Pop Evil performing at the Fiesta Oyster Bake Festival at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas on April 2, 2022. (Photo: Ralph Arvesen)
The Alternative-Rock post-Grunge band Pop Evil has steadily built a grassroots following since forming in November of 2001. Lead singer Leigh Kakaty, guitarist Dave Grahs, bassist Jamie Nummer and drummer Dylan Allison formed the early stages of the band in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The band released its first album, "War Of The Roses", in June 2004 through Jar'd Star. A 3-song EP entitled "Ready Or Not", followed two years later. Regional popularity kept Pop Evil on the road and they continued to be offered gigs that they couldn't turn down: they shared bills with Shinedown, Puddle Of Mudd and Trapt.
After Nummer departed the band, in 2007, Pop Evil recruited guitarist Tony Greve and new bassist Matt DiRito to help compliment the band's sound and stage show. They also lay the foundation for their second album, "Lipstick On The Mirror", which reached #12 on the Billboard's Heatseekers chart; it contained four singles, the Active Rock top 40 hit "Hero", "100 In A 55" which peaked at #27 on Billboard's Rock Songs list and at #32 on The Alternative Songs chart and two 2009's minor hits, "Breathe" and "Stepping Stone".
After six months of writing new material, in mid-2010 the Michigan rockers entered the studio to cut their next album, "War Of Angels". The disc, which reached the #43 position on The Billboard 200, was released in July 2011, containing such top 30 Billboard's Rock Songs hits as "Last Man Standing", "Monster You Made" and "Boss's Daughter"; all of these tracks made the Active Rock top 10 and the fourth single off the CD, "Purple", climbed into the top 20 of the same chart.
During 2011 the band line-up was again changed, former drummer Dylan Allison was replaced by Chachi Riot and guitarist Nick Fuelling stepped in for the departed Tony Greve. Pop Evil issued their next album, "Onyx", in May 2013. The disc broke fast, with two singles, "Trenches" and "Deal With The Devil", becoming #1 hits on The Mainstream Rock chart. "Onyx" peaked at #39 on The Billboard Top 200 Albums list.
Fiesta Oyster Bake
106 years and counting. For a third of San Antonio’s history, the Oyster Bake has been part of the fabric of the community. What started as a St. Mary’s University alumni gathering with a handful of people in 1916 on the banks of the San Antonio river downtown has grown to a premier Fiesta San Antonio event with over 70,000 patrons and more than 7,000 volunteers.
The Oyster Bake truly is a party with a purpose. 100% of the proceeds raised during the Oyster Bake goes directly back to the students of St. Mary’s University. By attending the Oyster Bake, you are helping further the education of students and help in their growth as future community leaders. Over the years your patronage has directly contributed millions of dollars in student scholarships and university programs and for this we can simply say, thank you.
And in case you were wondering, over the two days of Oyster Bake we go through 100,000 oysters and 32,000 chicken on a sticks with jalapeno!
Pop Evil
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Fiesta Oyster Bake
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Photos by Ralph Arvesen
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