MU330

by Jason AnkenyNamed after the section number of the high school jazz class where many of the group's members first met, the self-described "psycho-ska" band MU330 was formed in St. Louis, MO, in 1988. Originally comprising vocalist/guitarist Dan Potthast, vocalist/trumpeter John Skavanaugh, bassist Chris Diebold, saxophonist Matt Knobbe, keyboardist Matt Struckel, and drummer Ted Moll, MU330's lineup changed regularly, and by the release of the 1994 debut Press (issued via Asian Man Records), Struckel had already exited. Skavanaugh and Knobbe soon left the group as well, with vocalist Jason Nelson, trumpeter Nick Baur, and saxophonist Traygen Bilsland all joining long enough to record 1996's Chumps on Parade before all three again went their own way. The core trio of Potthast, Diebold, and Moll were joined by trombonists Rob Bell and Gerry Lundquist in time to record the third MU330 record, 1997's Crab Rangoon. Winter Wonderland followed two years later. Live Oh Yeah! appeared in spring 2001; Ultra Panic was released a year later.