Third Class began as a product of three
feral "children" who were adopted by kind parents and given instruments
but no musical instruction. Over one hundred and twelve years of what
might be called practice – but which also could be called the
reinvention of music – the three wild children, locked in a padded room,
broke guitar strings and keyboards and drum heads, rebuilding and
innovating the tools of their craft until the instruments they used had
no hope of being readily recognizable to modern musicians but rather
seemed like weapons and torture devices from the future. At first, the
music they made with their sci-fi nuitars and kianos was partially
recognizable noise, though would never be categorized as music, at least
not by humans. However, over a period of thirty-seven decades, the
children, who had since grown into young "men" and had left their padded
room, developed a musical styling which was not wholly unbearable to
others. In fact, with time and repeated exposure, some even began to
enjoy the music which those who later became known as Third Class
produced.
Third Class, originating in East Palestine, Ohio in 1999, wields a 5-piece, boxy drum kit, a 4-string, fuzzy bass (unconventional tuning), a cheap, jangly keyboard, strained vocals with stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and 2-string, twanged guitar. The trio consists of Lee Boyle, Jack Boyle and Pepe Parish and is likened to Ben Folds Five, John Lennon, Ra Ra Riot, They Might Be Giants, and early-era R.E.M. They are influenced by writers such as Kenneth Rexroth, Ralph Ellison, T.S. Eliot, and William Carlos Williams.
Third Class has three, self-produced, self-released studio efforts, Chloe's Epitaph Is Chloe (2006), The Red Wheelbarrow (2009), and 12 And 9 EP (2011), all of which were recorded at Ampreon Recorder in Youngstown, Ohio. Third Class are also featured, covering Beat Happening's "Look Around," on one compilation album, Hot Chocolate Nation: A Tribute To Calvin Johnson, which was recorded and distributed by Wild Kindness Records. The compilation features such bands as Way Yes and Adrian Crowley.
Third Class have performed live music at notable Ohio venues such as Grog Shop, Hi Fi Club, Quiet Bob's, Mocha Dreams, Bela Dubby, Wilbert's, Pat's In The Flats (Cleveland), Seattle's, The College Of Wooster (Wooster), Professors Pub, Kent State University, Stone Tavern, Zephyr, Green Room (Kent), Black Cherry, Woodchuck's (Toledo), Grumpy Dave's (Bowling Green), Royal Oaks, Barley's, Cedars, Lemon Grove, Nyabinghi (Youngstown), Friends Roastery (Salem), Lazy Bean (Columbiana), Ely Street, Mount Union College (Alliance), 19 South, Donkey (Athens), Boba, Annabell's (Akron), Skully's, and Treehouse (Columbus). The band has also performed on small out-of-state tours at notable venues such as Highlands Taproom, Zazoo's, Petrus, Hideaway Saloon, Stevie Ray's (Louisville, Kentucky), The Fire (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Smiling Moose, Saddle Ridge, Excuses, Aldo's Coffee, Pittsburgh Deli Company (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Firefly (Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania), Starbucks (Cleveland, Tennessee), Boney's Night Club (Detroit, Michigan), McCoy's (Long Island, New York), Mad River, and Coda (New York, New York). Third Class performed at notable festivals such as Nouveau, BonFrog, Firefly, Elephest, Concert For Change, Abelween, and International Pop Overthrow. The band has shared the stage with such acts as Calvin Johnson, The Sex Slaves, Sam Goodwill, The Zou, Big Leg Emma, The Faux Paus, Steve Boyle, Ram In The Bush, Pictora, and more.
Third Class' media exposure includes Vindicator, Wooster Voice, Trib Today, Walruss, Valley24, Jam Brain, Jambar, Salem News, MRNSpace, In Your Speakers, K Punk, Brooklyn Vegan, Leveler (poetry), Salt River Review (poetry), The Planet Pluto, Off The Coast (poetry), Abbey (Poetry), Metro Monthly, Advocate (poetry), Luna Negra (poetry), Black Squirrel Radio - Kent State University, JFL: The Mixx, Ruckus, Rukus, West Side Will, Homegrown Show 93.3 - Youngstown, NBC News - Youngstown, Saw Kick Media - Cleveland, Jenny (poetry), New York Meets The Faux Paus (film), Youngstown Shakedown (film), Love Song (play), Bull Skit Productions (comedy troupe), Wild Kindness Records and WRUW 91.1 - Cleveland.
