Mischief Brew
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Founder | Erik Petersen |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia , United States |
Area served | United States, Europe |
Key people | Erik Petersen (vocals, guitar), Shawn St. Clair (bass), Christopher Petersen (drums), Christopher Kulp (drums, percussion) |
| Products | Music albums and EPs |
Mischief Brew was a Philadelphia-based American folk punk ensemble fronted by vocalist and guitarist Erik Petersen, alongside bassist Shawn St. Clair and drummers Christopher Petersen and Christopher Kulp. The group adopted a DIY ethos within the folk punk and anarcho-punk genres, fusing elements of American folk, Celtic folk, Gypsy-punk, and swing with lyrics deeply rooted in the labour movement, protest traditions, and punk ideology.
Originally launched by Erik Petersen as a solo act, the project gradually evolved into a full band. Petersen’s songwriting was influenced by 1960s protest culture and anti-establishment figures such as Woody Guthrie and Crass, underscoring that musical rebellion has long existed prior to punk’s emergence. His compositions frequently allude to early twentieth-century American labor activism.
Mischief Brew’s discography includes albums and EPs released through various independent labels, notably Art of the Underground, Gunner Records, and Fistolo Records. The band supported their recordings with extensive touring throughout both the United States and Europe. Their live shows typically featured four to five musicians performing with diverse instruments like junk percussion, trumpet, accordion, violin, mandolin, and vibraphone.
History
Erik Petersen founded Mischief Brew following the dissolution of his former band, The Orphans, in 2000. The Orphans had been established in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1995 with Petersen (vocals, guitar), Andrew Petersen (vocals, bass), Tom Johnson (guitar), and Andrew Baxter (drums). The group reunited for performances in 2004 and 2008.
Mischief Brew began as Petersen’s solo endeavor featuring his acoustic guitar or mandolin work. Early releases included the Mirth demo, the 2003 split Bellingham & Philadelphia alongside Robert Blake, and the Bakenal CDEP. After extensive solo acoustic tours, Petersen expanded the lineup to include Chris "Doc" Kulp on drums and Sean "Shantz" Yantz on bass. Their 2005 debut album Smash The Windows incorporated contributions from members of Leftöver Crack, World/Inferno Friendship Society, and Guignol, blending gypsy-folk with swing influences.
The next release, Songs From Under the Sink, compiled tracks written between 1997 and 2002 that highlighted Petersen’s anarchist perspectives and sophisticated guitar arrangements. Following Yantz’s exit, bass responsibilities were assumed by Kevin Holland before Shawn St. Clair joined. In 2008, Mischief Brew issued Photographs from the Shoebox, a split LP/CD collaboration with Joe Jack Talcum of The Dead Milkmen.
In 2009, they unveiled a unique split record with Andrew Jackson Jihad featuring dual versions of "Punx Win!" pressed on an 8" disc with parallel grooves via Pirates Press Records. That same year included a partnership with Franz Nicolay’s Guignol on Fight Dirty. Their 2011 album The Stone Operation was preceded in 2010 by the single "Dallas In Romania," which gained notable radio play.
Coinciding with the release of This Is Not For Children, Mischief Brew produced three music videos for songs "O, Pennsyltucky!", "City of Black Fridays", and "Squatter Envy," all featured on that record.
The band actively supported organizations such as Food Not Bombs, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and ABC No Rio. Erik Petersen also performed at Occupy Philadelphia in 2011.
Erik Petersen, the group’s founding member, passed away on July 14, 2016. A tribute aired on WXPN’s The Folk Show three days afterward.
Band members
- Mischief Brew personnel
At the time of Erik Petersen's passing in 2016, Mischief Brew's lineup consisted of Erik and Chris Petersen, alongside Shawn St. Clair.
- Erik Petersen – lead vocals, guitar, mandolin
- Shawn St. Clair – bass guitar
- Christopher Petersen – drums and percussion
- Christopher "Doc" Kulp – drums, percussion, guitar
- Sean Yantz – bass guitar
Original bassist Sean Yantz was temporarily succeeded by Kevin Holland before Shawn St. Clair assumed the role permanently. Christopher "Doc" Kulp, the original drummer who had collaborated with Erik since their Kettle Rebellion days and was later replaced by Chris Petersen, continued to make guest appearances even after leaving the band. In addition to its core members, Mischief Brew frequently worked alongside musicians such as Franz Nicolay and Tom Swafford.
- Kettle Rebellion personnel
Established in 2001 following the release of the Mirth demo, Kettle Rebellion served as the full-band precursor to Mischief Brew. They recorded eight tracks in 2002, which were eventually issued on a self-titled EP in 2014.
