Tripping Daisy

Tripping Daisy

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Tripping Daisy
Origin Dallas, Texas, United States
Genres Grunge, alternative rock, neo-psychedelia
Years active

1990–19992017–present

Labels Dragon Street Records, Island Records, Sugar Fix
Associated acts The Polyphonic Spree, Secret Machines, School of Seven Bells, Smash Mouth, Preteen Zenith
Website trippingdaisy.com
Members Tim DeLaughter
Mark Pirro
Bryan Wakeland
Philip Karnats
Brandon Curtis
Nick Earl
Past members Wes Berggren
Jeff Bouck
Mitch Marine
Cory Lemons
Ben Curtis
Robert Hubbard

Tripping Daisy is a neo-psychedelic pop rock band that was formed in Dallas, Texas, USA, by lead singer/guitarist Tim DeLaughter in 1990 along with Jeff Bouck (drums), Wes Berggren (guitar) and Mark Pirro (bass).

The group disbanded in 1999 following the sudden death of Berggren. The remaining members reformed in 2017 for a reunion performance at the Homegrown Festival in Dallas, following which they played a number of concerts in Texas during 2017 and 2019.
Contents

History
First album

After playing local gigs, the band released their first single, "Lost and Found", which received moderate airplay on local radio station KDGE. The band incorporated a light show similar to The Joshua Light Show at the Fillmore East. It used effects such as hand made slide shows with multi layered 16 mm projections along with oil and water. This visual attention was present in their very first show and was the beginning of many multimedia attractions to come.

The band soon began recording what would become their first full-length album, Bill, released on the independent label Dragon Street Records. The album was a favorite on Dallas radio. The sound on Bill is characterized by the heavy use of vocal effects and unconventional riffs, both of which lend to a neo-psychedelic sound. Bill was re-released on major label Island Records, with a different mix and mastering from the Dragon Street version. It also excludes the cover song "Green Tamborine".

In 1992 Bryan Wakeland replaced Jeff Bouck as the band's drummer. The band released a live album in 1994 titled Get It On. The album closes with a cover of the Bad Religion song "We're Only Gonna Die". DeLaughter has been noted as saying in 1990s era interviews that the record label pushed the live album out to capitalize on the popularity of Bill, and it is not one of his favorite albums.
Commercial breakthrough

After signing a deal with Island Records, which re-released Bill (minus the cover song "Green Tamborine"), the band recorded their first major-label release, I Am an Elastic Firecracker. The music video for the song "I Got a Girl" received extended airplay on MTV. A segment of the video was used in a Beavis and Butt-Head episode, a show known to lampoon popular music videos of the time. Wakeland remained in the band until after the tour for I Am an Elastic Firecracker when he chose to leave, and was replaced by Mitch Marine and Cory Lemons. Phil Karnats joined the band on lead guitar soon after Wakeland's departure, allowing DeLaughter more freedom to focus on lead vocal duty.
Later albums

The band's third album, Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb, was a mix of both creativity and experimentalism. DeLaughter has been quoted as saying that the album "is the band at their best". The album has a fragmented style: from one vignette to another. Marine toured with the band until he was replaced by Ben Curtis, who drummed on Jesus Hit Like the Atom Bomb and their fourth album, the self-titled Tripping Daisy. Other releases during this period include Time Capsule (a mix of old demos, b-sides, and one new song – the only officially released studio recording to feature drummer Mitch Marine) and The Tops Off Our Heads (an impromptu "jam" EP recording that marked the band's first post-major label release).
Death of Wes Berggren and split

Wes Berggren was found dead of a drug overdose in his apartment on October 27, 1999. The Dallas County Medical Examiner's office found traces of cocaine, propoxyphene, and benzodiazepine in his body. With Berggren's death, the band cancelled its upcoming tour dates and finished some minor recording sessions for the final album. The self-titled album was released posthumously, with Berggren's father Don playing a Fender Rhodes electric piano on the unfinished song "Soothing Jubilee". The album included a re-recording of "One Through Four", a song originally featured on Bill. Tripping Daisy officially disbanded on December 14, 1999.

