Urge

St. Louis rock band The Urge was formed in 1987 by drummer Jeff Herschel, bassist Karl Grable, guitarist Pat Malecek, and singer Steve Ewing. Combining multiple styles of music - including ska, thrash, metal, funk, reggae, and hip hop - the band would become infamous throughout the midwest and beyond for its highly energetic live shows, blistering musicianship, and rabid fan base.
The original Urge lineup debuted in 1989 with the cassette-only Bust Me Dat Forty, followed a year later by the LP Puttin' the Backbone Back. After the addition of trombonist Matt Kwiatkowski, the group released 1992's Magically Delicious; later the group added trombonist/keyboardist Todd Painter and saxophonist/keyboardist Bill Reiter, and in 1993 recorded the live LP Fat Babies in the Mix. After Herschel and Malecek left the band in 1994, guitarist Jerry Jost and drummer John Pessoni joined the lineup, and subsequent touring with 311 helped The Urge win a number of new fans. The 1995 release of Receiving the Gift of Flavor was so successful that it brought the band to the attention of Epic's Immortal imprint, which reissued the LP in 1996.
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