Avengers (band)

The Avengers

Company type	Punk rock band
Industry	Music
Founded	1977 in San Francisco, California, United States
Founder	Danny Furious, Greg Ingraham, Penelope Houston
Defunct	1979 (initial breakup)
Headquarters	San Francisco , United States
Area served	United States
Products	Punk rock music, studio albums, live albums, EPs
Number of employees	4 (current members)

The Avengers are a punk rock ensemble originating from San Francisco, established in 1977. Their initial release was the EP We Are the One (1977). Following their role as the opening act for the Sex Pistols, they collaborated with guitarist Steve Jones for recording sessions. The group disbanded in 1979 without producing a full-length album. After their breakup, an EP produced by Jones titled The Avengers was issued, followed by the 1983 compilation album Avengers. Lead vocalist Penelope Houston subsequently embarked on a solo career focused on folk music. Since 1999, the Avengers have reunited for various performances and released multiple studio and live albums.

Formation and early years

The band was founded by drummer Danny Furious (Danny O'Brien) and guitarist Greg Ingraham, who enlisted Penelope Houston as their singer. Initially, Jonathon Postal played bass but was soon replaced by Jimmy Wilsey. Their only original release during this period was the three-song EP We Are the One, launched through Dangerhouse Records in 1977.

After serving as the opening act for the Sex Pistols at their final San Francisco concert at Winterland, the Avengers recorded sessions produced by Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones. In January 1979, Brad Kent took over guitar duties from Ingraham; however, the band dissolved by June of that year. Shortly thereafter, White Noise Records released an EP titled Avengers, featuring tracks from the Jones-produced sessions. Following this, Houston concentrated on her solo endeavors.

The 1983 album Avengers, often referred to as the Pink Album, assembled recordings from across the band’s active years and was compiled by drummer Danny Furious. Legal complications caused it to be unavailable for many years; during this period, Houston distributed CD-R copies via her website. The album was reissued in 2010.

Reunion and later releases

In 1999, Lookout! Records issued a compilation album called Died for Your Sins, which included previously unreleased studio and live material along with three new tracks recorded by a reformed version of the Avengers (sometimes called scAvengers). This lineup featured original members Houston and Ingraham, bassist Joel Reader (known for The Mr. T Experience and The Plus Ones), and drummer Danny Panic (from Screeching Weasel). The group supported this release with several live performances. The live album Zero Hour was released in Italy in 2003, followed by 2004's The American in Me, which contained all tracks from Zero Hour plus four unreleased studio songs. Houston and Ingraham reunited once more with Reader and new drummer Luis Illades to promote these releases; this configuration has performed intermittently since then.

On July 16, 2006, Houston and Ingraham joined Pearl Jam onstage at the Bill Graham Civic Center to perform "American in Me". By January 2017, they were working on recordings in Berkeley under producer Robert Shimp.

Reception

• "The Avengers were one of the best punk bands. I’m proud that they’re from the Bay Area" (Billie Joe Armstrong, Green Day)
• "The Avengers, featuring singer Penelope Houston, helped lay the groundwork for political punk while giving the nascent musical form one of its first dynamic frontwomen." (San Antonio Current)

Current

• Penelope Houston – lead vocals (1977–79, 1999, 2004–present)
• Greg Ingraham – guitar (1977–79, 1999, 2004–present)
• Joel Reader – bass guitar (1999, 2004–present)
• Luis Illades – drums (2004–present)

Former

• Danny Furious (Daniel O'Brien) – drums (1977–79)
• Jonathan Postal – bass guitar (1977)
• Jimmy Wilsey – bass guitar (1977–79) (deceased December 24, 2018)
• Brad Kent – guitar (1979) (deceased February 3, 2016)
• Danny Panic – drums (1999)

Compilation albums

• Avengers (1983, CD Presents) – also released under the title Cadillacs and Lincolns
• Died for Your Sins (1999, Lookout! Records)
• The American in Me (2004, DBK Works)

Live albums

• Zero Hour (2003, Get Back Records)
• Live at Winterland 1978 (2010, CD Presents)

EPs

• We Are the One (1977, Dangerhouse Records)
• Avengers (1979, White Noise Records)

Singles

• "Paint it Black" b/w "Thin White Line" (1983, CD Presents)
• "Teenage Rebel" b/w "Friends" (1995, Really Fast Records)

External links

• Official website of Penelope Houston
• PUNKCAST#1028 video footage from the CBGB performance on September 8, 2006.