Xbox 360. The band's 2007 album, ''Dirty Women'' from Small Stone Records, landed them a sold-out headlining spot for their first trip to Europe at Netherlands'

Roadburn Festival Roadburn Festival is an international music festival held in Tilburg, Netherlands every April since 1999. It was set up as a spin-off from the Roadburn music blog founded by Jurgen van den Brand and Walter Hoeijmakers. Originally focused on stone ...

on April 20, 2008. The festival was sponsored by ''Roadburn'' magazine and ''

Terrorizer Terrorizer is an American grindcore band formed in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. After disbanding, its members gained recognition by playing in influential extreme metal bands, such as Morbid Angel ( David Vincent, Pete Sandoval), Napalm D ...

'' and took place annually at the 013 Pop Centre in

Tilburg Tilburg () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 222,601 (1 July 2021), it is the second-largest city or municipality in North Brabant after Eindhoven and the seventh-lar ...

. The Glasspack was included in the internationally distributed book ''Rock Detector: A to Z of Doom, Gothic & Stoner Metal'', published in 2003 by

Cherry Red Books Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...

History

In 1999, The Glasspack started playing in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky opening for such known bands as

My Own Victim My or MY may refer to: Arts and entertainment * My (radio station), a Malaysian radio station * Little My, a fictional character in the Moomins universe * My (album), ''My'' (album), by Edyta Górniak * My (EP), ''My'' (EP), by Cho Mi-yeon ...

The Frogs ''The Frogs'' ( grc-gre, Βάτραχοι, Bátrakhoi, Frogs; la, Ranae, often abbreviated ''Ran.'' or ''Ra.'') is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus i ...

, and

Melt Banana Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise rock band that is known for playing extremely fast noise rock mixed with experimental, electronica and pop-based song structures. Since forming in 1992 the band has released ten albums and toured worldwide extens ...

. A few months later with only 4 songs, The Glasspack recorded a demo with Crain's Jon Cook in the infamous Rocket House in Old Louisville. They immediately sent the demo to

Man's Ruin Records Man's Ruin Records was an independent record label owned and founded by San Francisco Bay Area artist Frank Kozik. After the 1994 release of Man's Ruin's first record ''Experimental Audio Research (EAR): Delta 6'' Kozik worked with artists wh ...

. Owned by well-known graphic artist

Frank Kozik Frank Kozik (born January 9, 1962 in Madrid) is an American graphic artist best known for his posters for alternative rock bands. History Kozik has worked with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mel ...

and operated in San Francisco, CA, the label had a reputation of putting out unknown psychedelic rock bands of all sorts. Kozik responded warmly to the band and proposed to release their first record. The band enthusiastically accepted the offer and began recording their first full-length recording, ''American Exhaust'' in late 1999. Unfortunately for the band,

started to fold soon after, leaving the band with a hefty engineering bill. "Dirty" Dave decided to take out a high rate loan and start the record label Riverock Records with the only intentions being that of releasing The Glasspack record, in hopes of repaying the bills. ''American Exhaust'' was released Jan. 1, 2001 and received amazing international press reviews from such as

Maximum RocknRoll ''Maximumrocknroll'', often written as ''Maximum Rocknroll'' and usually abbreviated as ''MRR'', is a not-for-profit monthly zine of punk subculture. Based in San Francisco, ''MRR'' focuses on punk rock and hardcore music, and primarily fea ...

, Stonerrock.com, Aardschok, and Louisville's newspaper

The Courier-Journal ''The Courier-Journal'', also known as the ''Louisville Courier Journal'' (and informally ''The C-J'' or ''The Courier''), is the highest circulation newspaper in Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett and billed as "Part of the ''USA Today'' Ne ...

. The record then received some global distribution despite the fact that it was on a new record label with only one record. All copies sold-out in less than a year. The record, a following U.S. tour, and hype gained the attention of the developing stoner rock community and Detroit's

, which was soaking up some of the band residue left from the collapse of

. The band recorded the ''Road Warriors E.P.'' during 2000 in waiting for

to put out ''American Exhaust''. The EP was released in 2000 by local Louisville record store/label Better Days Records. The band later yanked the EP from the market for poor sound quality. In late 2001, The Glasspack signed on to

claiming they were the Hunter S. Thompson/

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...

of rock and roll (both are natives of Louisville). Around the end of 2001, The Glasspack was invited to play the label's showcase at

CBGB's CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for '' Country'', '' BlueGrass'', and '' Blues'', K ...

in Manhattan for the

CMJ Music Marathon CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...

