Less Than Jake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Less Than Jake
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Less Than Jake performing in 2022. From left to right: J.R. Wasilewski, Buddy Schaub, Chris DeMakes, Matt Yonker, Roger Lima
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | LTJ |
| Origin | Gainesville, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
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Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band that started in Gainesville, Florida, in 1992. The band is made up of Chris DeMakes (who plays guitar and sings), Roger Lima (who plays bass and sings), Buddy Schaub (on trombone), Peter "JR" Wasilewski (on saxophone), and Matt Yonker (on drums).
The group released their first album, Pezcore, in 1995. Before that, they put out several smaller releases. Their next two albums, Losing Streak (1996) and Hello Rockview (1998), were released by a big record company called Capitol Records. This helped them become more well-known. Their fourth album, Borders and Boundaries, came out in 2000 on Fat Wreck Chords.
Less Than Jake's fifth album, Anthem (2003), was their most successful. It included popular songs like "She's Gonna Break Soon" and "The Science of Selling Yourself Short". In 2008, the band started their own record label, Sleep It Off Records. They released their seventh album, GNV FLA, on this label.
The band has also released several shorter albums called EPs. These include Greetings from Less Than Jake (2011) and Seasons Greetings from Less Than Jake (2012). In 2012, they combined these EPs into a collection called Greetings and Salutations. Their eighth studio album, See the Light, was released on November 12, 2013.
In February 2017, the band released the EP Sound the Alarm. This was their last release with founding member and drummer Vinnie Fiorello, who left the band in 2018. Matt Yonker, who used to play drums for Teen Idols, took his place. Matt played on the band's ninth album, Silver Linings (2020). A new seven-song EP, Uncharted, was released in November 2024. It was produced by Bill Stevenson from the band Descendents.
Contents
- The Band's Journey: How Less Than Jake Started
- Early Days and Pezcore Album (1992–1995)
- Growing Popularity: Losing Streak and Hello Rockview (1996–1999)
- New Labels and New Members (2000–2002)
- Anthem and Big Tours (2003–2004)
- In with the Out Crowd and Touring (2005–2007)
- Starting Their Own Label: GNV FLA (2008–2009)
- EPs and See the Light (2010–2017)
- Changes and New Music (2018–Present)
- Other Music Projects by Band Members
- Band Members
- Albums by Less Than Jake
- See also
The Band's Journey: How Less Than Jake Started
Early Days and Pezcore Album (1992–1995)
Before Less Than Jake, Chris DeMakes (singer and guitarist), Vinnie Fiorello (drummer), and Shaun Grief (bassist) were in a band called Good Grief. They played together in high school. Good Grief ended when Chris moved to attend the University of Florida.
On July 13, 1992, Less Than Jake officially began. Vinnie and Chris started writing songs. They soon realized they needed a bass player. Vinnie said they wanted a band name first to feel more organized.
The band members have told different stories about how they got their name. Chris has said it came from Vinnie's family parrot. The parrot would squawk during practice, and Vinnie's mom would tell them to stop disturbing the bird. So, they called themselves "less than Jake" (the parrot). However, in 2020, Vinnie clarified that Jake was actually an English Bulldog, not a parrot.
After trying out another bass player, the band met Roger Lima. He was a guitarist at the University of Florida. After playing with him for a few hours, they asked him to join as their new bass player. The band was inspired by the band Snuff and decided to add a horn section.
In 1993, Jessica Mills joined as their first horn player. They released their first 7-inch record, Smoke Spot. The band members even pressed all 300 records themselves! Soon after, Buddy Schaub joined on trombone.
Over the next few years, the band released an EP called Better Class Of Losers and appeared on other music collections. They also put out several vinyl records. These songs later appeared on the 1995 album Losers, Kings, and Things We Don't Understand.
Right before their first U.S. tour in June 1995, Buddy Schaub had plans to travel to Europe. So, saxophonist Derron Nuhfer filled in for him. Derron became a full-time member in August 1995.
