Ben Weasel (born Ben Foster , 1968) is a punk rock musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of bands Screeching Weasel and The Riverdales. He is currently a solo artist, and has recently reunited with The Riverdales. Ben is also co-host of "Weasel Radio," a weekly radio show formerly on ESPN 1070. [1]

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Early life

Ben grew up in Prospect Heights, Illinois where he was expelled from three different high schools for unruly behavior. He was eventually sent to a therapeutic community in Poland, Maine, to finish high school. ^[2]

Musical career

When Ben returned to Illinois from Maine, he got a job as an usher at a movie theater, and formed the band Screeching Weasel with fellow usher John Pierson.

After an initial break-up in 1989, Screeching Weasel broke up for a second time in 1994. Following the second breakup, Weasel formed a new band, The Riverdales, with Dan Vapid, and Dan Panic.

Weasel reunited with Screeching Weasel again in 1996. The band lasted until 2001 before breaking up again. Screeching Weasel would reunite again for a few shows in 2004. On March 27, 2009, Ben Weasel announced he was reforming Screeching Weasel. Weasel and Danny Vapid are the only returning members.

Weasel has also done work as a solo artist. In 2002, he released his first solo album Fidatevi. His second album, These Ones Are Bitter, was released in June 2007.

Weasel also ran his own Chicago-based record label, called Panic Button Records, which he also started in 1997 with Jughead. The label was purchased by Lookout! Records. ^[3]

He has also played briefly with The Vindictives and Sweet Black And Blue.

Discography

• Screeching Weasel - Screeching Weasel (1987)
• Screeching Weasel - Boogadaboogadaboogada! (1988)
• Screeching Weasel - My Brain Hurts (1991)
• Screeching Weasel - Ramones (1992)
• Screeching Weasel - Wiggle (1993)
• Screeching Weasel - Anthem For A New Tomorrow (1993)
• Screeching Weasel - How To Make Enemies And Irritate People (1994)
• The Riverdales - Riverdales (1995)
• Screeching Weasel - Bark Like A Dog (1996)
• The Riverdales - Storm the Streets(1997)
• Screeching Weasel - Television City Dream (1998)
• Screeching Weasel - Emo (1999)
• Screeching Weasel - Teen Punks In Heat (2000)
• Ben Weasel - Fidatevi(2002)
• The Riverdales - Phase Three(2003)
• Ben Weasel - These Ones Are Bitter (2007)
• Ben Weasel- The Brain That Wouldn't Die (Live Album) (2009)
• The Riverdales- Invasion U.S.A (2009)

Writing

In the early 1990s, Weasel published the fanzine Panic Button , which focused on punk rock and hockey. He published two one off zines through Oyster Publications, Brady Bunch Behemoth (1991) and Stab! Stab! Stab! (1992). Weasel also wrote for other various zines, including Razorcake , Non-Stop Banter , Jersey Beat , Hit List , 10 Things Jesus Wants You To Know . He also had a long-running column in MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL , one of the most prominent punk rock fanzines. Weasel wrote a novel in 2001 called Like Hell and put out a collection of his columns and articles in 2002 entitled Punk is a Four Letter Word . Both books were published by Hope and Nonthings, a small publishing house based in Chicago run by former bandmate John Jughead.

References

1. Madison's ESPN Radio 1070.
2. Screeching Halt
3. East Bay Express | News | Kerplunk