Dynamite Boy
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1995 in Austin, Texas, United States |
| Founder | Andrew Leeper, Matt Greco, Lester Chiu, John Huckleba |
| Defunct | 2005 |
| Fate | Disbanded; reunited periodically until 2014; inactive since |
| Headquarters | Austin , United States |
| Products | Albums, EPs, singles |
Dynamite Boy was a pop punk ensemble originating from Austin, Texas. The group's final and most enduring formation consisted of Sean Neil, Dusty Kohn, Adrian Munoz, and Sam Rich. After a decade of activity, they dissolved in 2005, though they reunited periodically until 2014 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of their last album. Since then, the band has remained inactive.
History
Established in 1995 in Austin by Andrew Leeper, Matt Greco, Lester Chiu, and John Huckleba, Dynamite Boy transitioned from their original punk-funk approach to embrace pop punk. Shortly after their inception, original vocalist Lester Chiu departed and was succeeded by Sean Neil, who initially joined as the lead singer but switched to guitar due to stage anxiety. In 1996, they produced a demo and a split 7-inch record with The Impossibles, coinciding with a tour along the West Coast. Soon after, drummer John Huckleba exited and was replaced by Scott Williams. This ensemble recorded their debut album, Hell is Other People, which was released late in 1997 through Offtime Records. Prior to the album’s release, bassist Matt Greco left and was temporarily replaced by Craig Tweedy before Adrian Munoz took over permanently in 1998.
Initially concentrating on live performances within Texas, the band signed with Fearless Records in 1999 and issued their sophomore album Finder's Keepers alongside an EP titled Devoted, which had been recorded earlier but remained unreleased until 2001. During the recording of Finder's Keepers, founding member Andrew Leeper departed due to his unwillingness to tour; Daniel Cavazos then joined for their third album Somewhere in America (2001). That same year saw drummer Scott Williams leave, with Sam Rich stepping in as his replacement. Later on, guitarist Cavazos was succeeded by Dusty Kohn, while Urny Maxwell of Cruiserweight occasionally filled in and appeared in the video for their song "Satellite."
Dynamite Boy embarked on extensive tours alongside prominent bands such as The Ataris, The Offspring, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Further Seems Forever, Riddlin' Kids, Cruiserweight, Fall Out Boy, Mest, and Lost City Angels.
Following the release of their final album in 2004, the group disbanded in 2005 when Sean Neil decided to leave touring life to focus on starting a family.
In 2004, under the alias 'Loincloth,' they composed and recorded the title track for the short film Gay By Dawn.
On April 21, 2008, Punkbands.com revealed that Dynamite Boy would reunite for a show at Emo's in Austin on April 26; previous reunion performances had taken place in 2006 and 2007. This 2008 concert coincided with the digital release of their rarities compilation Time Flies. Additional reunion appearances occurred in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
In 2002, Dynamite Boy contributed a rendition of "I Want It That Way" for the Fearless Records compilation Punk Goes Pop. They also covered AC/DC’s "T.N.T." for the album Punk Goes Metal. In 2003, three tracks—"AV99," "Kaleidoscope," and "Little Bobby"—were featured in the Disney film MXP: Most Extreme Primate, with "AV99" performed on-screen by the character Jay’s band.
Albums
- Hell Is Other People (Offtime Records; 1997)
- Finder's Keeper's (Fearless Records; 1999)
- Somewhere in America (Fearless Records; 2001)
- Dynamite Boy (Fearless Records; 2004)
EPs
- Devoted EP (Offtime Records, 2001)
- Dynamite Boy vs. Cruiserweight split EP alongside Cruiserweight (Stab Me Recordings, 2003)
Compilations
- Time Flies (Stab Me Recordings; 2008)
- Punk til ya Promote (Bad Stain Records; 2000)
Singles
- "Only God Can Stop Us Now" split 7-inch shared with The Impossibles (Rollo Records, 1996)
- "Red Envelope" 7-inch release (Stab Me Recordings, 2003)