John Kiffmeyer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Kiffmeyer
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Kiffmeyer performing with Green Day
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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 July 11, 1969) is an American musician and filmmaker. He is best known as the first drummer for the famous punk rock band Green Day. He used the stage name Al Sobrante. This name was a fun way to refer to his hometown, El Sobrante, California. After leaving Green Day in 1990, he became a cinematographer, which means he works with cameras to make movies and videos.
Contents
Biography
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 well-known in the East Bay area of California. They often played at a famous club called 924 Gilman Street. John chose his stage name, Al Sobrante, as a playful nod to his hometown.
Joining Green Day
John Kiffmeyer is most famous for his time with Green Day. After his first band, Isocracy, broke up, he joined Mike Dirnt and Billie Joe Armstrong in 1987. At that time, their band was called Sweet Children. Later, they changed their name to Green Day.
John had a lot of experience and knew many people in the underground music world. This helped the young band get started. He made calls to friends, including Larry Livermore, who was an important person in the East Bay music scene. Green Day's first few concerts were held at Contra Costa College, where John was studying journalism.
Larry Livermore was so impressed by an early Green Day show that he promised to release their music on his record label, Lookout! Records. Green Day's first full album, 39/Smooth, came out in 1990. This album included a song written by John Kiffmeyer called "I Was There." This song captured what the band was like at that time. John was also 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 or "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, in their own songs. Green Day still does this today!
Life After Green Day
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. This means he helped oversee the making of the album. Later, he joined another band called The Ne'er Do Wells, but he left them in 1994. After that, he played with a punk band called The Ritalins. He then managed a band called The Shruggs until they broke up. In 1998, he was also an executive producer for an album by The Troublemakers, a garage rock band.
Today, John Kiffmeyer lives in San Francisco, California. He is married to Greta Snider, who is a filmmaker and a professor. John now works as a Director of Photography. He specializes in green screen technology and mainly creates commercials.
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 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 had not performed since the 1990s, including "Sweet Children," "Green Day," "I Was There," "Don't Leave Me," and "Dry Ice."
Discography
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 discography
- Green Day – Kerplunk (1991) as Executive Producer
- Screeching Weasel – My Brain Hurts (1991)
- The Trouble Makers – The Great Lost Trouble Makers Album (1998)
See also
In Spanish: Al Sobrante para niños
