Bigtop
"Welcome under the BIGTOP! On the thirty-sixth anniversary of the tragic passing of Rob and Curt Bruce, PIG RECORDS proudly presents the BIGTOP anthology: A Congress of Baboons. The Bruce Brothers were members of the Everett-based band, along with Brian Fritts, Jerry Leonard, and Tom Pulley. After the boys' tragic death Kirk Verhey stepped in to continue their legacy. The band continued on and the creativity exploded! In addition to Rob and Curt, we would like to acknowledge Jen Olive and Mayumi Paul, who also died in the tragic accident that day.""Welcome under the BIGTOP! On the thirty-sixth anniversary of the tragic passing of Rob and Curt Bruce, PIG RECORDS proudly presents the BIGTOP anthology: A Congress of Baboons. The Bruce Brothers were members of the Everett-based band, along with Brian Fritts, Jerry Leonard, and Tom Pulley. After the boys' tragic death Kirk Verhey stepped in to continue their legacy. The band continued on and the creativity exploded! In addition to Rob and Curt, we would like to acknowledge Jen Olive and Mayumi Paul, who also died in the tragic accident that day."
Bio:
If you're of a certain age and from a certain geographical anomaly known as Everett, Washington, you've heard of Bigtop, you've seen Bigtop play, and you've been drunk with at least one member of Bigtop at some point. Along with bands such as The Accused, Mace and The Dehumanizers, they defined a certain "pre-grunge" sound that made it all the way from Hewitt Ave in Everett across the Atlantic, long before there was social media. Underground music had to be passed around via cassettes, word of mouth, and DIY fanzines. They most likely don't think of themselves as influential, but to my ears I hear their influence still. They're smarter than they sound at first listen. They're better players than they have been given credit for. To see them live is to see barely contained chaos.
Here is their story:
In 1988, two friends, Brian Fritts and Curt Bruce, started writing punk rock songs together to go along with their other hobbies: drinking beer, skateboarding, smoking pot, and trying to get laid.
In 1989, Curt moved to California to attend school; that’s when Bigtop got an offer to open for NW heavyweights Poison Idea. Brian scrambled together a lineup, which ended up being Brian (guitar), Josh Cagle (drums), Phil Bentz (bass), and Rob Bruce (Curt’s older brother) on vocals. They played a few gigs under this lineup, then Phil left to join Slam Suzanne. Jerry Leonard took over bass guitar duties.
As Bigtop started making noise in the scene, Curt came home to rejoin. This is the lineup they used to record their first EP, with noted producer Chris Hanzsek, at famed Seattle studio Reciprocal Recordings.
Beginning in 1990, they recruited powerhouse drummer Tom Pulley. In this commanding lineup, their songcraft, fusing punk, metal, funk, thrash, and rock, began to take full effect. For 6 short months, 5 young men came together to create a legacy that lives to this day. In July, the day after filling a local Grange Hall to capacity, Rob and Curt, along with their girlfriends, Mayumi Paull and Jennifer Olive, were taken from us by a drunk driver. With their community devastated, Bigtop pushed on. With the support of family and friends, Bigtop was able to continue with Kirk Verhey on vocals.
This is the lineup that carried on for a few more years, recording 2 full-length LPs and playing many shows throughout the Pacific Northwest. Playing with many diverse acts such as D.O.A., Forced Entry, Gruntruck, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Candlebox, TKO, The Gits, Black Happy, The Ziggens, The Accused, etc.
In 1997, another full-length CD came out, which was completely DIY. During these years, Brian, Kirk & Jerry continued playing shows with different drummers and recorded a few demos and songs that were released on various compilations, while also working in a few of Seattle’s famed studios such as London Bridge, and with some noted producers, Dave Hillis (Pearl Jam) and Gerry Irwin (The Melvins).
Bigtop also founded and organized a multi-day music festival, BDAD, held for many years between 1991 and 2006.
In 2007 and 2008, Bud Gaugh (Sublime) and Brad Conyers (The Ziggens) respectively came to Seattle to record drums and collaborate on music with Bigtop. These Sessions ended up becoming their last full-length CD, “Festejamos”.
