Ballyhoo!

Mixing pop, reggae, rock, ska, and even a little punk, Ballyhoo! are a band out of Aberdeen, Maryland whose music can be found on both Jimmy Buffett’s Radio Margaritaville and underground skateboarding videos. The band was formed in 1995 by brothers Howi Spangler (lead guitar and vocals) and Donald Spangler (drums), with the first lineup rounded out by Josh Farley (bass). In 1997, Farley left the band, and Cassius King took over on bass. Ballyhoo! released their debut album, 365-Day Weekend, in 2000, around the same time the group expanded to a four-piece with the addition of Scott Vandrey on keyboards. The Green EP followed in 2004; 365-Day Weekend and Green were released by Hooligan Records, as was 2006′s Do It for the Money, an album produced by 311 collaborator Scott Ralston. By the time Do It for the Money came out, Ballyhoo! had swapped bass players again, with Cassius King out and J.R. Gregory in on the low end. Their 2009 effort, Cheers!, found them on the Surfdog label, while 2011′s Day Dreams landed on the like-minded band Pepper’s label, LAW. After touring with the Vans Warped Tour 2012, Ballyhoo! climbed the Billboard 200 album chart with their 2013 release, Pineapple Grenade!!, issued by their own Right Coast Records label. Yet another bass player jumped ship in 2014, with Nick Lucera taking over for the departing J.R. Gregory. Lucera joined in time to sit in for Ballyhoo!’s 2015 EP, The Cool Down. The single “Mixtape” also saw release in 2015, and later popped up on the group’s 2017 album, Girls. ~ David Jeffries & Mark Deming