Less Than Jake's first full album, Pezcore, came out in August 1995. It included popular songs like "Liquor Store" and "My Very Own Flag". The album's name comes from Roger and Vinnie's love for Pez candy. They had large collections of Pez dispensers. Because of this, Pez dispenser designs often appear on Less Than Jake's merchandise.
Growing Popularity: Losing Streak and Hello Rockview (1996–1999)
Soon after Pezcore was released, a major record company, Capitol Records, signed the band. Their first album with Capitol was Losing Streak in 1996. It was full of ska-punk songs.
After the 1997 Warped Tour, saxophonist Jessica Mills left the band. Pete Anna, a trombonist from the band Slapstick, replaced her in January 1998. Around this time, Vinnie Fiorello also started his own record label, Fueled by Ramen, with his friend John Janick.
In 1997, the band went on several tours, including the Caffeine Nation Tour and the Race Around Uranus Tour. They also played at the Warped Tour.
In 1998, after playing on the Ska Against Racism Tour and the Warped Tour again, the band released Hello Rockview. The song "History of a Boring Town" became a small hit on college radio. It reached No. 39 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
New Labels and New Members (2000–2002)
After recording their next album, Borders & Boundaries, the band decided to leave their major label. They chose to release the album on Fat Wreck Chords instead.
Borders & Boundaries came out in October 2000. The band then got to open for Bon Jovi on their North American tour. The album featured songs like "Look What Happened" and "Gainesville Rock City". The song "Gainesville Rock City" even got some airtime on MTV2.
Soon after the album was recorded, saxophonist Derron Nuhfer left the band. Less Than Jake found a new saxophonist, Pete Wasilewski. To avoid confusion with another "Pete" in the band, Pete Wasilewski was nicknamed JR (short for "Peter Junior"). In 2001, the band played on the Vans Warped Tour. After that, the first Pete (Pete Anna) left the band. That year, they toured the US with bands like New Found Glory and Anti-Flag.
In 2002, Less Than Jake toured with Bad Religion and Hot Water Music. They also spent most of the summer touring in Europe. Less Than Jake re-released their collection album, Goodbye Blue and White. This album included various songs from their 7-inch records released between 1996 and 2001. The album was named after the band's original tour van.
To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Pezcore was re-released. Also, the band's first four 7-inch releases were re-made and included in a special limited edition Cereal Box. This box also came with a T-shirt, a bobblehead, and a pin.
Anthem and Big Tours (2003–2004)
Less Than Jake returned to a major record label for their next album, Anthem. It was released in 2003 on Warner Bros./Sire Records. The album reached No. 45 on the Billboard 200 chart, which was their highest spot at the time.
Anthem had three main singles in the US and UK. These were "She's Gonna Break Soon", "The Science Of Selling Yourself Short", and "The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out". The actress Alexis Bledel, known for Gilmore Girls, appeared in the music video for "She's Gonna Break Soon".
The band spent the rest of 2003 promoting the new album. They played on the Warped Tour and toured with bands like Fall Out Boy and Yellowcard. In July 2004, the band released B Is for B-sides. This album had songs that didn't make it onto Anthem.
A month later, a DVD called The People's History of Less Than Jake came out. It showed both professional and fan-made recordings of the band. The band also played on the main stage during the Projekt Revolution tour in summer 2004. They shared the stage with bands like Linkin Park and Korn. After this, they took a long break to write their next album.
In with the Out Crowd and Touring (2005–2007)
Less Than Jake spent most of 2005 writing and recording new music. In early 2006, they started a full tour across the U.S. and Europe. They played with bands like Catch 22 and Dropkick Murphys.
In April 2006, the band released a four-song EP called Absolution for Idiots and Addicts. Their next full album, In with the Out Crowd, followed a month later on Sire Records. A special limited edition of the album came in a leather case with bonus discs. These discs included music videos, extra songs, and a photo gallery.
