Dam Schafer (A.K.A. Danny Vapid) formed the Methadones in 1993 as a diversion from his full time bands, Screeching Weasel and the Riverdales. Because of Dan's commitments to these bands (as well as his side project, the Mopes) the Methadones seemed to be forever on the back-burner of Rock and Roll after only a handful of shows and no real recordings to speak of.
Fast forward to 1999. Having just returned from living in our nation's capital, Dan found himself with a little time and bunch of songs, and decided to re-start the Methadones. He recruited fellow Mopes B-Face and Dan Lumley, headed into the studio, and recorded their debut album, Ill at Ease. After finishing the recording, Lumley and B-Face returned to their corners of the country, not able to stay with the band full time because of other commitments. Dan set to the task of staffing the band, and enlisted fellow Chicagoans Pete Mittler on bass, and Mike Byrne (formerly of the Vindictives) on guitar. Having gone through several drummers, the Methadones found Mike Soucy, a native of the Rhode Island and D.C. punk scenes.
With the line up now complete, the Methadones release Ill at Ease on AF Records in the summer of 2001, and followed with a tour of the US in support of the album with Anti Flag. Almost immediately, the Methadones found themselves with a bunch of new songs, and by the winter of 2002 they were back in the studio recording the follow-up to Ill at Ease.
Having recorded 11 new songs at the beginning of 2002, the Methadones set out on the road. Throughout 2002, they toured and shared the stage with such notable acts as the Teen Idols, The Unseen, the Queers, Boris the Sprinkler, the New Bomb Turks, the Eyeliners, the Groovie Ghoulies, Kill Your Idols and the Misfits. By late 2002, the Methadones' new album was mixed and mastered and was ready to be introduced to Europe, Japan, and Australia by Stardumb Records. Stardumb, a newer label out of Europe, is also home to the Groovie Ghoulies, the Manges, and the Apers. Career Objective, the latest album from the Methadones was release early in 2003.
In May of 2003, the Methadones signed with Thick Records to release Career Objective in the United States. Thick Release the Album in July of this year, and promises more great things to come! Here's what Thick Records has to say about the Methadones:
"DAN SCHAFER (A.K.A DAN VAPID) IS BACK IN FULL EFFECT WITH A NEW METHADONES RECORD IN TOW. BEST KNOWN FOR HIS ROLE IN CHICAGO'S SCREECHING WEASEL, PLUS STINTS IN THE RIVERDALES, THE QUEERS, THE MOPES, AND SLUDGEWORTH, SCHAFER BRINGS HIS ADDICTIVE POP-PUNK EXPERTISE WITH THE PRECISION AND INTENSITY OF HIS PAST PROJECTS COMBINED. THE METHADONES BRAND OF HOOK-INFUSED, GRITTY, THROBBING PUNKROCK IS MIND-BOGGLINGLY ENERGETIC, AGGRESSIVE AND IN-YOUR-FACE. THICK WILL RELEASE 'CAREER OBJECTIVE' IN JULY, COMPLETE WITH ADDED BONUS VIDEO FOOTAGE NOT FOUND ON THE EUROPEAN IMPORT. RECORDED BY MASS GIORGINI (SCREECHING WEASEL, GROOVIE GHOULIES, QUEERS AND MORE), CAREER OBJECTIVE PLAYS LOUD, FAST AND FURIOUS. WHILE IT EVOKES THE CLASSIC, CATCHY, ANTHEMIC STYLE OF THE RAMONES OR DESCENDENTS, WHAT YOU GET IS SUPER-ORIGINAL, INOVATIVE PUNKROCK PLAYED BY FOUR GUYS THAT ARE TRULY, DEEPLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR MUSIC, THEIR SCENE, AND THEIR SOUND. THE METHADONES ARE NOW A FULL TIME ENDEAVOR, WITH A SOLIDIFIED CAST THAT INCLUDES MIKE BYRNE OF THE VINDICTIVES ON GUITAR, MIKE SOUCY ON DRUMS AND PETE MITTLER ON BASS."
