Tuxedomoon is an experimental, post-punk, new wave band from San Francisco, California, United States. The band formed in the late 1970s at the beginning of the punk rock movement. Pulling influence from punk and electronic music, the group, originally consisting of Steven Brown (born Steven Allan Brown on August 23, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois) and Blaine L. Reininger, used electronic violins, guitars, screaming vocals and synthesizers to develop a unique "cabaret no-wave" sound. Bassist Peter Principle (Peter Dachert, 1954–2017) joined the band and in 1979 they released the single "No Tears", which remains a post-punk cult classic. He met Blaine L. Reininger in an electronic music class at San Francisco City College. Brown worked with Tommy Tadlock, of the Angels of Light, to create the final project of the class. Tadlock would go on to be Tuxedomoon's manager. Reininger and Brown started playing music together at Tadlock's house. Reininger played electronic violin and guitar. Tadlock assisted with the sound and audio. He also created tools for the band, including a "Treatment Mountain" a pyramid made of plywood, which held all of Reininger's effects pedals.
They started playing music together in the mid-1970s, when punk rock was popular in the underground music scene. "The only rule was the tacit understanding that anything that sounded like anyone else was taboo", stated Brown on the band aiming to create music that sounded unlike anything else before. The band performed frequently with Pere Ubu, The Residents, Devo, and Cabaret Voltaire. While in New York, they performed in, and were featured on the soundtrack for the film Downtown 81. They eventually relocated to Brussels. Tuxedomoon played in Athens, Greece, for the first time in December 1987, selling out the Pallas Theatre twice in one night.
1990s
In the early 1990s, the band separated and did not reunite for approximately eight years. Tuxedomoon reunited to perform at the Next Festival in Tel Aviv. The band had not played together in eight years, when Brown called the members to come together for the concert. They rehearsed in a studio for 10 days, in Tel Aviv, before the concert. Brown credits the Next Festival concert as being the key event in reuniting the band.
Their 2004 album Cabin in the Sky would serve as their comeback record.
Tuxedomoon released the album Vapour Trails on Crammed Discs in 2007. The band uses instruments like clarinets and flugelhorns along with their standard instrument setup. Members have also joined the FuturePlaces medialab for citizenship in 2010, 2011 and 2013, their participation documented in Bandcamp audio releases.
The Box, a 10-vinyl boxed set containing 9 of Tuxedomoon's major albums, as well as an album of previously unreleased material, came out in November 2015.
Geduldig (born Bruce Frederick Geduldig on March 7, 1953, in California) died on March 7, 2016, in Sacramento, California, he was 63 years old. David Haneke took over Geduldig's duties in Tuxedomoon for their 2016 tour.
Peter Principle died on July 17, 2017, at the age of 62, in Brussels. (Obituaries incorrectly stated his age as 63.)
Legacy
The band Factrix called Tuxedomoon mentors.
Scooter's "My Eyes Are Dry" from their album Mind The Gap is a cover version of "No Tears" with additional sections.
Musical style
Steven Brown cites the band's early influences as "Eno, Bowie, John Cage, Bernard Herrmann, Nino Rota, Igor Stravinsky and Ennio Morricone".