(College Music Journal). The showcase was featured on national television on

ESPN2 ESPN2 is an American multinational pay television network owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns the remaining 20%). ESPN2 was initially ...

. Right before the CMJ gig, the band had just finished a U.S. tour (some gigs with

Nebula A nebula ('cloud' or 'fog' in Latin; pl. nebulae, nebulæ or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regio ...

) and recorded their second full-length release ''Powderkeg'' for

. ''Powderkeg'' was released in spring of 2002, followed by more and more shows. The band was working extensively during this period, touring over the United States. Near the end of 2002, the band grew tired and took a break until the spring of 2003. In the spring of 2003 the band decided to record in an actual studio in another city. They chose Detroit's Rustbelt Studios upon suggestion from

. The band spent a weekend and exactly 36 hours making a very confused record entitled ''Bridgeburner''. In the studio, fellow songwriter and bassist/guitarist Marcus Moody fell ill with what would later become a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. This prevented the band member from finishing the recording, leaving drummer Brett Holsclaw and guitarist/singer "Dirty" Dave Johnson with no other choice but a fill-in bassist. The record was scheduled for release in fall of 2003 and the band booked another tour to promote the release of the record.

at the time of scheduled release had changed distribution in the U.S. to Nail/Allegro. Distribution details and negotiation delayed the release to spring of 2004. However, the band went ahead and toured for the record before its release. The Glasspack's third full-length release ''Bridgeburner'' was released in spring 2004. Shortly thereafter, the band accepted an invite to play

WFPK WFPK is a 24-hour listener-supported, noncommercial radio station in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, broadcasting at 91.9 MHz FM with an adult album alternative format. The station plays national and local alternative music. It is owne ...

Public Radio Louisville's Live Lunch Series to promote the record. The live radio session was recorded as well (with bassist Todd Cook). The Bridgeburner fell short of The Glasspack releases before it in the U.S. press and market. However, at this time, the band was gaining ground with live shows and starting to sell more records in Europe. The ''Bridgeburner'' record, a blur of guitars and psychedelic confusion, was actually well received in Europe. The record was also well received by music placement managers, gaining them a spot in MTV '' Jackass'' spin-off shows

and

as well other television spots. They also were included in several video games around this time for the Xbox and the release of the Xbox 360. The ''Bridgeburner'' was mixed by

Monster Magnet Monster Magnet is an American rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (guitar) and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums); they have since gone through several lineup ...

's Bobby Pantella who also filled a couple gaps in the bass area. The record also contained a blistering lead guitar solo guest appearance on the track "Peepshow" by

's Ed Mundell. Phil Durr of the Sub-Pop act

Big Chief "Big Chief" is a song composed by Earl King in the early 1960s. It became a hit in New Orleans for Professor Longhair in 1964,Berry/Foose/Jones, ''Up from the Cradle of Jazz''. University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, 2009, p. 148. featuring a ...

graced the record as well with several guest guitar tracks. The band continued playing local gigs, weekend Midwest trips, and small tours for the remainder of 2004. The year is also noted for the re-release of The Glasspack's first full-length ''American Exhaust'' on red 12" vinyl from a small label in Chicago ( 4 Walls Records) and The Glasspack's endorsement with Fender Music (representative Alex Perez). By this time, "Dirty" was playing guitar behind his back, between his legs, and even with his teeth. One account of a 2004 SXSW Day Party performance in the Detroit Metro Times claims that the frontman did a backflip while playing guitar from the ground to the stage at the Austin, TX gig. With acts such as this and his loyalty to his red American

Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successfulLes Paul had built a prototype solid body ...

, he was a suitable choice for Fender. In 2005, "Dirty" and The Glasspack slowed down a bit. The band members pursued side projects and college. Both "Dirty" Dave and drummer Brett Holsclaw began working more intensely towards graphic design degrees and settling for occasional side-project gigs instead of the intense work The Glasspack had become by then. "Dirty" eventually finished schooling as Brett remained in school. It was during this time "Dirty" began to right the tracks that would later become The Glasspack's brilliant third

release, ''Dirty Women''. In 2006, Dirty rounded the band up again and the help of guests from such notable Kentucky acts as

Coliseum (band) Coliseum was an American punk rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, that was formed in 2003. They released five studio albums, the latest of which was '' Anxiety's Kiss'' on Deathwish Inc. In May 2015. ''Exclaim!'' named their 2010 album ''Hou ...

and The Hookers. They finished their fourth full-length record in downtown Louisville at a multimillion-dollar studio, Downtown Recording, completely analog with vintage equipment. In the Spring of 2007, The Glasspack's fourth full-length release, ''Dirty Women'', was unleashed and the band headed to Austin, TX to officially play the

South By Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...

