Dance Hall Crashers

Genre: Ska Punk

Dance Hall Crashers (often abbreviated to "DHC") is a ska punk band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1989. The band was originally made up from two of the members of seminal ska-punk band "Operation Ivy". Since both Matt Freeman and Tim "Lint" Armstrong were interested in playing in a purely ska outfit, they recruited original drummer and ska enthusiast Erik Larsen aka Erik Kolacek. The band's original logo and designs were created by Jacob "Kuba" Schwarz, the older brother of future singer Karina Deniké Schwarz. The name itself was brought to the band by Erik Larsen from a song by an older Jamaican ska band. The band started as the result of a conversation (at Tim and Matt's house on Kains Ave. in Berkeley a few blocks from Gilman Street) over the need for a more roots style ska/ rock-steady band between Matt, Tim, Joey Schaaf, and Andrew Champion. The first line-up was based on these four with the addition of Erik Larson after Andrew called him up and got him to take time away from the Liquidators (His then current project, also a roots style ska band) to sit in on the new project. Grant Mcintire (Friend and sometime roadie for Operation Ivy) was also brought in on guitar and to help with songwriting duties.