The Chop Tops was an American rockabilly band from Santa Cruz, California, active from 1995 to 2025. The trio was formed by Sinner in 1995, with guitarist Shelby joining in 1999 and upright bassist Brett Black joining in 2008. They coined the phrase “Revved-Up Rockabilly” to describe their upbeat blend of rockabilly, psychobilly, punk, Teddy Boy, and surf music. Their debut studio album, Revved-Up Rockabilly, was released in 1997, followed by Tales of Hot Rods, Hot Broads & Lucky Odds! (1999), which was produced by Deke Dickerson, and Always Wild (2000). The band subsequently released Evil Six (2001), Triple Deuces (2006), and Deadly Love (2010), which was produced by Kim Nekroman, before compiling their work on Evil Six: Revisited (2012). During their career, they headlined national tours, performed on several Warped Tours, and opened for acts including the Dead Kennedys, Suicidal Tendencies, Dick Dale, John Lee Hooker, and Chuck Berry. After performing what was announced as their final concert on April 3, 2015, they reunited in 2024 to record their eighth studio album, Fabrikate (2025). To promote the release, they embarked on a reunion tour of the United States, which concluded with back-to-back performances in Santa Cruz in December 2025.