Music Festival as part of the 2007 Small Stone Records SXSW Showcase. The record was well received and a fresh come-back after the somewhat questionable ''Bridgeburner'' record. The band did an extensive set of U.S. tours for the release of ''Dirty Women'' in 2007. They also received their first paid invite to Europe in the form of the 13th Annual 2008 Roadburn Magazine Festival, also sponsored by

Terrorizer Magazine ''Terrorizer'' was an extreme music magazine published by Dark Arts Ltd. in the United Kingdom. It was released every four weeks with thirteen issues a year and featured a "Fear Candy" covermount CD, a twice yearly "Fear Candy Unsigned" CD, an ...

. In the Winter of 2007, the band was announced as the Sunday headliner of the festival for an exclusive first show in Europe. The show sold out in 1 week during pre-sales in December 2007. Also in 2007, the band released a split 10" vinyl on a small Detroit label ( Sleeping Village Records). The record was a split EP with one of "Dirty" Dave's side-projects, Muddy Nasty River. The Glasspack side was a public radio performance they had done on 91.9FM

Public Radio Louisville for the release of ''Bridgeburner'' in 2004, featuring bassist Todd Cook (

Slint Slint was an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1986. The band consisted of guitarist and vocalist Brian McMahan, guitarist David Pajo, drummer and vocalist Britt Walford, Todd Brashear (bassist on ''Spiderland''), and ...

The For Carnation The For Carnation are a slowcore/post-rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1994. The band was formed by Brian McMahan, who is the only constant group member. McMahan's previous band Slint hinted at the distinctive sound and sombre aesth ...

, Crain). Todd had taken on bass duties for some time after Marcus Moody was diagnosed with MS. In 2008, the band focused on rehearsing a 1 hour set exclusively for the people of the

. The festival was also recorded and placed into a Dutch public audio archive website for free listening. 2008 also saw the re-release of The Glasspack's ''Powderkeg'' record on vinyl from Sleeping Village Records. The Glasspack is still residing in Louisville, Kentucky and taking, yet again, another break. In 2009, The Glasspack's music was featured in FX's television program

. Also that year, a reissue of The Glasspack's first full-length ''American Exhaust'' was remastered by

Jack Endino Jack Endino (born Michael M. Giacondino; 1964) is an American producer and musician based in Seattle, Washington. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands including Mudhoney ...

for Los Angeles label Poison Tree Records (iTunes digital only). The release includes a special remastered bonus of the band's 1991 demo recordings, entitled "The Polaris Demos." The demos were previously released only on cassette with request from the band. In 2010, The Glasspack played a ten-year anniversary show in Louisville, Kentucky at the Zanzabar supporting the release of an orange seven inch vinyl split (with Louisville band the Trophy Wives) on Louisville label Noise Pollution. Writer Michael Jones did a cover story on the band's history in support of the show and release in the LEO Weekly (Louisville Eccentric Observer). The release includes a free download card with a good portion of the Glasspack's 2008 performance at the

in Tilburg.

Peter Searcy Peter Searcy is a musician from Louisville, Kentucky. Spin Magazine, Scott Irwin, and Amanda Green have compared Searcy's straightforward songwriting style and voice to those of Paul Westerberg. Like Paul Westerberg of The Replacements, Searc ...

of the influential Louisville act

Squirrel Bait Squirrel Bait was an American punk rock band from Louisville, Kentucky active from 1983 to 1987. Squirrel Bait's dense, moody, melodic hardcore sound, featuring pronounced tempo shifts, foreshadowed the grunge sound of the late 1980s as well as ...

joined the band on the seven inch vinyl title track, "If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say," and is credited as The Glasspack's current bass player. In 2014, The Glasspack announced plans to record a fifth full-length album, "Moon Patrol," intended to be essentially one song roughly 45 minutes long. According to frontman "Dirty" Dave Johnson, the record is to be a space rock departure from the more predominant punk sound of the band's past. No release date has been declared and likely because Johnson is also attending law school and playing with The Decline Effect, a punk band featuring former Kinghorse (Caroline Records/Produced by Danzig) guitarist Mark Abromavage.

