Five years since embarking on their farewell tour, Reggie and the Full Effect are going back into the studio… but only with a little help from you.
Last Stop: Crappy Town, the last Reggie and the Full Effect album, was released back in 2008. Since then, James Dewees (the man behind the project) has been keeping himself busy musically, just with the focus spread to other areas. New Years Eve 2010 here in Philadelphia witnessed the band’s return at the TLA for a single reunion show, but that all changed last week when Dewees took to Kickstarter to announce plans to bring Reggie and the Full Effect back for a new album and to tour “the living hell out of it.”
The new record, entitled No Country For Old Musicians, began as Dewees’ reflection upon living in an apartment with actors, models, and dancers who were all in their early twenties and his feelings of disconnection and aging. As these feelings grew, Dewees took to songwriting as an outlet, and as the songs piled up, he realized it was the perfect time for a new Reggie and the Full Effect album.
Last Stop: Crappy Town saw Dewees take a new direction from what the band initially set out to do. Reggie and the Full Effect began as a four-song collection of jokes Dewees recorded while in his former band Coalesce. At the end of playing shows, he would hand out tapes with these songs to fans. From that point on, the project would always be humorous.
There seemed to be no limits to how humorous Dewees would get. On the third album, Under The Tray, the actual CD wasn’t found once the CD case was opened, but there it was, under the CD tray (hence the title.) Dewees would also include songs on the albums from different alter-egos like Fluxnation, a British techno DJ, and Klaus, the lead singer of a fictional Finnish death metal band, Common Denominator.
Last Stop: Crappy Town left the jokes aside and held a much more serious note. The album was a concept album involving Dewees’ drug addiction and subsequent rehab with the overall tone of the release being much heavier than previous. Years later, Dewees says all of that is behind him, and he’s ready to bring Reggie and the Full Effect back to its original style.
Since ending things with Reggie, Dewees has kept found himself in a handful of other musical acts. In 2008 he joined My Chemical Romance on the road as their touring keyboardist, and later that same year he was adopted as the band’s official keyboardist. He recorded two albums with them, The Black Parade Is Dead and ¡Venganza!
Also in 2008, Dewees took the drum stool in the hardcore side project from My Chemical Romance’s lead singer Frank Iero, Leathermouth. The group released one full length album in 2009 entitled XO. Later in 2009, Dewees announced that one of his former bands, The Get Up Kids, would be reuniting. He was a part of the band from 1999 until their end in 2005. After reuniting and touring for two years, The Get Up Kids released a new album in 2011.
It appears that 2013 will be all about Reggie and the Full Effect. No Country For Old Musicians is tentatively scheduled for release in October. While currently recording and producing the album, Dewees launched a Kickstarter to help fund the project with the goal to raise $50,000 to help cover the costs. Dollar amounts range from $1 to $7,000, and there are typical pledge levels for limited edition vinyl, shirts and sweatshirts, and backstage passes at shows. Then there are the more comical ones including the $7,000 all-inclusive wedding package where Dewees himself will officiate the wedding—he’s licensed to do so.
With 30 days left, the project is slightly under $30,000 away from completing the goal. Help Dewees and Reggie and the Full Effect get back in the studio and back on the road. Check out the Kickstarter page and the long list of pledge amounts and incentives to find the one that’s just for you.
