# Save Ferris

Save Ferris is an American ska punk band formed circa 1995 in Orange County, California, United States. Their name is a reference to the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1995, the band began to perform underground venues in Southern California. In 1996, the band won a Grammy showcase award for best unsigned band and a contract with Epic Records. Their album It Means Everything from 1997 was their first full-length album. By 1999, the band moved from ska-pop into pop-punk. After a hiatus, in 2017, Save Ferris released the Checkered Past EP.
The band is best remembered for their 1997 cover of "Come On Eileen", originally by the British new wave band Dexys Midnight Runners.

## History
### 1995–1996: Early years and Introducing Save Ferris EP

The band came together after the dissolution of a number of Orange County, California bands. With the band working together under their own “Starpool” label, they began to book shows around Southern California to a great underground response.
The band released their debut EP Introducing Save Ferris on their own label, Starpool Records in 1996, and ended up selling close to 20,000 copies of their EP “out of the trunks of their cars.” That year, Monique Powell provided vocals on the Reel Big Fish song "She Has A Girlfriend Now" from their album Turn the Radio Off (Mojo), which is considered one of RBF's most requested songs to date.
Riding a wave of support from fans all over Southern California, Save Ferris became favorites of KROQ radio's legendary “Rodney on the Rock”, which resulted in regular airplay on LA's world-famous KROQ radio station, possibly being the first unsigned band to do this in LA alternative radio history. Later that year, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences gave the band a Grammy showcase award for best-unsigned band, earning them a recording contract with Epic Records (SONY).

### 1997: It Means Everything and mainstream success

Save Ferris eventually released their debut full-length album, It Means Everything, through Epic, in 1997. The album features several re-recorded tracks from their EP, several new songs, as well as a cover of Dexys Midnight Runners' "Come On Eileen", the 1982 hit which became Save Ferris' most iconic single to-date. It Means Everything's opening track is the single "The World is New," which was featured in the 1998 film The Big Hit (starring Mark Wahlberg), and was also later featured in the trailers for Senseless (1998) and Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000), as well as an episode of the TV series 7th Heaven.
Save Ferris toured extensively in support of It Means Everything, opening for bands such as Sugar Ray, The Offspring, Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish, as well as two mainstage spots on the Vans Warped Tour in 1998 and 2000, respectively. In April 1998, the band made their television debut on HBO's music series Reverb before making an on-screen appearance in the teen film 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). Their debut album sold over 400,000 copies, and spawned three Top 10 hits in Japan and Mexico. With two singles charting in the Billboard Hot 100, and full rotation on alternative radio globally, It Means Everything was able to achieve platinum certification as per the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

### 1998–1999: Modified era

After the departure of the band's first drummer, Marc Harismendy, in 1998, Save Ferris regrouped and released their appropriately titled sophomore album for Epic records, Modified, in October 1999. The album saw the band moving away from their ska-pop roots and into pop-punk territory. The album also spawned three Top Ten hits in both Japan and Mexico. The song "The Only Way to Be" was used in 2000 film Scary Movie.
Save Ferris supported Modified on tour throughout the next several years including a trek with Lit in the U.S. and a headlining tour of the UK.

### 2000–2003: Hiatus, and For the Fans tour

Save Ferris performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics between the qualifiers and the finals of the Men's Halfpipe at the competition venue in Park City.
Throughout the years, Save Ferris experienced a number of changes in their lineup, most notably the departure of Brian Mashburn, the band's main songwriter, who quit in 2002. Soon to follow Mashburn were Eric Zamora and Bill Uechi, departing to start a new band. Save Ferris announced their breakup in October 2002.
Soon after the departure of Mashburn, Powell self-financed what she called the For the Fans, a US tour in 2003, which included a mainstage performance at Ska Summit in Las Vegas for over 10,000 fans.

### 2004–2012: Post-breakup

From 2004 to 2008, Powell appeared on albums by The Used, Lostprophets, Hilary Duff, Goldfinger and others. She also started a now defunct band called The Mojo Wire in 2008, and toured in the LA area.
In 2003, Bill Uechi, Brian Mashburn, T-Bone Willy, Eric Zamora, and Oliver Zavala started the band Starpool with Alan Meade original member of No Doubt on vocals and Phil Hanson on drums.

