The Catheters

The Catheters were a punk rock band from Bellevue, Washington that originally formed as a 4-piece in 1995 (Brian, Derek, Paul, and James who soon swapped bands with Dave and joined Damaged Goods), playing hardcore punk in the vein of Black Flag and The Circle Jerks. Over the years toured several times with bands such as Sparta, Mudhoney, Run Run Run, Division of Laura Lee, and very often with the Murder City Devils. Before signing to Sub Pop, The Catheters added a second guitarist in 1998 (Lars) and started culturing a more dirty, 70s glam-rock sound as heard on their eMpTy Records releases. The records sold well and gained them the attention of larger labels, such as DreamWorks and Sub Pop. Paul and Lars left the band in 2001 for other projects, and The Catheters' long-time roadie Leo joined as bassist. In 2002, they scored an indie hit with the song Nothing from Static Delusions and Stone-Still Days and its accompanying music video. After a couple more singles and heavy touring in 2002 and 2003, the band released the excellent album Howling...It Grows and Grows!!! in 2004, using all their former sounds and infusing them with aesthetics of classic rock. The Catheters played their final show on October 15, 2004 with a big blow-out at Seattle's Sunset Tavern joined by friends The Vells and blackbelt (who played some old-school Catheters covers), ending the show with a mass sing-along to Fake ID that degenerated into instrument destruction and a minor brawl. The band dissolved amicably, with the former members Brian and Davey started Tall Birds which was later joined by Leo while Derek went on to play keyboards in The Girls and bass in Sunday Night Blackout. Since then Tall Birds stopped flying and Brian started Idle Times and Davey plays drums in Black Whales. Idle times has two seven inches out on and Black Whales have a record on Mt Fuji Records. The Girls are on Dirtnap Records.