The Mr. T Experience
The Mr. T Experience performing live, showing members Dr. Frank (left) and Bobby J (right).
Background information
Origin	Berkeley, California
Genre(s)	Punk rock, pop punk
Years active	1985–current
Label(s)	Lookout!, Disorder, Rough Trade
Associated acts	Bent Nails, Samiam, Plus Ones, The Bomb Bassets
Members
Dr. Frank Ted Angel Bobby Jordan Jim "Jym" Ruzicka
Former members
Byron Stamatatos Jon Von Zelowitz Aaron Rubin Alex Laipeneiks Joel Reader Gabe Meline

The Mr. Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Pop punk (also known as punk pop and other names is a Fusion genre that combines elements of Punk rock with Pop music, to varying In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Lookout! Records is an Independent record label based in Berkeley California. Rough Trade Records began as an Independent record label, based in London, England. Samiam is a band from El Sobrante California formed in 1988 after the breakup of the Gilman club mainstay Isocracy. The Bomb Bassets are an American Rock and roll band Formed by brothers Dallas Denery of Sweet Baby and John Denery of The Hi-Fives Frank Portman (better known by the stage name Dr Frank) is an American Musician, Singer, Guitarist, and Author. T Experience (sometimes abbreviated MTX) is an American punk rock band formed in 1985 in Berkeley, California and currently recording for Lookout! Records. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. Lookout! Records is an Independent record label based in Berkeley California. They have released ten full-length albums along with numerous EPs and singles and have toured internationally. Their music is best classified as pop punk and is intentionally playful, comical, and satirical, often dealing with issues of love and relationships. Pop punk (also known as punk pop and other names is a Fusion genre that combines elements of Punk rock with Pop music, to varying The band's name is taken from actor and television personality Mr. T. A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention Mr T (born Laurence Tureaud; May 21 1952) is an American Actor known for his roles as Sgt

The Mr. T Experience serves mainly as the creative outlet for singer/guitarist "Dr. Frank" Portman, its primary songwriter and sole continuous member throughout multiple lineup changes. Frank Portman (better known by the stage name Dr Frank) is an American Musician, Singer, Guitarist, and Author. The band is closely associated with the Berkeley and greater San Francisco Bay Area punk rock movement of the late 1980s and the 1990s, revolving around the 924 Gilman Street venue and the Lookout! Records label, through which they have released all of their albums since 1990. The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the The 924 Gilman Street project alternately the Alternative Music Foundation, is the Berkeley California street address and Lookout! Records is an Independent record label based in Berkeley California. They are contemporaries of numerous other groups who emerged from this same "scene," including Green Day, Operation Ivy, Rancid, Jawbreaker, The Donnas, Tilt, and NOFX. Green Day is an American rock trio Operation Ivy was an influential Ska punk and Hardcore punk band formed in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Rancid is a punk band formed in 1991 in Albany California, by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong. Jawbreaker was a San Francisco punk band The band also had roots in Los Angeles, where members Blake Schwarzenbach and Adam Pfahler attended The Donnas are an American all-female rock band from Palo Alto California. NOFX (pronounced "no ef-ex") is an American Punk rock band that was formed in Los Angeles California (now based in San Francisco They also share stylistic similarities with other bands not native to the Bay area but closely associated with this movement, including The Queers, Screeching Weasel, and the Groovie Ghoulies. The Queers are an American Pop punk band formed in 1982 by Portsmouth New Hampshire native Joe King (A Screeching Weasel was an American punk band from Chicago, Illinois. The Groovie Ghoulies were an American Punk rock band formed in Sacramento California. Over the years the Mr. T Experience has performed, toured, and shared a record label with many of these bands. They also share a heavy Ramones influence, which was more prevalent in the band's early albums but is still evident in their recent work. The Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first Punk rock group

Band history

1985-1989: Formation

Prior to forming The Mr. T Experience, members Frank Portman and Byron Stamatatos had played together in a band called the Bent Nails while in high school in Millbrae, California. Frank Portman (better known by the stage name Dr Frank) is an American Musician, Singer, Guitarist, and Author. Millbrae is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, just west of San Francisco Bay, with San Bruno on the north and The two kept in touch after Portman moved to Berkeley to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where he met Jon Von Zelowitz who was a fellow DJ at the university's radio station KALX. Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in Northern California, in the United States. The University of California Berkeley (also referred to as Cal, Berkeley and UC Berkeley) is a major research university located in Berkeley A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience KALX (907 FM) is a freeform FM Radio station that broadcasts from the University of California Berkeley in Berkeley California He was also introduced to Alex Laipeneiks, who had been a high school friend of Portman's younger brother. In the summer of 1985 the four formed The Mr. T Experience with Portman on guitar and vocals (under the pseudonym Dr. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) Frank), Zelowitz on guitar and vocals, Stamatatos on bass, and Laipeneiks on drums. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells

The band released their first album Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion in July 1986 on local label Disorder Records. Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion is the debut album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr They began to build a local following through small tours and airplay on college radio stations and quickly became part of the thriving late-1980s Bay Area punk rock movement centered around the 924 Gilman Street venue. The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, or the Bay, is a geographically and ethnically diverse metropolitan region that surrounds the The 924 Gilman Street project alternately the Alternative Music Foundation, is the Berkeley California street address and A second album, Night Shift at the Thrill Factory, followed in 1988 through Rough Trade Records. Night Shift at the Thrill Factory is the second album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr Rough Trade Records began as an Independent record label, based in London, England. It was around this time that Portman began a tradition of introducing each of the band's songs with the throwaway line "this song is about a girl. . . " at each of their performances. The EP Big Black Bugs Bleed Blue Blood followed in 1989, after which Stamatatos left the band and was replaced by Aaron Rubin. An extended play ( EP) is a Vinyl record, CD, or Music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify Big Black Bugs Bleed Blue Blood is an EP by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr Rough Trade Records went out of business shortly after releasing the EP.

