Emmet Swimming (who write their name as "emmet swimming") is a rock band from Fairfax, Virginia that was formed in 1990 at George Mason University. The band's name is a misspelled reference to Emmett Till, who died after being shot and thrown into a river. "The idea of the name was basically that a 14-year-old boy should be swimming in the river, not dying in it," said singer/founder Todd Watts. "Emmet Swimming" is also the name of an early song the band wrote.
They are known for their extensive touring. Regularly sold-out performances at the Fairfax live-music staples Planet NOVA, TT Reynolds and Fat Tuesday's drew major record label attention and the band continuously toured for over seven years, performing 200–300 shows per year. They played on the 1998 HORDE tour, and have also played and toured with Dave Matthews Band and Barenaked Ladies.
They still regularly play venues such as the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC and Ned Devine's in Herndon, VA. They have a large following of loyal fans who pack the house for their shows. The band has sold over 100,000 albums and has been nominated for 14 Washington Area Music Awards (WAMMIES).
Famous quotes containing the words emmet and/or swimming:
“Let no man write my epitaph; for as no man who knows my motives dare now vindicate them, let not prejudice or ignorance asperse them. Let them rest in obscurity and peace! Let my memory be left in oblivion, my tomb remain uninscribed, until other times and other men can do justice to my character.”
—Robert Emmet (1778–1803)
“Awareness of having better things to do with their lives is the secret to immunizing our children against false values—whether presented on television or in “real life.” The child who finds fulfillment in music or reading or cooking or swimming or writing or drawing is not as easily convinced that he needs recognition or power or some “high” to feel worthwhile.”
—Polly Berrien Berends (20th century)