In February 2007, Less Than Jake played six shows in Florida. At each show, they played one of their albums completely, plus rare songs. They played two shows in Jacksonville, Orlando, and St. Petersburg. These shows were recorded for a possible DVD. The band then did the same thing in London, United Kingdom, in September 2007, playing for six nights in a row.
On May 21, 2007, Vinnie Fiorello announced that the band had left their contract with Sire Records and Warner Bros. After this, the band started selling high-quality recordings of their live shows on their website. These recordings were taken directly from the soundboard at each show. During their London shows, Chris said that Less Than Jake's new record label in the UK and Europe would be Cooking Vinyl.
In summer 2007, Less Than Jake went on the Shout It Loud Tour. They were co-headlining with Reel Big Fish. During the shows, the band played a fun game show like "The Price Is Right". They asked fans trivia questions about Less Than Jake and played games. The games helped decide which album the band would play songs from, and winners received prizes. The band toured Japan and Australia with Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto in December 2007.
Starting Their Own Label: GNV FLA (2008–2009)
On January 8, 2008, it was announced that Less Than Jake was starting their own record label. It was called Sleep It Off Records, named after a song from their B is for B-sides album. The goal of the new label was to release their upcoming album and re-release their older music. Reissues of Goodbye Blue And White, Pezcore, Losers, Kings And Things We Don't Understand, and the DVD The Peoples History Of Less Than Jake came out on March 18. These reissues had new artwork and bonus DVDs.
Vinnie talked about the new album, saying he wanted to "combine third wave ska and pop punk in each song." This hinted that the band might return to their older sound. He also said that after 16 years, a pop-punk band might not fit into the modern music industry. He felt they needed to be "a shiny new penny."
On April 20, Vinnie announced that the new album was finished. On April 23, he revealed the album title would be GNV FLA. This name is an abbreviation for Gainesville's airport code. Buddy Schaub said the title was chosen to "get back to our roots." The first song from GNV FLA was "Does The Lion City Still Roar?". GNV FLA was officially released on June 24, 2008. To support the album, they toured, including playing at the Reading and Leeds Festivals and a UK tour with the band Zebrahead.
"Conviction Notice" was the second and final song released from the album. The group also mentioned at concerts during their Europe tour that they were recording video for a new DVD.
In June 2009, the internet radio station PunkRadioCast worked with Jones Soda. They created a punk pop 6-pack of sodas with labels designed by PunkRadioCast and five punk artists. One of these was "Less Than Jake – Root Beer".
EPs and See the Light (2010–2017)
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On July 7, 2010, the band announced they had started recording again. On October 12, 2010, they released TV/EP. This EP had sixteen covers of television theme songs, all played in just thirteen minutes. The band described it as "the soundtrack to your couch potato life." One of the first songs revealed was their version of the Animaniacs theme song.
The band also performed in Tavares, Florida, with other bands to help raise money for high school band programs in nearby counties.
On June 20, 2011, the band released an EP called Greetings from Less Than Jake. It was available in their online store and sold at Warped Tour 2011. On February 16, 2012, Less Than Jake released a follow-up EP called Seasons Greetings from Less Than Jake. The band announced that both EPs would be re-released with two new songs. This new album, called Greetings and Salutations from Less Than Jake, came out in October 2012 through Fat Wreck Chords.
On April 17, 2013, Less Than Jake announced on Facebook that they had signed back with Fat Wreck Chords. They planned to release their first album of new songs since 2008 in the fall. On August 9, the album's title, song list, and release date were announced. See the Light was then released on November 12, 2013.
On July 29, 2016, at Vans Warped Tour 2016, Peter "JR" Wasilewski told Fuse that they were working on a new record for 2017. Less Than Jake started a tour with Pepper in January and February 2017 to promote their newest release, the Sound the Alarm EP. It was released on February 3, 2017, by Pure Noise Records. It reached No. 114 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Changes and New Music (2018–Present)
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On October 24, 2018, Vinnie Fiorello said that while he would still be a member of Less Than Jake, he would no longer tour with the band. Two days later, the band announced that Matt Yonker, a former drummer for Teen Idols, would be their touring drummer. On September 1, 2019, Roger Lima stated that Vinnie Fiorello was no longer with the band at all. Matt Yonker then joined the band full-time. Roger Lima noted that it was an easy change because Matt had worked with the band before in many ways, like selling merchandise and helping with sound.
