Let's Active
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1981 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States |
| Founder | Mitch Easter |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Fate | Disbanded; briefly reunited in 2014 for a charity event |
| Headquarters | Winston-Salem , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Mitch Easter, Faye Hunter, Sara Romweber, Angie Carlson |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Number of employees | Various band members over time |
Let's Active was a rock band originating from Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1981, distinguished by the distinctive jangle pop guitar style of frontman and songwriter Mitch Easter. Although the group disbanded in 1990, they briefly reunited in August 2014 for a charity event in North Carolina.
Formation (1981–1982)
Guitarist and producer Mitch Easter established Let's Active alongside bassist Faye Hunter. Drummer Sara Romweber, aged 17 at the time, joined the lineup just two weeks prior to their inaugural live performance. The band's name was inspired by a Japanese T-shirt that unintentionally displayed a nonsensical English phrase. Early promoters frequently misnamed them as "Let's Dance" or "Les Active."
Their first gig took place on November 13, 1981, at Atlanta’s 688 Club, where they opened for R.E.M., whose debut EP Chronic Town (1982) was produced by Easter. Additionally, Easter co-produced R.E.M.’s first two albums (Murmur and Reckoning) alongside Don Dixon.
Afoot and Cypress (1983–1984)
After signing with I.R.S. Records in 1983, Let's Active featured on the label’s MTV show I.R.S. Records Presents: The Cutting Edge, releasing their six-track EP Afoot that same year. The music video for "Every Word Means No" showcased puppies instead of the intended adult dogs, which influenced public perception of the band.
Lynn Blakey joined them as a touring member in 1983. Their first full-length album, Cypress, arrived in 1984. During a UK tour that year, drummer Romweber departed; soon after, Hunter and Easter ended their romantic relationship. Easter maintained Let's Active’s momentum with Hunter and members of The Windbreakers, Jay Peck on drums and Tim Lee on keyboards, before assembling a new lineup.
Big Plans for Everybody and Every Dog Has His Day (1985–1990)
In 1985, Angie Carlson, previously a rock journalist, joined as guitarist and keyboardist. Following Hunter’s exit, Carlson took on vocal duties and later married Easter.
The band’s sophomore album, Big Plans for Everybody (1986), was largely an Easter solo project—he performed most instruments and oversaw production. Contributions came from Carlson, Hunter, and drummers Rob Ladd and Eric Marshall on select tracks. Bassist Dennis Ambrose played during the 1986 tour with Easter, Carlson, and Marshall but was replaced by Janine Cooper Ayres for the autumn tour supporting R.E.M.
By their third release, Every Dog Has His Day (1988), Let's Active had adopted a more aggressive power pop style. Co-produced by John Leckie and Easter, the album credited Easter, Carlson, Marshall, and new bassist Jon Heames; however, recording primarily involved Easter and Marshall with significant input from Carlson. This lineup also toured following the album’s release.
The group disbanded after their final show in 1990 amid the end of Easter and Carlson's relationship.
Post-breakup careers (1990–2014)
After Let's Active dissolved, Carlson formed Grover in 1993, issuing a single and the album My Wild Life (1995), with Easter producing several tracks.
Easter concentrated on production work while occasionally performing. He contributed solo covers to tribute albums honoring R.E.M. and The Hollies, toured briefly with Velvet Crush during the mid-1990s, and in 2000 created the trio Shalini alongside Eric Marshall and singer-songwriter Shalini Chatterjee (his then-partner). While Easter composed some songs, Chatterjee served as lead vocalist and principal songwriter. The trio also performed briefly under the name Fiendish Minstrels with Easter singing and featuring Let's Active material. From the mid-2000s onward, Easter resumed solo efforts culminating in his only official solo release, Dynamico, in 2007.
Romweber co-founded Snatches of Pink and later joined her brother Dexter Romweber of Flat Duo Jets in 2007 to record and perform as the Dex Romweber Duo.
Faye Hunter passed away by suicide on July 21, 2013, in Advance, North Carolina, at age 59.
Reunion (2014)
In August 2014, Mitch Easter and Sara Romweber brought Let's Active back together for a benefit show benefiting the Be Loud! Sophie Foundation, an organization dedicated to cancer support. Easter enlisted Suzi Ziegler, formerly of Game Theory (band), to fill in on bass, replacing Faye Hunter. Easter and Ziegler had a prior working relationship from the production of Game Theory's 1986 release The Big Shot Chronicles. This reformed trio was complemented by keyboardist Missy Thangs from the Love Language and vocalist Lynn Blakey, delivering performances of fan favorites such as "Every Word Means No" and "Edge of the World".
Sara Romweber died on March 4, 2019, at age 55 due to a brain tumor.
Legacy and critical response
Although Let's Active received praise from critics, their commercial impact remained modest. Their initial prominence was largely linked to Easter’s production contributions for acts like R.E.M., the Bongos, and Pylon. Billboard lauded their 1984 track "Every Word Means No" as a "quintessential gem," recognizing the band as "one of the more intriguing garage pop bands" distinguished by "endless hooks and cleverly skewed lyrics." Mark Deming from AllMusic acknowledged the group for establishing Easter as "one of the finer songwriters of his time," emphasizing that their sharp melodies and perceptive lyrics merited broader college radio play and commercial achievement.
The band’s influence led to the 2003 tribute compilation Every Word: A Tribute to Let's Active, which includes 20 cover versions by artists such as Don Dixon, Bill Lloyd, Bobby Sutliff, and Tommy Womack.
Personnel
Core Members
- Mitch Easter – guitar, vocals (1981–1990, 2014)
- Faye Hunter – bass guitar, vocals (1981–1986)
- Sara Romweber – drums (1981–1984, 2014)
- Angie Carlson – guitar, keyboards, vocals (1985–1990)
- Rob Ladd – drums (1985–1986)
- Eric Marshall – drums (1986–1990)
- Jon Heames – bass guitar (1987–1990)
- Suzi Ziegler – bass guitar (2014)
Additional Touring Musicians
- Lynn Blakey – vocals (1983, 2014)
- Tim Lee – keyboards (1984–1985)
- Jay Peck – drums (1984–1985)
- Dennis Ambrose – bass guitar (1986)
- Janine Cooper Ayres – bass guitar (1986–1987)
- Missy Thangs – keyboards (2014)
Studio Albums
- Cypress (1984, I.R.S.)
- Big Plans for Everybody (1986, I.R.S.)
- Every Dog Has His Day (1988, I.R.S.)
Extended Plays
- Afoot (1983, I.R.S.)
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart position | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Modern Rock | |||
| 1984 | "Blue Line" | – | Cypress |
| 1984 | "Waters Part" | – | Cypress |
| 1986 | "In Little Ways" | – | Big Plans for Everybody |
| 1986 | "I Feel Funny" | – | non-album (Bucketfull of Brains magazine flexi) |
| 1988 | "Every Dog Has His Day" | 17 | Every Dog Has His Day |
External links
- Articles with short description
- Musical ensembles formed in 1981
- Musical ensembles disbanded in 1990
- Musical acts originating from North Carolina
- Rock bands based in North Carolina
- Alternative rock bands from North Carolina
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina cultural entities
- American jangle pop bands
- American power pop bands
- 1981 North Carolina establishments
- Artists signed to I.R.S. Records
- Musical groups disestablished in 1990