Brian's other bands have included 13 Scars, The Accused, The Black Nasty, Bumpin Uglies and Ruckers Tomb.
Kirk's other bands included Mace, SGM, MC Stagger and the Red Eyes.
Jerry's other bands have included Dezdemona, The Graceland Five, The Barbarinos, Mace and The Swaggerlies.
So, to this day, you may still see "the funnest bunch of guys you'll ever see on stage". And you might just see one or two of them at your local watering hole, so if you do, in the words of Rob Bruce, “Come up and say Hi, because we're about making friends and having fun."
-Earl Thunders-
If you're of a certain age and from a certain geographical anomaly known as Everett, Washington, you've heard of Bigtop, you've seen Bigtop play, and you've been drunk with at least one member of Bigtop at some point. Along with bands such as The Accused, Mace and The Dehumanizers, they defined a certain "pre-grunge" sound that made it all the way from Hewitt Ave in Everett across the Atlantic, long before there was social media. Underground music had to be passed around via cassettes, word of mouth, and DIY fanzines. They most likely don't think of themselves as influential, but to my ears I hear their influence still. They're smarter than they sound at first listen. They're better players than they have been given credit for. To see them live is to see barely contained chaos.
Here is their story:
In 1988, two friends, Brian Fritts and Curt Bruce, started writing punk rock songs together to go along with their other hobbies: drinking beer, skateboarding, smoking pot, and trying to get laid.
In 1989, Curt moved to California to attend school; that’s when Bigtop got an offer to open for NW heavyweights Poison Idea. Brian scrambled together a lineup, which ended up being Brian (guitar), Josh Cagle (drums), Phil Bentz (bass), and Rob Bruce (Curt’s older brother) on vocals. They played a few gigs under this lineup, then Phil left to join Slam Suzanne. Jerry Leonard took over bass guitar duties.
As Bigtop started making noise in the scene, Curt came home to rejoin. This is the lineup they used to record their first EP, with noted producer Chris Hanzsek, at famed Seattle studio Reciprocal Recordings.
Beginning in 1990, they recruited powerhouse drummer Tom Pulley. In this commanding lineup, their songcraft, fusing punk, metal, funk, thrash, and rock, began to take full effect. For 6 short months, 5 young men came together to create a legacy that lives to this day. In July, the day after filling a local Grange Hall to capacity, Rob and Curt, along with their girlfriends, Mayumi Paull and Jennifer Olive, were taken from us by a drunk driver. With their community devastated, Bigtop pushed on. With the support of family and friends, Bigtop was able to continue with Kirk Verhey on vocals.
This is the lineup that carried on for a few more years, recording 2 full-length LPs and playing many shows throughout the Pacific Northwest. Playing with many diverse acts such as D.O.A., Forced Entry, Gruntruck, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Candlebox, TKO, The Gits, Black Happy, The Ziggens, The Accused, etc.
In 1997, another full-length CD came out, which was completely DIY. During these years, Brian, Kirk & Jerry continued playing shows with different drummers and recorded a few demos and songs that were released on various compilations, while also working in a few of Seattle’s famed studios such as London Bridge, and with some noted producers, Dave Hillis (Pearl Jam) and Gerry Irwin (The Melvins).
Bigtop also founded and organized a multi-day music festival, BDAD, held for many years between 1991 and 2006.
In 2007 and 2008, Bud Gaugh (Sublime) and Brad Conyers (The Ziggens) respectively came to Seattle to record drums and collaborate on music with Bigtop. These Sessions ended up becoming their last full-length CD, “Festejamos”.
Brian's other bands have included 13 Scars, The Accused, The Black Nasty, Bumpin Uglies and Ruckers Tomb.
Kirk's other bands included Mace, SGM, MC Stagger and the Red Eyes.
Jerry's other bands have included Dezdemona, The Graceland Five, The Barbarinos, Mace and The Swaggerlies.
So, to this day, you may still see "the funnest bunch of guys you'll ever see on stage". And you might just see one or two of them at your local watering hole, so if you do, in the words of Rob Bruce, “Come up and say Hi, because we're about making friends and having fun."
-Earl Thunders-