Third Class, originating in East Palestine, Ohio in 1999, wields a 5-piece, boxy drum kit, a 4-string, fuzzy bass (unconventional tuning), a cheap, jangly keyboard, strained vocals with stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and 2-string, twanged guitar. The trio consists of Lee Boyle, Jack Boyle and Pepe Parish and is likened to Ben Folds Five, John Lennon, Ra Ra Riot, They Might Be Giants, and early-era R.E.M. They are influenced by writers such as Kenneth Rexroth, Ralph Ellison, T.S. Eliot, and William Carlos Williams.
Third Class has three, self-produced, self-released studio efforts, Chloe's Epitaph Is Chloe (2006), The Red Wheelbarrow (2009), and 12 And 9 EP (2011), all of which were recorded at Ampreon Recorder in Youngstown, Ohio. Third Class are also featured, covering Beat Happening's "Look Around," on one compilation album, Hot Chocolate Nation: A Tribute To Calvin Johnson, which was recorded and distributed by Wild Kindness Records. The compilation features such bands as Way Yes and Adrian Crowley.
Third Class have performed live music at notable Ohio venues such as Grog Shop, Hi Fi Club, Quiet Bob's, Mocha Dreams, Bela Dubby, Wilbert's, Pat's In The Flats (Cleveland), Seattle's, The College Of Wooster (Wooster), Professors Pub, Kent State University, Stone Tavern, Zephyr, Green Room (Kent), Black Cherry, Woodchuck's (Toledo), Grumpy Dave's (Bowling Green), Royal Oaks, Barley's, Cedars, Lemon Grove, Nyabinghi (Youngstown), Friends Roastery (Salem), Lazy Bean (Columbiana), Ely Street, Mount Union College (Alliance), 19 South, Donkey (Athens), Boba, Annabell's (Akron), Skully's, and Treehouse (Columbus). The band has also performed on small out-of-state tours at notable venues such as Highlands Taproom, Zazoo's, Petrus, Hideaway Saloon, Stevie Ray's (Louisville, Kentucky), The Fire (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Smiling Moose, Saddle Ridge, Excuses, Aldo's Coffee, Pittsburgh Deli Company (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Firefly (Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania), Starbucks (Cleveland, Tennessee), Boney's Night Club (Detroit, Michigan), McCoy's (Long Island, New York), Mad River, and Coda (New York, New York). Third Class performed at notable festivals such as Nouveau, BonFrog, Firefly, Elephest, Concert For Change, Abelween, and International Pop Overthrow. The band has shared the stage with such acts as Calvin Johnson, The Sex Slaves, Sam Goodwill, The Zou, Big Leg Emma, The Faux Paus, Steve Boyle, Ram In The Bush, Pictora, and more.
Third Class' media exposure includes Vindicator, Wooster Voice, Trib Today, Walruss, Valley24, Jam Brain, Jambar, Salem News, MRNSpace, In Your Speakers, K Punk, Brooklyn Vegan, Leveler (poetry), Salt River Review (poetry), The Planet Pluto, Off The Coast (poetry), Abbey (Poetry), Metro Monthly, Advocate (poetry), Luna Negra (poetry), Black Squirrel Radio - Kent State University, JFL: The Mixx, Ruckus, Rukus, West Side Will, Homegrown Show 93.3 - Youngstown, NBC News - Youngstown, Saw Kick Media - Cleveland, Jenny (poetry), New York Meets The Faux Paus (film), Youngstown Shakedown (film), Love Song (play), Bull Skit Productions (comedy troupe), Wild Kindness Records and WRUW 91.1 - Cleveland.
Welcome to THIRDCLASS.NET, your source for a variety of silly antics involving Third Class. Below, you can find concert dates, albums, lyrics, reviews, interviews, videos, and maybe more, at this official site for Youngstown's indie-rock trio, referred to as "DIY passionate diehards" by TribToday.com.
