Stir - The End of Stir

The End of Stir

The band unofficially broke up in 2005, shortly after Andy and Kevin played an acoustic concert on 11/26 at The Pageant in St. Louis, in support of a local musicians showcase. Gagnepain has stated on numerous occasions that the band is not indefinitely finished. However, there is some rumor circulating within fan circles that Schmidt has confirmed that the likelihood of any type of Stir reunion or concert is 'very slim' and 'probably won't happen.'

During the 'extended' hiatus as Stir, several members have established themselves in new musical efforts as solo artists or with new bands during the lull:

• Brad Booker, after spending time in the groups Gravity Kills and Apartment 26, currently writes solo music and has racked up credits as producer, mixer, and co-writer with acts such as Piper and Bloom, J. Relic, Mic Averich, and Apryl Lauren. He is also involved in the cover band, Wyld Stallyns. In addition, he has played drums on Chloe Day's Trip-Hop hit "Kingpin".

• Founding member and bassist Kevin Gagnepain was the bassist with Tobi Kai & the Strays. Currently, he plays bass in the tongue-in-cheek cover band Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band (using the stage moniker "Jethro Dirt") and also with his new St. Louis based band, Shooting With Annie.

• Thom Donovan has founded the band Lapush, handling vocals and guitar. The band was signed to Carson Daly's co-owned label, FourFiveSix Entertainment, in 2005, and has appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC (Dec. 2, 2005). Their debut album, "Someplace Closer To Here", was released on June 5, 2005. The album went to #15 on the Alternative/Specialty Chart and featured the singles, "Quit You Now" and "Aurora". "Aurora" was also featured in the television show, "Moonlight" on CBS. The band released their second album, "Modern Blues", in 2007. Songs from this release have appeared in several television shows on MTV, including "The Hills", "College Life" and "16 And Pregnant".

• John Pessoni is still active in the St. Louis music scene as part of Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band (using the stage moniker "Johnny Dirt"), as well as with the occasionally reuniting band The Urge

Kevin and John are involved in a Pink Floyd tribute show entitled "Wish You Were Here" and perform under the name El Monstero Y Los Masked Avengers. Four to six shows each year typically take place at The Pageant in St. Louis during the week leading up to Christmas. Through 2005 Schmidt participated in the tribute band as well, but has not been involved since.

Typically, details of the whereabouts and on-goings of founder and frontman Andy Schmidt are more elusive from the online community than the rest of the band. Rumor has it that he is contracted by a well-known entertainment company, chiefly in a song writing capacity. He lives in the Los Angeles, California area. He does occasionally surface for solo performances as well, but his location makes it difficult for extended prep needed for any type of Stir concert.