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BAND HISTORY Formed in Detroit in 1977 as Mr. Unique & the Leisure Suits, the band got their start as the opening act for The Mumps (featuring Lance Loud ) and local favorites like Flirt and Destroy All Monsters . In the following years, they managed to amuse, annoy, and antagonize all manner of audiences before finally releasing their four-song EP, ''Mr. Unique & the Leisure Class'' in 1983. The record received generally favorable, though puzzled, reviews from Dennis Loren in the Metro Times , who found "something to offend everyone," and Ira Robbins in Trouser Press . The band moved to New York, making their debut at CBGB in 1984, and evolved into the ever-changing Leisure Class, launching a musical and visual assault on the comfort and sanity of those poor unfortunate souls who wandered into the East Village bars and performance spaces of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Venues for the band during this period included CBGB , 8BC , SNAFU, the Henry Street Settlement , The Kitchen , the Gas Station, the Lone Star Roadhouse, Under Acme, Woody's, Beowulf, and Tramps. Their performances featured, at various times, legendary writer Herbert Huncke , a custom-built two-story prison, impaled goat's heads (causing a trombonist to quit in disgust), and Abraham Lincoln. Their graphics and stage sets were created by artists Taly And Russ Johnson . The group performed surrounded by giant lungs painted on industrial foil; In a Jeopardy style Game Show set featuring bizarre word clues slowly disappearing to reveal portraits of a cancer patient; and white flags covered the stage and venue for their “War On Fun” show. The iconoclastic band recorded at least three albums' worth of original material, none of which managed to make it to a Major Label Release or even a 99-cent bargain bin special. 2004 saw the release of the 2-CD compilation, ''Leisure Class Recordings 1979-1994''. On August 23, 2005 (ten years after their last live performance together) Leisure Class was profiled on the National Public Radio show, Day To Day . LINEUPS 1977-1978 Dimitri Mugianis - Vocals Glenn Johnson - Drums, Vocals Jeff Mullins - Guitar Brian Garwood - Bass Ted Moniak - Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals 1978-1979 Dimitri Mugianis - Vocals Glenn Johnson - Drums, Organ, Vocals James Myers - Guitar, Bass Dave Rice - Guitar, Bass Ted Moniak - Mandolin, Vocals 1979-1980 Dimitri Mugianis - Vocals Glenn Johnson - Drums, Vocals John E. Louder (Howard Glazer) - Guitar Scotch Hiballs (Bob Godwin) - Bass 1981 Dimitri Mugianis - Vocals Glenn Johnson - Drums, Percussion, Piano, Vocals Dan Porvin - Guitar Sal Monella (Michael Tudor) - Guitar Greg Gilmore - Bass Matthew J. Karp (Dan Matuszczak) - Saxes, Flute, Bass Clarinet Stan Johnson - Trumpet 1981-1983 Dimitri Mugianis - Vocals Glenn Johnson - Drums, Percussion, Piano, Organ, Harmonica, Tin Whistle, Vocals Dan Porvin - Guitar Sal Monella (Michael Tudor) - Guitar Chris McGorey - Bass Matthew J. Karp (Dan Matuszczak) - Saxes, Flute, Bass Clarinet Stan Johnson - Trumpet Guy Zublin - Trumpet 1984-1989 Dimitri Mugianis - Vocals Glenn Johnson - Drums, Percussion, Piano, Organ, Synthesizers, Tin Whistle Dan Porvin - Guitar Sal Monella (Michael Tudor) - Guitar Mark Dannenhirsch - Guitar Chris Hunt - Guitar Dave Boonshoft - Bass (founder of Aguilar Amplification and Naked Music ) Ric Frank - Tenor Sax and Flute Mike Walters - Tenor Sax and Flute J.J. Silva - Trumpet, Trombone (original member of Ten Wheel Drive ) Leonard Belota - Trumpet Leif Arntzen - Trumpet Pat McCarty - Trombone Paul Romero - Vocals Kevin Weist - Vocals (composer of the infamous cockroach songs from the film, Joe's Apartment ) Melissa Schaffer - Vocals David Lawton - Vocals 1990-1995 Dimitri Mugianis - Vocals Glenn Johnson - Drums, Percussion Dan Porvin - Guitar Al Korosy - Guitar Dave Boonshoft - Bass Bob Marx - Tenor Sax and Flute Russ Johnson - Trumpet Pat McCarty - Trombone Paul Romero - Vocals Kevin Weist - Vocals David Lawton - Vocals Angel Jemmott - Vocals (also appeared as Angela on Sesame Street ) DISCOGRAPHY
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