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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.
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).
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 Modern rock globally, It Means Everything was able to achieve platinum certification as per the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
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.
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 For the Fans, a US tour in 2003, which included a mainstage performance at Ska Summit in Las Vegas for over 10,000 fans.
In 2003, Bill Uechi, Brian Mashburn, T-Bone Willy, Eric Zamora, and Oliver Zavala started the band Starpool with Alan Meade (an original member of No Doubt) on vocals and Phil Hanson on drums.
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 Counterclaim 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. On April 29, 2025, the group released the single and music video for a new song called "Get Dancing".
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id:bvoc value:pink legend:Backing_vocals
id:Tru value:yelloworange legend:Trumpet
id:Sax value:skyblue legend:Saxophone
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bar:Adrienne text:"Adrienne Knolff"
bar:Monique text:"Monique Powell"
bar:José text:"José Castellaños"
bar:Oliver text:"Oliver Zavala"
bar:SteveW text:"Steve White"
bar:Scott text:"Scott Jones"
bar:Connor text:"Connor McElwain"
bar:Max text:"Max O'Leary"
bar:Eric text:"Eric Zamora"
bar:Joe text:"Joe Berry"
bar:Alexander text:"Alexander Mathias"
bar:JesseT text:"Jesse Tunnell"
bar:TBone text:"T-Bone Willy"
bar:Erik text:"Erik Hughes"
bar:Richard text:"Richard Vezlen"
bar:AlexC text:"Alex Csillag"
bar:AlexB text:"Alex Burke"
bar:Jonathan text:"Jonathan Levi Shanes"
bar:Brian text:"Brian Mashburn"
bar:Patrick text:"Patrick Ferguson"
bar:Adam text:"Adam Bones"
bar:Bill text:"Bill Uechi"
bar:Gordon text:"Gordon Bash"
bar:JesseS text:"Jesse Stern"
bar:Light text:"Nate Light"
bar:SteveC text:"Steve Cordero"
bar:Marc text:"Marc Harismendy"
bar:Evan text:"Evan Kilbourne"
bar:Denny text:"Denny Weston Jr."
bar:Brandon text:"Brandon Dickert"
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| 1997 | It Means Everything
| 75 |
| 1999 | Modified
| 136 |
| 1996 | Introducing Save Ferris
|
| 2017 | Checkered Past
|
| 2024 | Lights Out In the Reptile House / Xmas Blue
|
| 2025 | Get Dancing / Ooh Ooh Rudi
|
| 1997 | "Come On Eileen" | 26 | It Means Everything |
| "Goodbye" | 32 | ||
| 1998 | "The World Is New" | ||
| "Superspy" | |||
| 2017 | "New Sound" (featuring Neville Staple) | Checkered Past | |
| 2023 | "Xmas Blue" | ||
| 2024 | "Lights Out In the Reptile House" | ||
| 2025 | "Get Dancing" |
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.
| 1997 | Punk vs. Ska, Round I
|
|
The Ska Parade: Runnin' Naked Thru the Cornfield
|
| |
| 1998 | Santa's Swingin' Sack
|
|
| 1999 | 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack
|
|
| 2000 | The Real Slim Santa
|
|
|
|
