Lee Presson and the Nails
| Lee Presson and the Nails | |
|---|---|
 Lee Presson performing in California in 2007. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Genres | Swing revival, big band |
| Years active | 1994-2004; 2006–present |
| Website | www.leepresson.com |
Lee Presson and the Nails (also known as LPN) is a swing band that formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in October 1994 during the late 1990s swing revival. As of 2010, the band has released five albums.
Formation and awards
LPN differentiated themselves from other bands of the late '90s swing revival by their wacky stage antics and the sinister appearance of band leader Lee Presson. The San Francisco Chronicle described LPN in 1996 by coining the term "Goth Swing." The band won a California Music Award (Bammie) in 1998 for Best Swing/Cabaret Act,[1] an SF Weekly Award for Best Swing Band later that year.[2]
LPN temporarily disbanded in 2004 when Lee Presson moved to Hollywood, where he played keyboard for the Oingo Boingo tribute band Dead Man's Party.[3]
Reunion
After a two-year hiatus, Lee Presson and the Nails performed a reunion show in San Francisco on 16 September 2006 at the DNA Lounge as part of the inaugural launching of The Hubba Hubba Revue, a San Francisco Burlesque and Variety show.[4] After more shows, Presson moved back to the Bay Area and soon LPN was back in full swing, so to speak.
In 2010, the band released Balls in Your Face, a download-only album of ballroom dance music.
In recent years, the band has found a new audience in the steampunk/dieselpunk community, headlining in 2012 at the Nova Albion Steampunk Exhibition in Santa Clara, CA in 2011, and at Her Royal Majesty's Steampunk Symposium at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. They were a headlining act at the first Steamstock in Richmond, CA in 2013.
Discography
- Jump-Swing from Hell: Live at the Hi-Ball Lounge (1998 - Hep Cat Records)
- Swing is Dead (1999 - Hep Cat Records) (no longer available)
- Playing Dirty: LPN Live at the Derby (2000 - LPN Enterprises)
- El Bando En Fuego! (2002 - LPN Enterprises)
- Balls In Your Face (2010 - LPN Enterprises)
References
- ↑ "Bammies Broaden Scope, But It's the Same Old Song". sfgate.com.
- ↑ "SF Weekly's Wammies '98". sfweekly.com.
- ↑ "Lee Presson". Dead Man's Party. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
- ↑ "Flyer for Sat, 16 Sep 2006". DNA Lounge. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
- Vale, V. (1998). Swing! The New Retro Renaissance. San Francisco, California: V/Search Publications. p. 224. ISBN 1-889307-02-5.
- Yanow, Scott (2000). Swing. San Francisco, California: Miller Freeman Books. p. 473. ISBN 0-87930-600-9.