Acrobatic Tenement

This era encapsulates the birth of ATDI, and the shows that supported their first two EPs and first LP, Acrobatic Tenement. 

With hindsight it is remarkable that At the Drive-In became a festival headlining act, a darling of music journalists and DYI punks, and lauded as bringing post-hardcore and emo rock into the popular public eye.  That is because it is not often your high school band makes it to the main stage, or even the next town over.  Yet, somehow, through incredible grinding, perseverance, and definitely no luck this cohort of El Paso punks did accomplish what so many of us dream of in our youth.  To see your childhood dream blossom into reality, despite all odds against you and some self-sabotage;  that is At the Drive-In.  Before we get to that.  Before we get to the notorious Big Day Out show, the critically acclaimed Relationship of Command, throwing your guitar on the Conan O’Brien show, the blow-up, the reunion, and then another reunion, we start in the high school auditoriums, illegal concert venues, living rooms, and parking lots of El Paso Texas.

Because understandably no one perceived that At the Drive-In would achieve the level of success they did we do not have a lot of information or media to help enlighten us about these initial years. Fortunately, the bits and pieces we do have can help us paint a, perhaps incomplete, picture of the beginning of these El Paso vagabonds.

For those reading this coming from the world of The Mars Volta or only know At the Drive-In from their later era this iteration is going to look and sound incredibly different.  Omar, Paul, and Tony are nowhere to be seen, with Cedric and Jim being the core founding members to survive until their initial collapse.  Instead Jarrett, Kenny, and Bernie fill in the role of backing guitar, bass, and drums.  The more piercing sound and unconventional song structure has not quite blossomed yet either, with songs being a more conventional blend of punk and emo, fitting of the early and mid-90s.

You will also see the same venues propagate during this time like The Attic and Golden Age Recreation Center.  These are teenagers after all, just about to complete high school, having already dropped out, or being between college semesters; where else will they play?  It’s not like The Orpheum is calling them yet, but that’s the charm of this story, is it not? That these literal children were not industry plants, media darlings, nepo-babies, or trust fund beneficiaries, but rather those committed to their art at a level that could be considered foolish and charmingly naive?

The initial core line-up wasn’t afraid to take their show on the road at a very early stage in their career, doing a miniature tour across Texas shortly after forming; playing songs from their first two EPs and some songs that would never be recorded.  The audiences were small, frequently in the single digits, a common occurrence across their early career.  Even in their hometown El Paso the band received little love or attention, but from the little media that was archived it didn’t matter how big or small the audience was, At the Drive-In went all out.

Sadly, the band would experience the first of it’s line-up changes and tragedies in 1995 after their first drummer, Bernie Rincon completed suicide.  Kenny Hopper would then bow out as bassist.  Davvy Simmons would replace Bernie on drums and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, fresh off a vagabond drift across the United States, would fill in the bass slot.  The band would then begin their second tour, exploring beyond Texas and traveling across the United States. The DIY punk aesthetic is ripe in this tour, playing a variety of small cities at illegal venues, community centers, and parks.  When is the last time your favorite band played in North Dakota or Iowa?  Maybe not the most important markets to invest in, however it shows their willingness to play to any audience anywhere.

Returning back in El Paso At the Drive-In would have yet another line-up change, replacing Davvy Simmons with Ryan Sawyer on drums and Adam Amperen replacing Jarrett Wren on guitar.  Once again the young daredevils would load their van and head-out, touring the Southwest before ending up in Los Angeles and cutting their first full-length, Acrobatic Tenement, a story told many times before and better detailed elsewhere.  In short, At The Drive-In nearly dissolved during those sessions, that and a mixture of immaturity and drugs would result in a rough and ready album.

Upon their return Ryan and Jarrett would be fired, and At the Drive-In would resume their rebuilding phase leading to some significant line-up changes and some hard lessons that would ensure their future success.

In hindsight it is unfortunate how can’t the details about these initial years, yet all things considered it makes sense people weren’t quite paying attention yet.  The foundation is being laid here for a slow and steady burn that would eventually speed up out of control.  These aren’t halycon days nor some secret golden age, but the hard lessons of young souls navigating the relentlessly cruel world of professional musicianship when you refuse to compromise your vision.  One could say the hardship is tough to watch, some would say the worse part is how little has changed, but another perspective is the admiration of people being willing to actually pursue their vision.