The Lookouts

The Lookouts
Origin	Iron Peak, California
Genres	Punk rock, hardcore punk
Years active	1985–1990
Labels	Lookout
Associated acts	Green Day, The Potatomen
Past members
Larry Livermore Kain Kong (Kain Hanschke) Tré Cool

The Lookouts were an American punk rock band that existed from 1985 to 1990 on Iron Peak, a remote rural mountain community outside of Laytonville, CA. The members were Lawrence Livermore (more commonly known as Larry Livermore) on guitar and vocals, Kain Kong (Kain Hanschke) on bass and vocals and Tre Cool on drums and vocals. All three have contributed on songwriting. The band is most famous for being Tre Cool's first band before joining Green Day.

History

Looking to start a punk band, Livermore had trouble finding members, citing the majority of the local musicians being hippies and "completely uninterested in the music we wanted to make". Eventually, Livermore recruited a 12 year old neighbor, Frank Edwin Wright III to play drums and 14 year old Kain Kong On Bass. Although he had never played drums before, young Frank showed an instant affinity for them, possibly because, as Livermore said, "he loved making a lot of noise and getting everyone to look at him." Claiming that the members needed "punk rock names," Livermore began calling him "Tre," a play on the French word "très," or "very." The last name "Cool" was added later.

The Lookouts recorded two LPs, One Planet One People and Spy Rock Road, and two EPs, Mendocino Homeland and IV which Billie Joe From Green Day played on, all released on Livermore's own label, Lookout Records. One Planet One People was the first release in the label's history.

In mid-1990, The Lookouts went into a period of inactivity, with the members living and studying in different locations. It was during this time that fellow Berkeley band Green Day asked Tré to join them, following the departure of their original drummer, John Kiffmeyer (also known as Al Sobrante). This effectively meant the end of the Lookouts.

While Tre Cool continued as Green Day's drummer, Larry focused on Lookout Records and eventually sold the label to business partner Chris Appelgren in the mid-1990s when Green Day's popularity exploded and albums sales increased. In August 2005, Green Day removed their pre-1993 catalogue from Lookout Records, including 1992's Kerplunk, which was Tre's debut with Green Day, due to apparently unpaid royalties. Not much is known about Kain Kong after The Lookouts but it has been confirmed that he is now a park ranger in California.

Discography

Studio albums

• One Planet One People (1987)
• Spy Rock Road (1989)

Extended plays

• Mendocino Homeland (1990)
• IV (1991)

Compilation appearances

• "Insane", "Recycled Love", "The Mushroom Is Exploding", "Friends of Mine" on Limited Potential - Limited Potential Records (1987)
• "Outside" on The Thing That Ate Floyd - Lookout! Records (1989)
• "Why Don't You Die?", "California" on Bay Mud - Very Small Records (1989)
• "Recycled Love" on Lethal Noise, Vol. 2 - Very Small Records (1989)
• "Big Green Monsters" on Make the Collector Nerd Sweat - Very Small Records (1990)
• "Once Upon a Time" on More Songs About Plants and Trees - Allied Records (1990)
• "Kick Me in the Head" on Can of Pork - Lookout! Records (1992)

Demo albums

• Lookout! It's the Lookouts (1985)

External links

• The Lookouts fan site
• History of The Lookouts by Larry Livermore
• The Lookouts page on Lookout! Records website