- Erik Petersen – vocals, guitar, mandolin
- Jon Foy – bass, backing vocals
- Christopher "Doc" Kulp – drums, percussion, backing vocals, bugle
Timeline
- Mischief Brew (2000–2016) and Kettle Rebellion (2001–2002)
<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:130 bottom:120 top:0 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/2000 till:07/14/2016 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:2000 ScaleMinor = unit:month increment:6 start:2000
Colors =
id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:Backing value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar_&_mandolin id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums_&_percussion id:Bugle value:yelloworange legend:Bugle id:bar value:black legend:Albums_&_splits id:bar2 value:gray(0.5) legend:EPs_&_7s
LineData =
at:03/01/2003 color:black layer:back at:07/12/2005 color:black layer:back at:06/06/2006 color:black layer:back at:06/01/2008 color:black layer:back at:10/13/2009 color:black layer:back at:05/10/2011 color:black layer:back at:06/22/2015 color:black layer:back at:02/02/2016 color:black layer:back at:09/01/2003 color:bar2 layer:back at:06/01/2005 color:bar2 layer:back at:06/01/2008 color:bar2 layer:back at:02/17/2009 color:bar2 layer:back at:06/21/2009 color:bar2 layer:back at:08/28/2012 color:bar2 layer:back at:03/01/2013 color:bar2 layer:back at:09/01/2013 color:bar2 layer:back at:06/01/2014 color:bar2 layer:back
BarData =
bar:Erik text:"Erik Petersen" bar:Jon text:"Jon Foy" bar:Sean text:"Sean Yantz" bar:Kevin text:"Kevin Holland" bar:Shawn text:"Shawn St. Clair" bar:Doc text:"Christopher Doc Kulp" bar:Chris text:"Christopher Petersen"
PlotData =
width:3 textcolor:black align:left anchor=from shift:(10,-4) bar:Erik from:start till:end color:Guitar bar:J on from :06 /01 /2001 till :06 /01 /2002 color=Backing bar:D oc from :06 /01 /2001 till :06 /01 /2002 color=Bugle
width=11 textcolor:black align:left anchor=on shift:(10,-4) bar:E rik from:start till:end color=Vocals bar:J on from :06 /01 /2001 till :06 /01 /2002 color=Bass bar:S ean from :08 /01 /2003 till :08 /01 /2006 color=Bass bar :Kevin from :08 /01 /2006 till :09 /15 /2006 color=Bass bar:S hawn from :09 /15 /2006 till:end color=Bass bar:D oc from :06 /01 /2001 till :06 /01 /2002 color=Drums bar:D oc from :06 /01 /2003 till :06 /05 /2008 color=Drums bar:C hris from :06 /01 /2008 till:end color=Drums</timeline>
Discography
Studio albums
- Bellingham & Philadelphia (Art of the Underground, 2003) – split release with Robert Blake; credited to Erik Petersen
- Smash The Windows (Fistolo/Gunner, 2005)
- Songs From Under The Sink (Fistolo, 2006) – reissued in the year of Petersen's death
- Photographs From The Shoebox (Fistolo, 2008) – split with Joe Jack Talcum; reissued in 2014
- Fight Dirty (Fistolo, 2009) – collaborative project with Guignol
- The Stone Operation (Fistolo, 2011)
- This Is Not For Children (Alternative Tentacles, 2015)
- Bacchanal 'N' Philadelphia (Fistolo, released posthumously in 2016)
Extended plays and singles
Mischief Brew regularly issued EPs and singles, many being split releases with other artists. The single Under The Table, for example, was part of a series by Suburban Home Records. The previously lost Kettle Rebellion EP was later recovered and officially issued following unauthorized leaks.
- Bakenal EP (Fistolo, 2003)
- Oh Sweet Misery single (Art of the Underground, 2005)
- Two Boxcars single (Fistolo, 2005) – split with David Dondero
- Loved, But Unrespected single (Fistolo, 2006) – split with Bread and Roses
- Jobs in Steeltown single (Fistolo, 2008)
- Partners In Crime No.2 single (Fistolo/Crafty, 2009) – split with Guitar Bomb among others
- Punx Win! (Pirates Press, 2009) – split with AJJ
- Rhapsody For Knives EP (Fistolo, 2012)
- Free Radical Radio Fever single (Gunner, 2013)
- Under The Table single (Silver Sprocket Bicycle Club, 2013) – split with Franz Nicolay
- Kettle Rebellion EP (Fistolo/Different Circle, 2014)
Demos and cassettes
- Mirth... demo tape (Fistolo, 2000)
- Various live recordings and early demos released between 2001 and 2014 including collaborative projects
Compilation appearances
Mischief Brew has contributed tracks to numerous compilations that support punk scenes and activist efforts across multiple record labels.
Soundtrack appearances
The track "Fight Dirty" was featured in the movie Con Artist (2009), appeared in the extended edition of Deadpool 2, and was included in the documentary film The Farmer And The Horse (2010).
Bootleg and unofficial recordings
Numerous live acoustic performances and sessions have been shared informally within the fan community.