The Richmond, VA-based ska outfit
Fighting Gravity comprised vocalist
Schiavone McGee, guitarist David "Tree" Triano, bassist
Dave Peterson, keyboardist
Eric Lawson, trombonist
Chris Leitch, saxophonist Karl von Klein and drummer
Mike Boyd. Formed while its members were attending Virginia Polytechnic Institute during the mid-'80s, the group -- originally dubbed "Boy O Boy" -- spent the next decade touring relentlessly, playing between 150 to 200 dates a year up and down the Eastern seaboard. After earning a large following playing clubs and frat houses, in 1990
Fighting Gravity founded their own label, BOB Records, and issued their debut LP
Boy O Boy.
Shishskabob followed in 1992, as did
Bobsled, a collection of Christmas music originally available only at the group's live shows. After two more indie releases, 1994's
No Stopping, No Standing and 1996's Forever Equals 1 day,
Fighting Gravity signed to Mercury, issuing
You & Everybody Else in 1998 .
Hello Cleveland, a collection of hits and previously unreleased material, followed a year later.
Under the Radar, which was released in summer 2001, showcased
Fighting Gravity's first acoustic/unplugged concert captured on CD. The album included brand new recordings and acoustic compositions of some of the band's most familiar tracks.
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Jason Ankeny, Rovi