Over 11 years and 570 episodes, John Rabe and Team Off-Ramp scoured SoCal for the people, places, and ideas whose stories needed to be told, and the show became a love-letter to Los Angeles. Now, John is sharing selections from the Off-Ramp vault to help you explore this imperfect paradise.
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When the alternative punk scene was sprouting up in Los Angeles, it produced big names like Weezer and Beck, and also big influencers that are less known but just as important-- like that dog. This year marks the 20th anniversary of their third and final album, "Retreat from the Sun"-- the band broke up shortly after the album's release in 1997. Offramp producer Taylor Orci chatted with guitarist/vocalist Anna Waronker, percussionist/drummer Tony Maxwell, and bassist/vocalist Rachel Haden about their decision to link back up and play their final album in its entirety at the El Rey.
"I was struggling with alcoholism," recalls bassist Rachel Haden on why the band decided to reunite. "I was in a sober living facility and I really missed being in a band and playing music." She called up Anna, who struggled with the idea of getting the band back together until, "I was like, why am I keeping this from anybody?" The band reunited in 2011 and put up a Kickstarter to raise money to record another album in November of 2016. Initially they asked for $17,500, but ended up receiving $35,550 from almost 600 backers.
that dog. formed from a pack of neighbors, high school friends, and siblings in 1991 (Petra Haden, Rachel sister and the band's violinist/vocalist decided to part ways shortly after they recorded their reunion album). The four musicians collaborated individually or as a group with numerous iconic bands including Beck, Weezer, Green Day, Nada Surf, Jimmy Eat World, as well as worked on various solo projects.
that dog. will play "Retreat from the Sun" in its entirety Saturday April 8th at the El Rey with opening act Imperial Teen.