Post-punk / art-rock band Pere Ubu formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1975. Their early line-up included vocalist David Thomas, drummer Scott Krauss, keyboardist Allen Ravenstine, guitarists Peter Laughner and Tom Herman, and bassist Tim Wright. With their unique brand of snarling, oddball, alternative rock, Pere Ubu has been US underground cult underground heroes for over 45 years and influenced the likes of The Pixies, Sonic Youth, and TV On the Radio. Led by frantic, high-pitched front man David Thomas, the band formed after the break-up of raucous Cleveland act Rocket from the Tomb and helped set the scene for punk and grunge with the bleak, agitated, DIY, garage rock of their single “Final Solution” and landmark debut album The Modern Dance (1978). Whereas bands like The Ramones, The Cramps, and Talking Heads emerged from New York's CBGB scene and went on to huge international fame, Pere Ubu remained outsiders from wastelands of Ohio, making abrasive, experimental new wave with tape loops and synthesizers. Strongly influenced by science fiction films, their albums Dub Housing (1978), and The Art of Walking (1980) were regarded as important lost classics, but the band split in 1982 with Thomas going on to a solo career, which included working with Richard Thompson. They reformed with a new line-up in 1987 with a more accessible sound that briefly threatened to infiltrate the mainstream when single “Waiting for Mary” was played by MTV and the band appeared on Late Night with David Letterman. However, throughout the 1990s and 2000s, they still only managed cult status. Continuing to tour and record, the band released a series of acclaimed albums including Lady from Shanghai (2013), Carnival of Souls (2014), 20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo (2017), The Long Goodbye (2019), and Trouble on a Big Beat Street (2023). The band has also released several compilations, box sets, and many live recordings including many digital-only releases. Founding member and vocalist David Thomas died on April 23, 2025, at the age of 71.
