John Kiffmeyer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Kiffmeyer
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Kiffmeyer performing with Green Day in 1990
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Al Sobrante |
| Born | July 11, 1969 El Sobrante, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active |
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| Labels | Lookout! |
John Kiffmeyer, born on July 11, 1969, is also known as Al Sobrante. He is an American cinematographer (someone who works with cameras for movies or TV) and used to be a musician and songwriter. He was the first drummer for the famous punk rock band Green Day. He left the band in 1990, and Tré Cool became their new drummer. His stage name, Al Sobrante, comes from his hometown, El Sobrante.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
John Kiffmeyer was born in El Sobrante, California, on July 11, 1969. He first started playing drums in the punk music scene with a band called Isocracy. This group was quite popular in the East Bay area. They often played at a well-known club called 924 Gilman Street. John chose his stage name, Al Sobrante, as a fun way to refer to his birthplace.
Joining Green Day
After Isocracy broke up, John Kiffmeyer joined Mike Dirnt and Billie Joe Armstrong in 1987. He became the drummer for their band, which was first called Sweet Children. Later, this band changed its name to Green Day.
Because John had experience and knew a lot about the underground music community, he helped the new band get started. He called friends, including Larry Livermore, who was an important person in the East Bay music scene. Green Day's first few shows were at Contra Costa College, where John was studying journalism.
First Album and Inspirations
After seeing an early Green Day performance, Larry Livermore decided to release their music on his record label, Lookout! Records. The band's first full album, 39/Smooth, came out in 1990. This album included a song written by Kiffmeyer called "I Was There," which captured what the band was like at that time.
John was a big fan of Ozzy Osbourne. He inspired Green Day to include short parts of famous songs, like "I Don't Know" by Ozzy Osbourne and "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, during their song "Disappearing Boy." Green Day still sometimes does this during their live shows today.
Leaving Green Day and Other Projects
In 1990, John went to college at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, California. While he was away at college, Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt welcomed a new drummer, Tré Cool, into Green Day. John "graciously accepted" this change.
In 1991, John Kiffmeyer worked as an executive producer for Green Day's album Kerplunk. After Green Day, he joined a band called The Ne'er Do Wells, but he left them in 1994. He also played with a punk band called The Ritalins. Later, he managed a band called The Shruggs until they broke up. In 1998, he was the executive producer for The Great Lost Trouble Makers Album by The Troublemakers, a garage rock band from Sacramento, California.
Life as a Cinematographer
John Kiffmeyer now lives in San Francisco, California. He is married to Greta Snider, who is an experimental filmmaker and a professor at San Francisco State University. John works as a Director of Photography. This means he specializes in filming, especially using green screen technology, and mostly creates commercial videos.
Reunion with Green Day
On April 16, 2015, John Kiffmeyer joined Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt on stage. This happened during a Green Day concert at The House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio. For this special performance, the three played together as Sweet Children, which was Green Day's original name. They played songs they hadn't performed since the 1990s, including "Sweet Children," "Green Day," "I Was There," "Don't Leave Me," and "Dry Ice."
Music Releases
With Isocracy
- El Sob Demo (1987)
- Bedtime For Isocracy (1988)
With Green Day
Studio Albums
- 39/Smooth (1990)
Other Releases
- 1,000 Hours (EP, 1989)
- Slappy (EP, 1990)
- Sweet Children (EP, 1990)
- 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (1991)
With The Ne'er Do Wells
- Hello, It Is I, Thee Intolerable Bastard, Child Genius (1993)
Other Appearances
- Turn It Around! (1987 compilation album) ("Confederate Flags")
- The Big One (1991 compilation album) ("I Want To Be Alone")
Production Work
- Green Day – Kerplunk (1991) as Executive Producer
- Screeching Weasel – My Brain Hurts (1991)
- The Trouble Makers – The Great Lost Trouble Makers Album (1998)
hu:Al Sobrante
See also
In Spanish: Al Sobrante para niños
