Things Could Be Worse



Cigar is a three-piece, non-fronting crew. Powerful, melodic, and thought provoking is their sound. Always pushing the limits, complexities within the song structures shatter comparisons made to other punk bands. But like their style, each member of Cigar is also unique. Big Jon sits at the drums. Involved in the music scene since the late '80s; starting with the popular Northern California punk band, The Circus Tents, Jon has not only had the chance to perform among other great bands, but also to hone his skills and get his talents noticed. Famed for his incredibly fast, tight drumming and just as famous human beat box, Jon also lays down the second voice in the band, trading off lead vocals and maintaining strong background vocals. Jason plays the bass. Introduced to Jon in late 1995 in Eugene, Oregon, Jason had a diverse background in jazz, blues, and rock--all emphasizing the importance of improvisation. The fascinating aspect of Cigar, to Jason, is the speed at which it is played and the space open for the bass. As a result, the bass in Cigar is technically fast, melodic, and highly creative. Rami is the confident, powerful voice and guitar on stage. During the formation of Cigar in Eugene, Oregon, the band was in need of a great singer. Fortunately, in early 1996, Jon spotted Rami in line at a local movie theater and asked him to try out for the band. Not only did Rami have an amazing voice; he also possessed great songwriting, lyrical, and guitar skills. With his addition, the stage was set for the band. Oregon raised the band well. So did their families. Who would've guessed in 1996 what they were going to accomplish? Not only touring across many parts of the country and Canada, Cigar has played with bands including Pennywise, RKL, AFI, and D.I., as well as appearing in Portland, Oregon on the 1998 Warped Tour, featuring great acts such as Bad Religion, NOFX, and Rancid; the San Diego, California 1999 Warped Tour featuring Pennywise, Blink 182, and Suicidal Tendencies; and the 1999 Long Beach Beach Fest featuring The Vandals and Jughead's Revenge. Cigar's music has also spread globally through several compilations, including the 1998 Toy Machine skateboard video Jump off a Building, Curran Bros Surf videos, The Bomb 2000 Surf Video, and the Josh Pomer surf films TK5 and TK6. You might have also heard Cigar on ESPN during Tony Hawk's Gigantic Skatepark Tour. Their talent opened the eyes and ears of others locally and beyond. Fletcher Dragge from Pennywise appreciated Cigar's sound and initiated their find in 1998. Theologian records dropped their philosophy on the boys and the recording studio soon tested their faith. The release of thier debut CD in 1999 became an instant underground hit spreading globally through word-of-mouth. The debut album on Theologian Records, entitled Speed is Relative, produced by Fletcher Dragge (Pennywise), has shown how Cigar can deliver strong melodic songs with dynamic vocal harmonies, while holding a teeth-gritting edge which pulls them out of the pop punk genre. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.