Discography

Albums

*''Road Warriors' E.P.'' CD (2000, Better Days Records) *''American Exhaust'' LPCD (2001, Riverock Records) *''Powderkeg'' LPCD (2002, Small Stone Records) *''Bridgeburner'' LPCD (2004, Small Stone Records) *''American Exhaust'' LP Vinyl Reissue (2004, 4 Walls Records) *''Dirty Women'' LPCD (2007, Small Stone Records) *''The Glasspack/Muddy Nasty River'' E.P. Vinyl (2007, Sleeping Village Records) *''Powderkeg'' LP Vinyl Reissue (2008, Sleeping Village Records) *''American Exhaust + Polaris Demos'' LP Digital Reissue (2009, Poison Tree Records) *''Split with Trophy Wives'' Split 7" Vinyl (2010, Noise Pollution Records)

Compilations

* "Underground Invasion: Volume 4" LP/CD (Beer City Records) * "Dedication From The Sullen Waters Of The Ohio" LP/CD (Fusion Records) * "Cheap Thrills: Volume I" LP/CD (Better Days Records) * "Cheap Thrills: Volume II" LP/CD (Better Days Records) * "Saturday March 24, 2001 Show Compilation" EP/CD (Noise Pollution) * "The Motherlodge Lodge: A Tribute To The Rudyard Kipling, Volume I" LP/CD (Mother Lodge Records) * "

Sucking the 70's ''Sucking the 70's'' is a two disc collection of 1970s songs covered by modern stoner rock bands. It was released by Small Stone Records in 2002. A second album, '' Sucking the 70's – Back in the Saddle Again'', was released in 2006. The album ...

" LP/CD (Small Stone Records) * " Sucking the 70's – Back in the Saddle Again" LP/CD (Small Stone Records) * "Hammer Down: Volume I" LP/CD (Motor Brand Clothing Promo CD) * "Head Cleaner: A Louisville Music Compilation Vol. 1 & 2" Double Cassette (Gubbey Records)

Personnel

Current members

* "Dirty" Dave Johnson- vocals/guitar * Nick Hall - guitar * Peter Searcy - bass * Tony Rymniak - drums

Guests and former members

* Brett Holsclaw - Evil Twin Theory, Crab Nebula, Ladybirds * Marcus Moody - Orange Telephone * Matt Tucker -

Evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

* Ed Mundell -

, Atomic Bitchwax * Bob Pantella -

, Riotgod,

Raging Slab Raging Slab is an American band that plays a blend of southern rock and boogie with influences from metal and punk. They released six albums between 1987 and 2002. History The group formed in 1983 Small Stone Records ::''This page is about the record label. For the Small Stone effect pedal, see Electro-Harmonix''. Small Stone Records is an American record label based in Detroit, MI. It was founded in 1995 by Scott Hamilton and is a self-dubbed "heavy rock" ...

* Phil Durr - Giant Brain, Big Chief * Adam Neal - The Hookers *

Matt Jaha Matt may refer to: *Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt *In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance) *Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...

Lords Lords may refer to: * The plural of Lord Places *Lords Creek, a stream in New Hanover County, North Carolina * Lord's, English Cricket Ground and home of Marylebone Cricket Club and Middlesex County Cricket Club People *Traci Lords (born 1 ...

Coliseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world to ...

Todd Cook Todd or Todds may refer to: Places ;Australia: * Todd River, an ephemeral river ;United States: * Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community * Todd, Missouri, a ghost town * Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporated ...

Dead Child Dead Child is a heavy metal band from Louisville, Kentucky. The band played its first show at Lisa's Oak Street Lounge on August 19, 2006 with Pusher, Lords, and Blade of the Ripper. During the 2005 Slint reunion tour, Pajo, Cook and McMahan deci ...

* Mark Abromavage -

Arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vau ...

, Kinghorse * Jason Hayden - Vrktm, Crain, Sunspring * Eric McManus -

, Big Wheel

References

External links

The Glasspack Official Website

The Glasspack
at MySpace
Small Stone Records Official Website

Roadburn Magazine Official Website

Cherry Red Books Official Website
* The Glasspackat

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

The Glasspack
at

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

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