Biography
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Years Active
1990 – present (34 years)
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Founded In
Asbury Park, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
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Members
- Ari Katz
- Dan Yemin
- Dave Palaitis
- Scott Golley
Lifetime was rooted in the New York/New Jersey hardcore punk scene & formed in New Brunswick, NJ, USA (1990). The band's founders were Ari Katz (vocals) & Dan Yemin (guitars - also of Kid Dynamite, Paint It Black, and Armalite). In contrast to the negative, sometimes violent, tone promulgated by New York hardcore contemporaries - Katz's lyrics emphasized more positive / personal themes, in their two-minute songs. In 1992, Lifetime released their first full length album, Background, which bore only passing resemblance to the more melodic work to follow. By 1995, the band achieved greater stability, with the addition of Pete Martin (guitar), David Palaitis (bass) & Scott Golley (drums). That same year, they released their second album, Hello Bastards (Jade Tree Records). This marked a slight shift in direction, incorporating more melodic punk leanings, over a driving hardcore tempo. Katz's lyrics, though sometimes undecipherable, dealt mainly with more introspective / personal themes, such as relationships & youthful disaffection. Hello Bastards also includes a cover of Hüsker Dü's '80s It's Not Funny Anymore - hinting at the band's musical influences.
In 1996, Lifetime issued a compilation of their 7" releases and unreleased songs, on Glue Records, also released in Europe by Day After Records. In 1997, the band completed its third full-length Jersey's Best Dancers. With twelve songs clocking in at under 24 minutes, Jersey's Best Dancers continued in the same vein as Hello Bastards. However, after a short tour in support of their new album, Lifetime decided to disband in 1997.
After disbanding, Dan Yemin went on to become a member of two other punk bands, the short-lived Kid Dynamite & Paint It Black. Dave Palaitis, Ari Katz and, his wife, Tannis Kristanjson went on to form Zero Zero.
Most recently, the band got together for a series of three well-received reunion shows, over the weekend of 19 to 21 Aug 2005. The shows were a result of the cancellation of Hellfest, in which Lifetime was scheduled to play on 20 Aug (Saturday). Two shows took place in Philadelphia, one at The Trocadero Theatre (where they played with Vision) & one, 20 Aug, at the Starlight Ballroom (featured the reunion of hardcore band 108). The final reunion show was held at The Stone Pony (Asbury Park, New Jersey), which featured opening bands The Loved Ones & The Bouncing Souls. Some profits from the show went to charities such as New Labor, The OUT Fund, the Nature Conservancy & Linda Ann's Greyhound Rescue Inc.
On 14 Nov 2005, Jade Tree Records announced that Lifetime would be playing three more reunion shows, on a January weekend, in California: Troubadour (Los Angeles, 27 Jan), Chain Reaction (Anaheim, 28 Jan) & Slims (San Francisco, 29 Jan).
On 17 Nov 2005, it was officially announced that the band would reform. In March 2006, the band announced that they were signing to Decaydence (Pete Wentz's imprint of Fueled by Ramen records) & the fourth album's release - self-titled, Lifetime - followed Feb 2007.
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