Lagwagon

Lagwagon is an American punk rock band formed in 1990 in Goleta, California, just outside Santa Barbara, and they built a long running catalog on Fat Wreck Chords while keeping an underground following in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Where the name came from

The band’s name came from their tour van, which appears on the back cover of their 1994 album Trashed. Early on they played under the name Section 8, but they changed it after learning other bands were already using it. According to the liner notes for a re release of Duh, the switch to Lagwagon was Fat Mike’s idea, tied to a song already written about the band’s unreliable van.

Early background shared by the original lineup

In a 1994 interview, original guitarist Shawn Dewey said the early members connected in a counseling group, describing a shared history of neglect and abuse that put them in the same place.

Fat Wreck Chords and the first stretch of albums

After signing to Fat Wreck Chords, Lagwagon released their debut album Duh in 1992. Singer Joey Cape later described the sessions as fast and direct, with the band recording and mixing the album in four days while still learning their way around the studio.

The band followed with Trashed in 1994, which was successful enough to lead to a music video for “Island of Shame.” Their third album, Hoss, arrived on November 21, 1995. After its release and extensive touring in Europe, Australia, and Japan, guitarist Shawn Dewey and drummer Derrick Plourde left the band. Kenneth Stringfellow played guitar temporarily, and Dave Raun joined as the band’s drummer.

Major label offers and the path they chose

During the period when punk rock saw broader mainstream interest in the 1990s, the band turned down offers from major labels. The bio notes that Lagwagon never had, and did not appear to pursue, strong mainstream success, even while maintaining a dedicated audience.

More records, then a pause around 2000

Lagwagon released two more albums, Double Plaidinum and Let’s Talk About Feelings, before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2000 as members focused on other projects. The band returned in 2002 and released Blaze in 2003.

In 2004, Joey Cape released a split album with No Use for a Name vocalist Tony Sly featuring acoustic versions of songs by both artists. On November 1, 2005, Lagwagon released Resolve, described in the bio as a tribute to the life of former drummer Derrick Plourde.

EP releases and another slowdown

In 2008, the band released an EP titled I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen to Lagwagon. Although there were earlier reports about recording another full length by 2009, the band stepped back from touring and writing again as Cape focused on solo releases, including Bridge (2008) and Doesn’t Play Well with Others (2010).

Bassist changes and the 2011 reissues

In January 2010, Joey Cape said that bassist Jesse Buglione had left the band, while also pushing back on rumors that Lagwagon were breaking up. That summer, Lagwagon toured with No Use for a Name, and Cape said former RKL bassist Joe Raposo would be the new bassist. In 2011, Cape later said the band would not move forward with Raposo, then after announcing Patrick Solem as the new bassist in August 2011, the bio states the band ultimately decided Raposo would remain in the band permanently.

On September 22, 2011, Fat Wreck Chords announced expanded reissues of the first five albums across CD, vinyl, and digital formats, available individually and as a box set titled Putting Music In Its Place. The reissues came out on November 22, 2011, followed by U.S. concerts in December and January and a European tour in April 2012. The band also headlined a U.S. tour billed as The Fat Tour 2012 with Dead To Me, The Flatliners, and Useless ID.

Hang and Railer

In October 2012, Cape said a new Lagwagon album would happen, and the band posted that they were writing new songs. Lagwagon recorded Hang with Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado, and released it on October 28, 2014. The bio states the album debuted at No. 95 on the Billboard 200.

On October 4, 2019, the band released Railer, with “Bubble” as the lead single. A tour was announced with Face to Face as a co headlining event.

A brief return from an early member

During late 2024, the bio says Jesse Buglione briefly returned on bass to cover for Joe Raposo while Raposo was back in RKL.

Song placement

The band’s song “May 16” was featured in the video game Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2.

Current members

• Joey Cape, vocals (1990 to present)
• Chris Flippin, guitar (1990 to present)
• Dave Raun, drums (1996 to present)
• Chris Rest, guitar (1997 to present)
• Joe Raposo, bass (2010 to present)

Former members

• Derrick Plourde, drums (1990 to 1996), died 2005
• Shawn Dewey, guitar (1990 to 1996)
• Jesse Buglione, bass (1990 to 2010)
• Ken Stringfellow, guitar (1996 to 1997)

Touring guitarists

• Chris Shiflett (1996)
• Scott Shiflett (2008)
• Lindsay McDougall (2008, 2023)

Studio albums

• Duh (1992, Fat Wreck Chords)
• Trashed (1994)
• Hoss (1995), last album recorded with Shawn Dewey and Derrick Plourde
• Double Plaidinum (1997), first album recorded with Dave Raun, and the only album to feature Ken Stringfellow
• Let’s Talk About Feelings (1998), first album recorded with Chris Rest
• Blaze (2003)
• Resolve (2005), last album recorded with Jesse Buglione
• Hang (2014), first album recorded with Joe Raposo
• Railer (2019)

EPs

• Tragic Vision b/w Angry Days (1992, Fat Wreck Chords, 7 inch)
• Brown Eyed Girl (1994, Hard Records, 7 inch), split single with Jughead’s Revenge
• A Feedbag of Truckstop Poetry (1999, Fat Wreck Chords, 7 inch)
• I Think My Older Brother Used to Listen to Lagwagon (2008), described in the bio as the final recording with Jesse Buglione