88 Fingers Louie

88 Fingers Louie took their name from a piano-playing gangster from an old Flintstones episode when they formed in the spring 1993. 88 self-released their first EP that same year along with appearing on some local comps and started playing out at local punk bars and all ages spots. The next year Fat Wreck Chords picked them up and released a number of EPs, but it wasn't until 1995 that they released a full-length under Hopeless Records, Behind Bars, After issuing another EP, Chicago vs. Amsterdam in '96, they embarked on what was to be a full-scale tour with gigs throughout North America and Europe. Several months into that tour, in July, road stress caused 88 to abruptly break up with a large amount of U.S. dates left undone. Fat Wreck Chords released The Teacher Gets It EP and The Dom Years 10" in 1997 while the band was broken up, and simultaneously Hopeless re-released all their vinyl-only and hard to find material on Up Your Ass. After a year and a half of hiatus, original members Dan Precision and Dennis Buckley decided to continue on the 88 Fingers legacy in 1998. A whole new rhythm section was added with Joe Principe on bass and John Carroll playing drums. Back on the Streets was the album that was released that year and was considered their comeback. Their last release was a split with Kid Dynamite in 99. That split along with Behind Bars and the EP Totin' 40s & Fuckin' Shit Up received some of the best reviews. The band slowly slipped into obscurity with no official breakup announced after the Kid Dynamite split in 1999, but 88 Fingers Louie are without a doubt one of Chicago's revered 90's punk bands.