Tripping Daisy

History

The band incorporated a light show similar to The Joshua Light Show at the Fillmore East, such as hand made slide shows with multi layered 16 mm projections along with oil and water. This visual attention was present in the very first show and was the beginning of many multi media attractions to come.

In 1992 Bryan Wakeland replaced Jeff Bouck as the band's drummer, remaining 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 Tim more freedom to focus on lead vocal duty. Marine toured with the band until he was replaced by Ben Curtis, who drummed on Jesus Hit Like the Atom Bomb and Tripping Daisy.

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 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".

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". Tim has been noted as saying in 1990s era interviews that the record label pushed the live album out to capitalize on Bill's popularity, and it is not one of his favorite albums.

Commercial breakthrough

After signing a deal with Island Records, which rereleased Bill, 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 Butthead episode, a show known to lampoon popular music videos of the time.

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.

Other albums included Time Capsule (a mix of old demos, b-sides, and one new song - the only officially-released studio recording to feature drummer Mitch Marine), The Tops Off Our Heads (an impromptu "jam" EP recording that marked the band's first post-major label release), and the Self-Titled LP.

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.

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. Curtis died on December 29, 2013 from complications of lymphoma.

Tripping Daisy officially disbanded on December 14, 1999.

On January 5, 2017, their official Facebook Page teased a possible reunion event. News later confirmed the remaining members will perform on the stage of the Homegrown Festival in Dallas on May 13, 2017. On March 9, 2017, they announced Three additional Texas dates, making it the first Tripping Daisy tour in nearly twenty years. No other concert dates nor special music edition releases are confirmed for now.

Personnel

Albums

EPs