ERIC OTTO(guitar, vocals) TOM PAPPAS (bass, vocals), MARK PETACCIA(drums), MIKE ATLAS (guitar).
Influences
Englebert Humperdink, Hang on, Let me think, Alice Cooper, Hall and Oates, Wang Chung, Johnny Cash, Cyndi Lauper, Fred Estaire, Prince, Taking out the trash, Reverend Horton Heat, Beach Boys 2 Men, ABC, BBD, Dogstar, Fat Albert and Kool and the Gang, Sushi, Sheila E, The Fat Boyz, The Sex Pistols, Billy Idol, The New York Dolls, Dead Kennedys, Alcohol, Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg 7, Conan O'Brien, Conan the Barbarian, Hanna Barbera, Be Bop-a-lula, The Big Bopper, Jalepeno Poppers, Jell-o Pudding Pops, John Cougar, Liberace, Niel Diamond, John Fogerty, Frederick F-in' Chopin, Nashville's Economy, GN'R, Kurtis Blow, Basketball, Abba, Simon and Garfunkel, Casey Casum's top 40 countdown, Rick Astley, Billy Ocean, Wierd Al Yankovich, Aaron Neville (as played by Horatio Sans), Seger, Conway Twitty, Hank the 4th, Dragon Tales, Tara Time, Christopher Cross, Queens of the Stone Age, Mudhoney, The Ramones, Hayseed Dixie, Chaka Kahn, Bill Murray, The Good Ol' Boys, Ray Charles, Black Flag, The White Stripes, Jack Black, James Brown, The Blues Brothers, Blue Fades, Paisley Orange, Red Sovine, Red Red Meat, Panama Red, The Indigo Girls, Green Day, Blackie Lawless, Pink, Pink Floyd, The Pink Spiders, Skittles, Whitesnake, The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, White Lion, The Black Album, The White Album, Big Black, Great White, The Black Keys, The Plain White-T's, Deep Purple, My Green Tambourine, Yellow Submarine, Orange Goblin, Red suited Spider-Man, Blue's Clues, Oliver Blue, The Big Orange, Simply Red, Radiohead, Rainbow Brite, Lite-Brite, Light Beige, Nickelodeon, Nacho Libre, Thee Billy Childish, Verbena, The Cult, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire, Newcleus, Egyptian Lover, Stevie Wonder, Cream, Chicago, Michael McDonald, Ronald McDonald, Old MacDonald, Easy Mac, The Beta Macks, Mack Daddy and Daddy Mack, Ozone and Turbo, Knight Rider Theme, Different Strokes Theme, The Beatles, the Go Go's, The Stones, Elvis Aaron Presley, Jason Priestley, Judas Priest me, Alabama, Television, Strongbad, The Statler Brothers, Chuck E. Cheese, Chuck Berry, "I'm ya huckleberry," Perry Farrell, Harold Carey, Patsy Cline, Polka, Tom Pappas' voicemails, Whales, Snails, and Puppy-Dog Tails, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Streussel Swirls, Nestle's Quick, Count Chocula, Frankenberry, Boo-Berry, The Neif, Telecasters, Jazzmasters, Stratocasters, Ghetto Blasters, Parliament, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ms. Shirley Q. Liquor, Slash, Bob Barker, Eagles of Death Metal, AA Bondy, Nirvana, The Scenesters, Flesh Vehicle, Blackbird Studio, John Netti, Soundgarden, The Police (Both kinds), Chris Farley, Pants, Shirts, Shoes, Socks, Bling, Doggy Underwear, Foghat, Mr. Frodo, Pegasi 51, Hypertribe, My Ruin, The Mustard, Beton Brut, Atombomb Pocketknife, the Holy Ghosts, The State Champs, Superdrag, Grimey's Record Store, Grimey, The internet, all things Hessian, NPR, The Funhouse with Derek and Rob, Faster Pussycat, L.A. Guns, Motley Crue, Electric Light Orchestra, Alan Parson's Project, Brendan Benson, The Replacements, Sebadoh, Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Meat Puppets, The Muppets, The Muppet Babies, Carly Simon, Rick James (bitch), Watching Gangsta Rap and Emo Die, Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, Anthony Hopkins, Napkins, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Alvin Lee, Leonard Cohen, The Velvet Underground, Doc Holiday (as played by Val Kilmer), The Cars, Waylon and Willie and the Boys, Kraftwerk, The Jesus Lizard, Clapton, and a crap-ton of other stuff. I've been everywhere, man. I've been everywhere.
There weren't any more explosive performers on the Knoxville rock scene of the mid- to late-1990s than Tom Pappas and Eric Otto; Pappas as the original bassist and mop-topped flashpoint of the city's successful power-pop outfit Superdrag, and Otto as the yowling frontman of a grungy little trio known as the Scenesters. At the time, the notion of putting the two men on the same stage together might have seemed dangerously inadvisable, like tossing a machine gun to a rabid silverback, or dropping a load of dynamite into the middle of an inferno.
Cue the sound of a distant explosion.
After four rehearsals together, WHIP! had already recorded its inaugural EP Hellevator , seven songs that showcase the surprisingly harmonious juxtaposition of Otto's hurtling, riff-oriented song structures and Pappas' soaring choruses and loopy melodies. The vocal chores are split neatly down the middle, with both singers taking a turn at the mike, and sometimes trading off tit-for-tat on the same song.
But a few things have changed—for the better—for both men since the days they rattled the rafters at erstwhile Knoxville rock hovels like the Mercury Theater or Gryphon's in Fort Sanders, or at the infamous free-for-all keggers at a long-running band house on White Avenue. Make no mistake; WHIP!'s songs still rock with merciless abandon— take a listen to full-throttle sample tracks like "Uh-Huh" and "Gas Guzzler" should you have any doubts. But now the energy that drives them springs from a wholly different place. METRO PULSE, KNOXVILLE
We have just released our new album: "Three Chords And The Truth".!! We invite you to listen to the passion and the swagger in this brilliant rock and roll album which is definitely the best album of the last ten years.
You can listen to it or even download it for free from our myspace page. Just push play on the ReverbNation Widget and enjoy it ;)
We'll be deeply greatful if you and all the music lovers check us out!
We have just released our new single: "Kiss Me" and 2 b-sides! 3 new songs up on our myspace page! We'll be glad if you and all the people who love rock and roll check us out!
Hey Eric, love the new stuff you guys got out! An congrats on the new baby!! Hope all is doin' well. Hey check out dillon's band they are 16 an 17 yrs old been together about a month or 2.. doin Sugar from system of a down and let me know what you guys think. Their name is - "A vain in Existance" See ya..Tell the fam i sad hello. Tana (Bitsy)
Let us tell you we have just released our new single: "Passing By" and 2 b-sides! 3 new songs up! Exclusive on our myspace page! We'll be very happy if you and all the people who love rock and roll check us out!
Hey guys I love the new stuff sounds awesome! Where are yall gonna be playin' next? I told some of my friends bout u guys they are sendin' request. Tell shannon i said hello an can't forget sweet oliver. heehee.. He's a sweetheart! keep it rockin'!!!
