Tuscadero


Tuscadero was an indie rock band from Washington, DC, one of the most prominent on the Washington-based TeenBeat Records roster.

Biography

Melissa Farris and Margaret McCartney met while working at the Zig Zag Cafe in Washington, D.C. They founded Tuscadero on Halloween of 1993 with bassist Phil Satlof and drummer Jack Hornady. The band took its name from Suzi Quatro's Happy Days character Leather Tuscadero.
The band was signed with Mark Robinson of Teenbeat Records shortly after and released two EPs in the spring and summer of 1994: Mt. Pleasant and Angel in a Half Shirt. Their debut LP, The Pink Album, was released that fall, influenced by girl groups and the pop culture of its members' 1970s childhoods, such as board games and Nancy Drew. After touring with Sebadoh, the band signed with Elektra Records and re-recorded their debut album in 1995 with Mark Waterman, who had previously produced Elastica's debut.
Tuscadero's second album, My Way or the Highway, was released in 1998, and they toured with Cheap Trick to promote it, but after the album's release, Elektra dropped the band. Farris later founded the band Dame Fate with bassist Yalan Papillon, releasing one album, Time and Tide Wait for No Man, in 2002.
Tuscadero reunited in February 2005 for a one-off performance at TeenBeat's 20th anniversary celebration. They reunited once again in 2013 for the 20th anniversary of Washington, DC's Black Cat club. Two additional reunion shows were played in December 2014 as a benefit for a Teen-Beat Records intern who was facing mounting costs from leukemia.

Lineup