### 2013–present: Revival

Save Ferris, now led by Powell, went on indefinite hiatus from 2003 until the spring of 2013, at which time Powell once again regrouped the band (with new musicians) and headlined the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California, to a sold-out crowd of over 7,000 fans, with another sold-out show at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.
The Costa Mesa gig resulted in a lawsuit being filed against Powell by the former members of Save Ferris over use of the band's name, stating that she had not contacted nor invited her former bandmates to perform at the show, although she stated that that was not the case. Powell thus responded with her own countersuit in 2015. Ultimately, Powell won the rights to the band's name, branding, and social media. She was also awarded writing credits on several songs she had previously not been credited on. In October 2015, a public message indicating that the lawsuits between the members had been amicably resolved was posted to the band's official website; this message has since been removed.
Additionally, in 2015, ASCAP songwriting records were updated, crediting Powell as co-writer on a number of Save Ferris songs for which her name had not previously been listed.
In 2016, Save Ferris ran a successful PledgeMusic campaign to raise money for what would be their first new album in over 15 years. The financial goal was achieved in only a couple of weeks, fully funded by the fans. The band co-headlined Mexico City Ska Fest 2016 with the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
On February 10, 2017, Save Ferris released the Checkered Past EP, their first release in 18 years. The EP was produced by Oingo Boingo bassist John Avila and features a guest appearance by Neville Staple of The Specials on the EP's first single, "New Sound". The band toured for the album in 2017, and took part in the Vans Warped Tour that summer.
Save Ferris released their first Christmas single, as well as their first single in six years, "Xmas Blue", to their official YouTube channel on December 14, 2023. Another single, "Lights Out in The Reptile House", was released on July 19, 2024.

## Lineup
### Current

* Monique Powell – lead vocals (1995–2003, 2013–present), keyboards (1995–2003)
* Justin Linn - guitars, vocals (2018–present)
* Alex Csillag – trombone and keyboards (2017–present)
* Tristan Hurd - trumpet (2023–present)
* Jamie Howell - drums (2023–present)
* Jake Courlang - bass (2023–present)

### Past

* Bill Uechi – bass (1995–2002)
* Eric Zamora – alto and tenor saxophone (1995–2002)
* Brian Mashburn – guitar and backing vocals (1995–2002)
* Jesse Tunnell – trombone (1995–1996)
* T-Bone Willy – trombone (1996–2002)
* José Castellaños – trumpet (1995–2000)
* Oliver Zavala – trumpet & backing vocals (2000–02)
* Adam Plost - Guitar (2000)
* Steve White – trumpet (2002)
* Steve Cordero – drums (1995)
* Marc Harismendy – drums (1995–98)
* Evan Kilbourne – drums (1998–2002)
* Denny Weston Jr. — drums (2013–2015)
* Joe Berry — saxophone, additional guitar and backing vocals (2013–2015)
* Gordon Bash — bass and backing vocals (2013–2017), trumpet (2013–2015)
* Patrick Ferguson — guitar (2013–2017)
* Erik Hughes — trombone (2013–2016)
* Alex Burke — keyboards (2013–2016)
* Scott Jones — trumpet (2015)
* Connor McElwain — trumpet (2015–2017)
* Richard Velzen – trombone (2016–2017)
* Jonathan Levi Shanes – keyboards (2016–2017)
* Alexander Mathias — saxophone (2016–2017)
* Jesse Stern – bass and backing vocals (2017–2018)
* Nate Light – bass and backing vocals (2018–present)
* Max O'Leary – trumpet (2017–present)
* Brandon Dickert — drums (2015–present)
* Adrienne Nolff - co-lead vocals (1995–1996)

### Timeline
## Discography
### Albums

| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
| Year | Album details | US |
| 1997 | It Means Everything Released: September 9, 1997 Label: Epic Format: CD | 75 |
| 1999 | Modified Released: October 19, 1999 Label: Epic Format: CD | 136 |

### EPs

| Year | Album details |
| 1996 | Introducing Save Ferris Released: 1996 Label: Starpool Format: CD |
| 2017 | Checkered Past Released: February 10, 2017 Label: Withyn Format: CD, vinyl, digital download |

### Singles

| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Year | Single | US | Album |
| Year | Single | Alternative Songs | Album |
| 1997 | "Come On Eileen" | 26 | It Means Everything |
| 1998 | "Goodbye" | 32 | It Means Everything |

### Other appearances

In 2001, Monique and her family appeared in the unsold pilot for VH1 called Rock Feuda musical spinoff of the classic game show Family Feud, hosted by former Mad TV cast member Johnny A. Sanchez. Their opponents were Lit.
The following Save Ferris songs were released on compilation albums and soundtracks. This is not an exhaustive list; songs that were first released on the band's albums and EPs are not included.
| Year | Release details | Track |
| 1997 | Punk vs. Ska, Round I Released: February 17, 1997 Label: Skratch Vegas Format: CD | "Artificial Life" (originally performed by Operation Ivy) |
| 1997 | The Ska Parade: Runnin' Naked Thru the Cornfield Released: October 14, 1997 Label: A to Y Format: CD | "S.Y.L.S.B." ("Support Your Local Ska Band") |
| 1998 | Santa's Swingin' Sack Released: December 1998 Label: KROQ Format: CD | "Christmas Wrapping" (parody of The Waitresses) |
| 1999 | 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack Released: April 6, 1999 Label: Hollywood Format: CD | "I Know" |
| 2000 | The Real Slim Santa Released: December 2000 Label: KROQ Format: CD | "Father Christmas" (originally performed by The Kinks) |