Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

With an ever-changing cast of characters, singer Spike Slawson (of the Swingin' Utters) originally formed the Gimme Gimmes in 1995, drawing on the talents of NOFX bassist Fat Mike, Lagwagon singer/guitarist Joey Cape, No Use for a Name guitarist Chris Shiflett (aka Jackson), and Lagwagon drummer Dave Raun. Never originally aiming to put out a record, the band made appearances on punk compilation albums through much of the year. In 1997, however, they began releasing singles named after the singer they had covered. They produced Billy, Diamond, Bob, Denver, and Barry in this manner.

Finally, the group produced its first full-length effort, Have a Ball, in late 1997. Two years later, Are a Drag arrived. This particular album was a hit at college radio thanks to the band's quirky renditions of popular show tunes. In 1999, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes reworked bubblegum classics from the 1960s and 1970s for Blow in the Wind. Once more, the band was a hit on college radio, and pop kids started catching on to Me First and the Gimme Gimmes' infectious pop sound. The R&B-tailored album Take a Break was released in July 2003, just in time for the band's fifth appearance on the annual Vans Warped Tour. In 2004, the band tackled a set of classic rock hits, easy listening numbers, and even "Hava Nagila" on the "live" album Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah, which included enhanced video footage of the gig in question. Continuing with the notion that no genre was safe from a Gimme Gimme makeover, Love Their Country appeared two years later, covering everyone from the Dixie Chicks to Johnny Cash to the Eagles.