Sponge (band)
Sponge |
|---|
Sponge is a Detroit, Michigan, rock band formed in 1991 by Vinnie Dombroski, Mike Cross, and Joey Mazzola — all formerly of hard-rock band Loudhouse. Sponge were signed to Sony Records in 1993.[1]
History
The band recruited Mike Cross' brother, Tim Cross, on the bass and Jimmy Paluzzi on drums. The band's debut album, Rotting Piñata, was a minor hit, received heavy play on radio and MTV, and was certified gold by the RIAA. The two biggest singles from that album were "Plowed" and "Molly (Sixteen Candles)." The band scored another hit on their next album, Wax Ecstatic, with the title track being a big single and the track, "Have You Seen Mary," being featured in the Kevin Smith film, Chasing Amy. This time around, Charlie Grover replaced drummer Paluzzi.
On June 28, 1996, Sponge was the opening act on the first night of the KISS reunion tour. The band had been tapped a few weeks earlier to replace the Stone Temple Pilots who had to bow out of the opening spot due to Scott Weiland's drug problems. The show was one of the last concerts held at Tiger Stadium in Detroit.
New Pop Sunday, on Beyond Records, was a departure from the grittier sound of the first two albums, featuring songs that were unmistakably pop rock in nature. The band's popularity waned sharply during this period. The only single, "Live Here Without You," was nominated for the Outstanding National Single award by the Detroit Music Awards in 2000.
The Cross brothers and Charlie Grover left the band, and the remaining members (Mazzola and Dombroski) recruited drummer Billy Adams, guitarist Kurt Marschke and bassist Tim Krukowski. Sponge continued their career with For All the Drugs in the World on Idol Records. The singles didn't chart.
The band stayed with their current record label. Vinnie Dombroski created a new lineup once again, this time without the other founding member Joey Mazzola. Dombroski became the only remaining original member of Sponge; although, Adams and Krukowski from the previous album stayed. The Man was released through traditional channels, but their latest, Hard To Keep My Cool, is only sold at concerts.
Vinnie Dombroski is now headlining a Detroit band called The Orbitsuns.
Band members
Current
- Vinnie Dombroski - vocals
- Billy Adams - drums
- Kyle Neeley - guitar
- Tim Krukowski - bass
- Andy Patalan - guitar/backup vocals
Former
- Jimmy Paluzzi - drums
- Mike Cross - guitar
- Tim Cross - bass
- Charlie Grover - drums
- Kurt Marschke - guitar
- Joey Mazzola - guitar
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Rotting Piñata | Sony |
| 1996 | Wax Ecstatic | Sony |
| 1999 | New Pop Sunday | Beyond |
| 2003 | For All the Drugs in the World | Idol |
| 2005 | The Man | Idol |
Singles
| Year | Title | US Hot 100 | US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Rainin' | - | 34 | 18 | Rotting Piñata |
| 1995 | Plowed | - | 5 | 9 | Rotting Piñata |
| 1995 | Molly (Sixteen Candles) | 55 | 3 | 11 | Rotting Piñata |
| 1996 | Neenah Menasha | - | - | - | Rotting Piñata |
| 1996 | Wax Ecstatic (To Sell Angelina) | - | 15 | 11 | Wax Ecstatic |
| 1997 | Have You Seen Mary | - | - | 7 | Wax Ecstatic |
| 1997 | I Am Anastasia | - | - | - | Wax Ecstatic |
| 1999 | Live Here Without You | - | - | - | New Pop Sunday |
| 2003 | Treat Me Wrong | - | - | - | For All The Drugs In The World |
| 2003 | Leave This World | - | - | - | For All The Drugs In The World |
| 2005 | The Man | - | - | - | The Man |
| 2005 | Higher | - | - | - | The Man |
Other releases/bootlegs
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | In Concert | Westwood One |
| 1999 | The Exclusive Sponge Sessions [Live & Acoustic] | BMG |
| 2000 | Molly (Sixteen Candles) | Sony |
| 2000 | Rarities Volume 1 and 2 | Bootleg |
| 2002 | Live | Radio Show Bootleg |
| 2005 | Hard to Keep My Cool | Self-released & available only at shows. |
Non-album songs
| Year | Song | Release |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Seventeen" | Mallrats Soundtrack |
| 1995 | "Isolation" | Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon |
| 1995 | "Go Speed Racer" | Saturday Morning Cartoons' Greatest Hits |
| 1996 | "All This and Nothing" | The Craft Soundtrack |
| 1999 | "Chameleon" | The Musician's Choice Volume 1 |
Trivia
- Sponge has performed on Late Night with David Letterman as well as Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
- The albums Wax Ecstatic and New Pop Sunday are the only albums to have the same band lineup.
- Vinnie Dombroski is the only original member of Sponge, currently.
- In the late '80s/early '90s there was also a band in Dublin, Ireland called Sponge.
See also
References
- Huey, Steve. "Sponge". All Music Guide. Retrieved June 13, 2005.
External links
- ^ Sponge biography at MTV.com