The Circus Tents
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Defunct | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Grass Valley, California , United States |
| Products | Music recordings (cassette, 7" record) |
The Circus Tents were a skate punk group originating from Grass Valley, California, active between 1989 and 1993. The ensemble consisted of Matt Wedgley on lead vocals, Jon Sortland handling drums, Chad Cox playing bass, along with guitarists Scot Pickering and Jeff Jones. Their releases include a self-titled cassette featuring 12 tracks issued in 1990, which was limited to 100 copies, and a 7" record titled Hard Up with four songs, released through Insurrection Records in 1992 with a production run of 1,000 units. The band gained visibility by having their music included in early Powell Peralta skateboarding videos showcasing Chris Senn.
International attention came when Billie Joe Armstrong was seen with a Circus Tents sticker on his guitar in the "Longview" video. Moreover, AFI performed a cover of their song "Open Your Eyes" on the album Answer That and Stay Fashionable. The Circus Tents also contributed a rendition of "I Hate Cops," originally by The Authorities, for a tribute compilation that was never released, which featured other artists such as Screeching Weasel and The Meatmen.
Reunion
In 2018, The Circus Tents reunited briefly alongside The Force at the Miners Foundry Cultural Center for a memorial concert dedicated to the late bassist Chad Cox, who died in 2014. During this event, Hunter Burgan substituted on bass for The Circus Tents, while Jon Sortland took over drumming duties for The Force.
Bands after breakup
- Matt Wedgley: The Force, The Wimpy Heroes, Viva Hate, Dirty Filthy Mugs
- Jon Sortland: E V Kain, Cigar, American City, Leopold and His Fiction, Broken Bells, The Shins
- Scot Pickering: The Wimpy Heroes, Superuin
- Chad Cox: The Force
- Jeff Jones: Cigar