After the band disbanded, Tim DeLaughter, Mark Pirro, Bryan Wakeland and Jeff Bouck formed the chamber pop group The Polyphonic Spree. Ben Curtis went on to join brother Brandon Curtis in the progressive space rock trio called The Secret Machines and later, the dream pop trio School of Seven Bells and rock band UFOFU. Curtis died on December 29, 2013, from complications of lymphoma.
Reunion

On January 5, 2017, the band's official Facebook page teased a possible reunion event. News later confirmed the remaining members would perform at the Homegrown Festival in Dallas on May 13, 2017. On March 9, 2017, they announced four additional Texas dates, making it the first Tripping Daisy tour in nearly twenty years. Christopher Penn announced during Homegrown Fest 8 in Dallas, Texas, on May 13, 2017, that Tripping Daisy would be recording a live album during a concert July 7, 2017, during the NYTEX Summer Concert Series at the NYTEX Sports Centre in North Richland Hills, Texas. The band went idle again until reuniting in 2019 for the 10th Homegrown Festival.
Band members

Current members

Tim DeLaughter – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, Appalachian dulcimer, Califone (1990–1999, 2017–present)
Mark Pirro – bass guitar, backing vocals, percussion (1990–1999, 2017–present)
Bryan Wakeland – drums (1992–1995, 2017–present)
Philip Karnats – guitar, backing vocals, trumpet, banjo (1997–1999, 2017–present)
Brandon Curtis – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (2017–present)
Nick Earl – guitar, backing vocals, samples (2017–present)

Touring substitutes

Cory Lemons – drums (1995–1996)
Robert Hubbard – drums (1997–1999)

Former members

Wes Berggren – lead guitar, keyboards, Mellotron, Ace Tone, cello (1990–1999)
Jeff Bouck – drums (1990–1992)
Mitch Marine – drums (1995–1997)
Ben Curtis – drums (1997–1999)

Recording personnel

Matt Gililland – assistant engineer (1992–1996)

Discography
Albums

Bill (1992)
I Am an Elastic Firecracker (1995) – US #95, NZ #43, UK #140
Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb (1998)
Tripping Daisy (2000)

EPs
Tripping Daisy – the shoe demo cassette
Hook Music: Vol 1 – fan club only cassette
Get It On – Live (1994)
Time Capsule (1997)
The Tops Off Our Head (1999)

Singles
Year Title Peak chart positions Album
US Air
US Main
US Mod
AUS
FRA
UK

1992 "Lost and Found" — — — — — — Bill
1993 "My Umbrella" — — 24 — — —
1993 "Blown Away" — — — — — —
1995 "I Got a Girl" 53 33 6 58 44 141 I Am an Elastic Firecracker
1995 "Piranha" — 35 32 — — 72
1998 "Sonic Bloom" — — — — — — Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb
1998 "Waited a Light Year" — — — — — —
1999 "Bedhead" — — — — — — non-album single
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.
References

"Tripping, Falling". Dallas Observer. 1999-11-25. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
"Tripping Daisy Returning for Homegrown Festival - D Magazine". D Magazine. 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
"Tripping Daisy reunites again for Homegrown Festival's 10th anniversary". 2019-01-11.
"Billboard > Artists / Tripping Daisy > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
"charts.nz > Tripping Daisy in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
UK chart peaks:

Top 100 peaks: "Official Charts > Tripping Daisy". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
Top 200 peaks from November 1994 to December 2010: "Chart Log UK 1994–2010 > DJ T – Tzant". zobbel.de. Retrieved 2017-07-21.

"Billboard > Artists / Tripping Daisy > Chart History > Radio Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
"Billboard > Artists / Tripping Daisy > Chart History > Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
"Billboard > Artists / Tripping Daisy > Chart History > Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:

Top 100 peaks: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
"I Got a Girl": "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 25 Feb 1996". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 2017-07-21. N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.

"lescharts.com > Tripping Daisy dans les Charts Français" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2017-07-21.

External links Official website vte

Tripping Daisy

Tim DeLaughter Mark Pirro Bryan Wakeland Philip Karnats Brandon Curtis Nick Earl

Wes Berggren Jeff Bouck Mitch Marine Cory Lemons Ben Curtis Robert Hubbard

Studio albums

Bill (1992) I Am an Elastic Firecracker (1995) Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb (1998) Tripping Daisy (2000)

Songs "I Got a Girl"

Authority control Edit this at Wikidata

ISNI: 0000 0001 1548 0586 LCCN: n96012374 MusicBrainz: 3707b50e-e76e-4485-859a-064d7186ff97 VIAF: 156127984 WorldCat Identities: lccn-n96012374

Categories:

Alternative rock groups from TexasMusical groups disestablished in 1999Musical groups established in 1991Musical groups from DallasGrunge musical groups1991 establishments in TexasNeo-psychedelia groupsMusical groups reestablished in 2017