Allister

Allister is an American pop-punk band from Chicago, Illinois, that formed in 1994. Originally known as Phineas Gage, the four-piece band started while the members were still in high school. In 1998, they were among the first bands to sign with Drive-Thru Records, a label that would become synonymous with the pop-punk genre. After a hiatus in 2007, the band reunited in 2010 and has since continued to tour and release new music. Allister has released six studio albums: Dead Ends and Girlfriends (1999), Last Stop Suburbia (2002), Before the Blackout (2005), Countdown to Nowhere (2010), Life Behind Machines (2012), and 20 Years and Counting (2019). They also made a cameo appearance in the 2004 film Sleepover.

History

Commercial Success (2002–2007)

In 2002, Allister achieved significant commercial success with the release of their second full-length album, Last Stop Suburbia. Produced by Chris Fudurich, the album marked a notable progression in the band’s songwriting, particularly by Tim Rogner and Scott Murphy. The album included fan-favorite tracks like “Radio Player,” “Overrated,” and “Somewhere on Fullerton,” the latter being an ode to the legendary Chicago punk venue, Fireside Bowl. During this period, Allister underwent lineup changes, with both John “Johnny” Hamada and Chris Rogner leaving the band. They were replaced by Kyle Lewis on guitar and Mike Leverence on drums. Last Stop Suburbia peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, and the song “Somewhere on Fullerton” was featured in Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure.

In 2004, Allister embarked on international tours, including Europe and Japan, and made a cameo in the film Sleepover. The band released their third album, Before the Blackout, in 2005 and supported it with the “Before the Blackout, After the Breakup Tour” alongside Fenix*TX. In 2006, they were invited to tour Japan with the band Ellegarden, playing 40 sold-out shows across the country. During this time, they also released an EP of cover songs titled Guilty Pleasures, with Murphy singing several tracks in Japanese. However, with the impending birth of Tim Rogner’s first child, Allister decided to go on hiatus following a final Japanese tour in the spring of 2007 and a farewell show in Chicago at The Metro.

Breakup and Side Projects (2007–2010)

After Allister went on hiatus, members pursued various side projects. Scott Murphy and Kyle Lewis formed the band The Get Go, which included former members of Home Grown and Mest. The Get Go released two records and toured the UK and Japan but eventually became inactive due to conflicting schedules.

In 2008, Murphy launched a successful solo career in Japan under Universal Music, continuing the work he started with Allister’s Guilty Pleasures EP. He released several albums in the “Guilty Pleasures” series, featuring covers of popular Japanese and English songs. These releases were highly successful, with Guilty Pleasures II and Guilty Pleasures 3 both achieving Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).

In 2010, Murphy collaborated with Rivers Cuomo of Weezer on a project called Scott & Rivers. The duo wrote and recorded original songs sung in Japanese and released a self-titled album in 2013.

Reunion and Recent Events (2010–Present)

Allister reunited in 2010, breaking their hiatus with a performance at the Bamboozle Festival in Chicago. They released their fourth full-length album, Countdown to Nowhere, through Universal Music Japan later that year. In 2012, they followed up with Life Behind Machines and promoted the album with tours in Japan and China. In 2014, Allister toured the United States, playing shows with MxPx and Showoff.

In December 2018, Tim Rogner announced that Allister would release a new record to commemorate the 20th anniversary of You Can’t Do that on Vinyl. The album, titled 20 Years and Counting, featured re-recorded and “re-imagined” versions of songs from the band’s previous albums, along with four new tracks. The album was released on January 30, 2019, through Universal Japan, and a re-recorded version of “Somewhere on Fullerton” was released as a music video.

Band Members

Current Members

• Tim Rogner – drums, lead and backing vocals (1994–2000); rhythm and lead guitar, lead and backing vocals (2000–2007, 2010–present)
• Scott Murphy – bass guitar, lead and backing vocals (1998–2007, 2010–present)
• Kyle Lewis – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–2007, 2010–present)
• Mike Leverence – drums (2003–2007, 2010–present)

Discography

Studio Albums

• Dead Ends and Girlfriends (1999)
• Last Stop Suburbia (2002)
• Before the Blackout (2005)
• Countdown to Nowhere (2010)
• Life Behind Machines (2012)
• 20 Years and Counting (2019)

Extended Plays

• 5 Song Demo Tape (1997)
• You Can’t Do that on Vinyl (1998)
• Guilty Pleasures (2006)
• Second City Showdown (Split EP with Good 4 Nothing) (2010)
• You Still Can’t Do That on Vinyl (2011, Little Heart Records)