Years active 1988–2008 | ||
Origin Reston, Virginia, United States Genres Punk rock, hardcore punk, melodic hardcore, post-hardcore Labels Jade Tree Records
Fat Wreck
Lookout! Records Members Tim Barry
Joe Banks
Gwomper
Ed Trask
Beau Beau Past members Brien Stewart
Doug Crosby
Erik Larsen
Chuck McCauley | ||
Avail was a punk rock band from Richmond, Virginia. Originally from Reston, Va. the band formed in 1988, its members including Joe Banks, Doug Crosby, Brien Stewart, and Mikey Warstler. The only original remaining member, guitar player Joe Banks, teamed up with rival band LDK's (Learning Disabled Kids) Tim Barry. They moved to Richmond in 1990, and soon, after numerous line up changes, put together a solid lineup to release their first album "Satiate" in 1992. Many of their lyrics center on Richmond. The band released six studio albums.
Contents
The band has never officially disbanded, but has not released new material since 2002 and not played live since late 2007.
Members
Label Change
Avail self-released their first LP, Satiate on Catheter-Assembly Records. It was later re-released by Lookout! Records. They released several studio releases on Lookout! and then went on to Fat Wreck Chords for One Wrench and Front Porch Stories. Most recently, they have signed on with Jade Tree Records who has recently re-released the Avail albums Dixie, 4am Friday, and Over the James.
Legacy in Richmond
Tim Barry is currently writing and performing solo music. Joe Banks, along with former members Erik Larson and Chuck McCauley, formed The Ghost Run in 2009. Joe Banks, Chuck McCauley and Erik Larson have also teamed up in the band Freeman. Brien Stewart went on to form Lickity Split (1996-1999) and is currently in Northern Virginia performing music in the band Ruin By Design (2015-present). Member Ed Trask, formerly of Richmond's own Kepone, is continuing to promote the arts in Richmond through his own mural work, as well as helping to create events such as the RVA Street Art Festival, which took place in the summer of 2012 along the Canal Walk in downtown Richmond. Avail had developed into a legend in Richmond's music scene. Having helped to establish Richmond as a hub for independent music, some consider Avail to be representative of a certain time period in Richmond history. Graffiti, sidewalk impressions and tattoos in particular, bearing the "dixie" image, are quite common and generally a source of pride for some Richmond locals.