In October 2020, Roger Lima talked about Vinnie's departure. He said that Vinnie was the main songwriter for the band's lyrics. So, the rest of the band had to take on that role. Vinnie was tired of touring and wanted to spend more time with his daughter. Roger said there were no hard feelings and he was happy to continue the band's journey. Vinnie has since joined a new band called The Inevitables.
In an email to their fan club, the band announced their next album would be called Silver Linings. Its release was delayed because of COVID-19. The album was finally released on December 11, 2020.
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In 2022, Less Than Jake and Bowling for Soup played over forty shows together on their Back for the Attack Tour. The band The Aquabats also joined them for some of these shows.
On November 15, 2024, the band released a seven-song EP called Uncharted. It was produced by Bill Stevenson from the band Descendents.
Other Music Projects by Band Members
In 1996, Vinnie Fiorello and his friend John Janick started the independent record label Fueled by Ramen. Vinnie left the label in 2006. On May 13, 2008, Fiorello launched his new indie label, called Paper + Plastick. He explained that "paper" refers to prints and books, while "plastic" refers to vinyl records and toys.
Fiorello also owns a toy company called Wünderland War. He also started a second toy company with a friend called Symptoms. Many of these toys have been shown in art books and exhibits.
Roger Lima has a side project called Rehasher. They recorded an album called Off Key Melodies in 2004. Roger plays guitar and sings for Rehasher. Roger also has a recording studio at his home, called the "Moat House." Some local bands record there, and Rehasher's second album, High Speed Access To My Brain, was recorded there too.
JR Wasilewski creates his own solo music. He also works with a company called the CT Mafia. He contributed one song to a tribute album for Bob Dylan. He used the name "The Stay at Home Joneses" for this project.
In 1996, Vinnie Fiorello, Chris DeMakes, and Roger Lima played as backup musicians for Asian Man Records owner Mike Park in The Bruce Lee Band.
Buddy Schaub is in a side band called PB&J. He plays bass, sings, and sometimes plays trombone for them. He is also part of the band Black Ice, where he plays all the instruments. Buddy is one half of Coffee Project with Jake Crown. They released an album on the Paper + Plastick label. They decided that "a couple of acoustic guitars and a trombone was all they really needed."
Chris DeMakes has been recording his own solo music when he's not working with Less Than Jake. He sings on a song from the 2010 album The Seven Degrees Of Stephen Egerton by Descendents guitarist Stephen Egerton. He went on the Ska Goes Solo Tour in 2014. He released the song "Up" before the tour.
Chris DeMakes also hosts his own podcast called Chris DeMakes a Podcast. Each week, he and a guest from the music world talk about how songs are written.
Band Members
Current members
- Chris DeMakes – vocals, guitars (1992–present)
- Roger Lima – vocals, bass, occasional guitars (1993–present)
- Buddy "Goldfinger" Schaub – trombone, occasional bass (1993–present)
- Peter "JR" Wasilewski – saxophone (2000–present)
- Matt Yonker – drums (2018–present)
Former members
- Vinnie Fiorello – drums (1992–2018)
- Shaun Grief – bass (1992)
- Jessica Mills – saxophone (1993–1998)
- Derron Nuhfer – saxophone (1995–2000)
- Lars "Slim" Nylander – trombone (1998)
- Peter "Pete" Anna – trombone (1998–2001)
Timeline of Less Than Jake Members
Albums by Less Than Jake
- Pezcore (1995)
- Losing Streak (1996)
- Hello Rockview (1998)
- Borders & Boundaries (2000)
- Anthem (2003)
- In with the Out Crowd (2006)
- GNV FLA (2008)
- See the Light (2013)
- Silver Linings (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Less Than Jake para niños
