role:: Vocals role:: Guitar role:: Bass
Biography
Dan Schafer (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage name Dan Vapid, is a punk rock musician from Chicago, Illinois, United States. He is best known for his participation in Screeching Weasel, The Riverdales, The Methadones, and various other punk rock/pop punk bands. His current band is Dan Vapid and the Cheats.
Schafer’s first band was the hardcore punk band Generation Waste, formed in 1985. He was the vocalist and the other band members were Ted Domurat (later of Gear) on guitar, Frank Ciampi (later of Tension Wire, Devastation, Mindfunk) on bass and Dave Juarez on drums. Juarez was later replaced by Pat Buckley (later of Gear, The Vindictives (as “P.J. Parti”)).
In 1989, Schafer became the bass player for Screeching Weasel, though he switched back and forth from bass to guitar several times over the band’s history.
Screeching Weasel temporarily disbanded when Schafer and Brian Vermin, the drummer, quit the band to concentrate on their side project, Sludgeworth.
Sludgeworth was formed in 1989 as a side project from Screeching Weasel for Schafer (vocals) and Vermin (drums). Completing the line-up were Adam White (guitar), Dave McClean (guitar) and Mike Hootenstrat (bass). The band broke up in 1992 shortly after Schafer rejoined Screeching Weasel.
The Riverdales were formed in 1994 by three members of Screeching Weasel (Ben Foster, Dan Schafer, and Dan Sullivan) when the former band disbanded. Just like with Screeching Weasel, Schafer played bass for the Riverdales but this time also shared lead vocals with Foster. The band has been inactive since March 23, 2011 when all of the members quit on Ben Weasel under bad circumstances at a Screeching Weasel show.
Schafer played guitar for The Queers in 1994 and 2002. In 1996, he (vocals, guitar) and B-Face (bass) created a side-project called The Mopes. The line-up was completed with John Jughead (guitar) and Dan Lumley (drums). The band existed from 1996 through 1998.
The Methadones were a side project that Schafer began in 1993 but sat on the back-burner for a number of years. In 1999, Schafer re-launched the group, recruiting former Mopes B-Face and Dan Lumley to record an album, Ill at Ease. After the recording, he established a new, Chicago-based line up, which included Schafer (vocals, guitar), Mike Byrne (guitar), Sensitive Pete (bass) and Mike Soucy (drums). The band disbanded in 2010.
Noise By Numbers was formed in 2008 with Schafer (vocals, guitar), Jeff Dean (guitar), Rick Uncapher (bass) and Neil Hennessy (drums). Hennessy left after the first album and was replaced by Jimmy Lucido.
Following the demise of Screeching Weasel after the SXSW debacle, Schafer formed a new band called Dan Vapid and the Cheats featuring bassist Simon Lamb (from Screeching Weasel and the Riverdales), guitarist Mike Byrne and drummer Mike Soucy (both from the Methadones). The band recorded a studio album in October 2011, with Justin Perkins producing, at the Mystery Room.