Do not be surprised if the formerly defunct Face to Face show up on the schedule of a festival that you attend this summer. The band announced that it will play select festival dates in the U.S. and around the world, already confirming stops at the Groezrock Festival in Belgium on May 10 (along with other classic punk bands Sick of it All, Agnostic Front, Bad Religion, Alkaline Trio and Hot Water Music) and the Virgin Festival (Calgary) on June 21. The band will be appearing with its lineup from the Ignorance is Bliss and Reactionaryalbums: singer Trever Keith, bassist Scott Shiflett, guitarist Chad Yaro (left the band in 2001) and drummer Pete Parada (went on to play with Saves the Day and The Offspring).
After almost five years apart, the members of the legendary So Cal punk band Face to Face took the stage together last weekend. The group played three shows in the L.A. area, starting off at the Glasshouse in Pomona on Thursday, April 3 and Friday, April 4. This gave the group an opportunity to headline shows for local, dedicated fans before getting in front of the large audience at the Bamboozle Left on Saturday.
The individual members of Face to Face have separately commented that they are unsure of what will happen in the future. While there are no plans for a new album, it is quite possible that the band will continue touring after the summer festivals. Keith recently wrote on his website, "Truth is we really miss it. We all get along well. There is no personality drama or anything. The fans are still out there. And we have a blast playing these songs..."
So, why now? In a February 29 interview with Buzzgrinder, Keith commented, "We kept getting all these great offers to go out and play shows and we continued to turn them down for a few years. Finally we decided, 'Why not?' We love the music and we’re still practically like family. Why not continue to do something that is so fun?" "[I]t’s really just a matter of timing. Everything feels right; we’re all ready to get back out there and play live again, which is what has always been the strong suit for Face to Face .... Neither [Shiflett nor I] see this Face to Face reunion as a full-time pursuit. It’s really the live aspect of Face to Face that we want to continue to do," Keith told OC Weekly.
Face to Face formed in Victorville, CA back in 1991. The band released six studio albums, a live album, a cover album (that saw the group try its best impressions of Fugazi, the Smiths, the Pogues, Jawbreaker, INXS and other classic bands), and numerous EPs and compilations. In 2004, Keith's Antagonist Records released Shoot the Moon: The Essential Collection.
The band was extremely progressive and very influential during its 13 years in existence; not only in sound, but also with how it used technology and the Internet. In 1999, the band released a digital, five-track EP So Why Aren't You Happy?, available at a number of online retailers. Further, as a promotion with MP3.com, Face to Face fans downloaded songs and voted for their favorites, which were selected as the tracks for the 2000 album Reactionary. In six weeks, almost two million votes were tallied.
Never a huge "mainstream" success, Face to Face built a large, loyal following over the years through extensive touring. This fanbase further increased as the group shared the stage with a wide range of musical acts, including Weezer, Blink-182, the Pharcyde, Snapcase, and Cherry Poppin Daddies. The band saw limited radio airplay in 1995 when it released the single "Disconnected" off of Big Choice. This album went on to sell more than 100,000 units.
Trever Keith and Scott Shiflett went on to play with the band, Viva Death(also consisting of Shiflett's brother and Foo Fighter guitarist Chris and Vandals/A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese). Keith also is a part of the mash-up project Legion of Doom, which has contributed tracks for various film soundtracks, including the Saw and Underworld movies, and remixed a diverse range of artists (e.g., Coheed and Cambria, Gnarls Barkley, the Raconteurs, Ghostface Killah and Nick Cave).
Before the band makes any more appearances, Keith will be going out on his own for a national tour (dates below). His first solo record, "Melancholics Anonymous" is available on his website treverkeith.com. It took him almost four years to complete, yet he has a media player that allows visitors to listen to the full album for free. Well...what are waiting for?
Fri 4-18 Iowa City, IA The Picador (warm up show)
Sat 4-19 St. Paul, MN Station 4
Sun 4-20 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern
Mon 4-21 Detroit, MN The Magic Stick
Tue 4-22 Pittsburgh, PA 31st St Pub
Thu 4-24 Boston, MA Middle East
Fri 4-25 Philadelphia, PA North Star Bar
Sat 4-26 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s
Sun 4-27 Baltimore, MD Ottobar
Tue 4-29 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theater
Thu 5-1 Denver, CO Marquis Theater
Fri 5-2 Salt Lake City, UT Avalon Theater
Thu 5-29 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
Fri 5-30 Hollywood, CA The Troubadour
Sat 5-31 San Diego, CA The Casbah
