dada
Tuesday – The Mad Frog
There’s a fine line between a band “on hiatus” and an “ex-band,” and guitar Pop trio dada has successfully blurred that line beyond definition with new bands, solo projects and an unexpected comeback after a nearly five-year absence. The band became a sensation after the 1992 release of Puzzle and its infectious debut single “Dizz Knee Land,” which drew natural comparisons to The Police and led to opening gigs for Sting, Crowded House and Depeche Mode. Dada was poised to capitalize on their debut’s three hit singles and half million in sales, but their label, Miles Copeland’s I.R.S. Records, was woefully ill-equipped to do the same.
Phil, Joie & Michael of dada
Although dada followed up with two strong albums — 1994′s American Highway Flower and 1996′s astonishing El Subliminoso — the band lost steam when I.R.S. foundered after the second album and closed altogether after the third. An MCA contract resulted in dada’s well-received eponymous fourth album in 1998, but the Vivendi/Seagram’s deal the following year cost them their second label and they went on extended hiatus that summer. Guitarist Michael Gurley and drummer Phil Leavitt formed a side project called Butterfly Jones and released their excellent debut, Napalm Springs, in 2001; they’re currently writing songs for their sophomore album. Gurley and Leavitt also record and tour in a Jazz outfit under the name Michael Gurley and the Nightcaps, and Leavitt has drummed for Blue Man Group and the BMG offshoot Uberschall. Dada bassist Joie Calio did A&R work for MCA, formed a solo band project called Candy Apple Black, recorded his debut album and wrote a book. Early last year, dada reassembled for some limited touring, resulting in the Live: Official Bootleg Vol. 1 release and more extensive follow-up touring. The overwhelming response to dada’s return has led to the band’s fifth studio album, the recently released How to Be Found, and now, against all odds, the trio is back together full-time for the first time since 1999. It’s not a reunion because dada never broke up. And it’s not a vacation because they’ve been working like mad. Regardless of what they’ve been doing, it’s good to have dada back.
- Brian Baker
Source: Cincinnati City Beat
