Monday, May 23, 2011

Fictional 90s Bands We’d Still Totally Go See on Tour




Some of my favorite bands don’t exist. There, I said it, and I feel much better to get that off my chest. It can be a pretty embarrassing when you realize that a fair number of songs coming up on shuffle on your iPod were recorded by fictional characters, some of whom are actually cartoons. Note to self: take iPod off shuffle when I have company if I don’t want “Bangin’ on a Trashcan/Think Big!” from Nickelodeon’s Doug to blare loudly from my speakers.

Real or fake, I’d still pay to see these bands live:


Jesse and the Rippers



As someone who’s only slightly embarrassed to admit she bought the Uncle Jesse’s Photo Album from Scholastic book orders, it’s no surprise I was heavily into Full House’s fictional band Jesse and the Rippers. To be fair, John Stamos is actually fairly musically talented and has appeared in Broadway musicals and drumming on tour with the Beach Boys. Check out Jesse and the Rippers’ fantastically cheesy cover of the Beach Boys Forever above--it’s enough to make you jealous if you missed Stamos’s cameos on their tours.


Zack Attack/Hot Sundae


Zack Attack - Friends Forever by ray548




If Saved by the Bell was your thing, you have your pick of fictional music groups behind which to throw your fandom. Apparently the writers had a bad case of Days of Our Lives-grade amnesia and forgot that they had already used the “main characters form a band” storyline. Luckily, they managed to cover it up with some clever plot-changing details--in one case (Zack Attack) it was all just a dream, whereas in the other (Hot Sundae) we get to see Jessie’s classic caffeine pill freakout.


The Beets



With lyrics like “I need more allowance, yodel ay hee hoo!” and “Ahh eee ooooh, killer tofu!” the Beets’ catchy tunes probably made up for more of their appeal than did the content of their songs. A parody of the Beatles, Doug and the gang were forever trying to win tickets to their concerts and convincing this world-famous band to play a show at Bluffington Middle School.


The Wonders (formerly the Oneders)



They may not have been a real band, but That Thing You Do’s The Wonders had a real-life hit with “That Thing You Do!” The song made it to number 41 on the Billboard Top 100--not bad for a movie song performed by a group of actors. It is a catchy song, and of course, the guys look pretty dapper in those maroon suits.


Mystik Spiral



MTV’s Dara had a longtime crush on her best friend’s brother, the pitch-perfect 90s alt rocker Trent. As the frontman of the ever-struggling Mystik Sprial, Trent wrote some pretty deep lyrics, like in the video above:

You put me on a short leash/and threw away my hydrant! You ate up all my cable/now my coat’s no longer vibrant. My nose is dry and chapped/but this puppy’s here to stay/scratch my belly baby/every dog has its day. Awoooooooo!


LoveBurger



This band from Can’t Hardly Wait kept us in suspense, gearing up for a hyped performance but never delivering on their promise. In this case, I have to agree with the band’s frontman: you probably shouldn’t wear the shirt of the band you’re in. Though, to be fair, if he gets to wear the shirt, I’d probably want to wear the hat, too. It’s a fair exchange.


Rex Manning



The day I realized Rex Manning from Empire Records was the kid from Grease 2, it blew my mind. Who knew there could be a single actor who could play both a cool rider and a washed-up 80s pop star? Unfortunately for Rex, love can’t turn back the hands of time like it did for Grease 2’s Michael. At least in Empire Records, Maxwell Caulfield can make fun of himself as a cheesy character. In Grease 2, he was absolutely serious.

16 comments:

LWLH said...

I loved The Beets...I remember always pulling for Doug to get the tickets.

Vani B. said...

Heh. Remember "Banging on a Trash Can" and "Patti, You're the Mayonnaise for Me"? Yep, huuuuge Doug fan right here.

Tara said...

I have some of the fictional bands on my Ipod too...I see one major one missing though- 2Gether! "You +Me=Us....Calculus!" from the MTV movie, 2gether.

Children of the 90s said...

@Tara Of course, how could I forget 2ge+her? I have You+Me=Us, Say It, Don't Spray It, and The Hardest Part of Breaking Up (is Getting Back your Stuff) on my iPod. I did a whole post on the show/movie awhile back!

LadyJ3000 said...

Is it wrong that I considered Hot Sundae to be the epitome of coolness when I was a child?

White Rabbit said...

Favourite post! I absolutely loved all of these!

Haley said...

Fantastic post. Brought a smile to my face..and yes, "Killer Tofu" still sounds strangely good to me...

Kari said...

Thanks to TBS morning reruns, I've seen those Saved by the Bell episodes wayyyyyy too many times! The Buddy Bands episode dance video is also pretty awesome.

I find that songs by the Beets still get stuck in my head out of nowhere!

Joe Spinebuster said...

No surf dudes with attitudes in this list?!?!?!

Liana said...

I actually created a "fictional rock" genre on my iTunes to contain all of these gems. Also, I just happen to be wearing a "Killer Tofu Tour '96" T-shirt right now....

Jennifer M. said...

Oh yes - the Wonders!! I loved that movie - still one of the favorites, for sure.

Jessica said...

No mention of Ray Pruit? :)

Priscilla Rose said...

Don't forget Jordan Catalano's band Frozen Embryos.

Anonymous said...

I thought they were called Residue. Oh, well.

Don't forget The Heights as well.

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