The Dharma Bums were a garage band in the best traditions of the MC5 and early 80s college-rock bands such as Rain Parade and R.E.M. Band members included Jeremy Wilson (vocals), John Moen (drums/vocals), Eric Lovre (guitar/vocals) and Jim Talstra (bass). Jump to: navigation, search The MC5 was a rock music band that came out of Detroit, USA in 1966, and was an important precursor of and influence on punk rock (see protopunk). ... R.E.M. is a rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in early 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and vocalist Michael Stipe. ...

They formed in 1987 in Portland, Oregon, by members of two local bands, the Watchmen and Perfect Circle (no connection, other than by name, with the later bands The Watchmen or A Perfect Circle). The first album, Haywire, was produced by Scott McCaughey (lead singer of the Young Fresh Fellows) and recorded for the PopLlama label in 1989. McCaughey later played their debut to Frontier Records boss Lisa Fancher, who was impressed enough to re-release the album. One of the tracks, "Boots Of Leather", proved to be an enduring college radio hit. Jump to: navigation, search 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search Portland is the largest city in Oregon, and county seat of Multnomah County. ... See also Alan Moores comic book series, The Watchmen. ... Jump to: navigation, search A Perfect Circle is an alternative rock band, formed by guitarist Billy Howerdel. ... Scott McCaughey is the leader of the Seattle-based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and (with Peter Buck) the Minus 5. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... College radio (also known as university radio, campus radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college or university. ...

In 1990 the more polished album Bliss was released on Frontier Records. Featuring greatly improved songwriting, it covered subjects from rape and adolescence to suicide, in a mature fashion built on ragged rock textures. The Dharma Bums recorded their third and final album Welcome for the Tim/Kerr label in 1991, and disbanded in 1992. Wilson went on to form the alt-rock band Pilot. Jump to: navigation, search 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1992 was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

Some biographers, as as Melissa Rossi, author of Courtney Love: Queen of Noise, claim that Dharma Bums was Courtney Love's favorite Portland band. It was at a Bums concert at the Satyricon nightclub in Portland that Kurt Cobain first met Courtney Love. Jump to: navigation, search Courtney Love Courtney Love (born Love Michelle Harrison on July 9, 1964 in San Francisco, California) was the singer for the now-defunct band Hole. ... Jump to: navigation, search Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ca. ...

Many in the local Portland scene had expected Dharma Bums to be the big breakthrough "alternative" act of the Northwest music scene. Instead, of course, Nirvana was the breakthrough act of the genre. Ironically, Nirvana was a frequent opening act for Dharma Bums. Jump to: navigation, search Nirvana was a popular American grunge rock band founded in 1987 in Aberdeen, Washington. ...

Discography

• Haywire (1989)
• Bliss (1990)
• Welcome (1991)

External Links

Jeremy Wilson's Dharma Bums page

Dharma Bums entry on allmusic.com

• Haywire is Dharma Bums' last album.

• Bliss by Dharma Bums.

• Welcome by Dharma Bums.

• SATYRICOM ...THE ALBUM is a tribute to the defunct Portland nightclub.