1990-1995: Lineup changes

In 1990 the band signed to the fledgeling local punk label Lookout! Records, which they would remain on throughout the rest of their career. Lookout! Records is an Independent record label based in Berkeley California. They collected the results of several scattered recording sessions into the album Making Things With Light, which was the first CD album released by the Lookout! label. Making Things with Light is the third album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio Milk Milk Lemonade followed in 1992, after which they embarked on their first tour of Europe. Milk Milk Lemonade is the fourth album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr While in Spain the group recorded the EP Strum ünd Bang, Live!? Shortly after returning to America Zelowitz left the band, leading to a near-breakup. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Strum ünd Bang Live!? is an EP by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr They attempted a reunion with him a few months later but elected to continue on as a trio, releasing the Gun Crazy EP in 1993. Gun Crazy is an EP by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr The album Our Bodies Our Selves soon followed and a tour was planned, but Laipeneiks declined to tour and soon left the band. Our Bodies Our Selves is the fifth album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr Another near-breakup ensued as Portman considered returning to graduate school and Rubin joined Samiam. Samiam is a band from El Sobrante California formed in 1988 after the breakup of the Gilman club mainstay Isocracy.

Portman continued writing songs, however, and in 1994 Rubin returned from working with Samiam and recruited drummer Jim "Jym" Ruzicka. The trio recorded the EP ...And the Women Who Love Them, which instilled some creative rejuvenation to the group. Soon, however, Rubin returned to Samiam and Joel Reader joined the band as his replacement.

1996-2002: Middle period

The lineup of Portman, Reader, and Ruzicka became the band's most stable lineup since 1988. From this point on the group essentially became Portman's project, as he began a prolific period of songwriting. The trio released an album each year for the next four years: Love is Dead (1996), Revenge is Sweet, and So Are You (1997), Road to Ruin (1998 - a cover of the Ramones' 1978 album of the same name), and Alcatraz (1999). Love Is Dead is the sixth album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr Revenge is Sweet and So Are You is the seventh album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr Road to Ruin is the eighth album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr The Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first Punk rock group Road to Ruin is the fourth Album by the Ramones. It was released on September 22, 1978. Alcatraz is the ninth album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr Portman also released a solo album in 1999 entitled Show Business is My Life. Show Business is My Life is the solo album released in 1999 by Dr

Reader left the band after Alcatraz and joined the Plus Ones. He was replaced by Gabe Meline, who had contributed to the recording of Alcatraz. This lineup recorded the EP The Miracle of Shame in 2000, which also included organ and keyboardist Erik Noyes. The Miracle of Shame is an EP by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr The Hammond organ is an electric organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company Noyes was a semi-official band member who had contributed to Revenge is Sweet, and So Are You and Alcatraz and joined them officially for touring in the summer of 1999, but did not remain with them long. The band toured sporadically until 2002, when Meline left the group.

2003-present: Recent activity

The band's lineup once again changed in 2003, with bassist "Bobby J" Jordan replacing Meline. Guitarist Ted Angel also joined, making the band a four-piece again for the first time in ten years. This lineup released the 2004 album Yesterday Rules. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Yesterday Rules is the tenth album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr Limited touring followed, while Portman continued to perform occasionally as a solo artist and also in The Bomb Bassets. The Bomb Bassets are an American Rock and roll band Formed by brothers Dallas Denery of Sweet Baby and John Denery of The Hi-Fives

The Mr. T Experience has been relatively inactive since 2005. Portman has instead focused on his writing career, publishing his first novel, King Dork, in 2006. King Dork is a Young adult novel by Frank Portman first published in 2006

Band members

Current members

• "Dr. Frank" Portman – vocals, guitar
• Ted Angel – guitar, keyboards
• "Bobby J" Jordan – bass, backing vocals
• Jim "Jym" Ruzicka – drums

Past members

• Byron Stamatatos - bass (1985 - 1989)
• Jon Von Zelowitz - vocals, guitar (1985 - 1992)
• Alex Laipeneiks - drums (1985 - 1993)
• Aaron Rubin - bass (1989 - 1995)
• Joel Reader - bass (1995 - 1999)
• Gabe Meline - bass (1999 - 2002)
• Erik Noyes - Hammond organ (1999 - 2000) *Noyes had acted as a studio musician with the band for several years, playing piano and organ on Revenge is Sweet, and So Are You, Alcatraz, and The Miracle of Shame. Frank Portman (better known by the stage name Dr Frank) is an American Musician, Singer, Guitarist, and Author. Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells The Hammond organ is an electric organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Revenge is Sweet and So Are You is the seventh album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr Alcatraz is the ninth album by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr The Miracle of Shame is an EP by the Berkeley California Punk rock band The Mr He joined the band officially for touring in the summer of 1999 but did not stay with the group long.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Non-album tracks

Music in film

Some of the band's music was used in the 1996 movie Glory Daze starring Ben Affleck. Glory Daze is an independent film starring Ben Affleck, Sam Rockwell, and French Stewart. Ben Affleck (born Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt; August 15 1972 is an American Film Screenwriter, director, actor and older brother of The film is set in Santa Cruz, California and features music by many mid-1990s southern California punk rock bands. Santa Cruz is the County seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The Mr. T Experience songs "I Just Wanna Do it With You" and "Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend" are used in the film and appear on its accompanying soundtrack album. Also, during the film's party scene, the main characters as a band perform a cover of The Mr. T Experience song "Now We Are Twenty-One".

External links

• Lookout! Records artist page
• official MySpace profile