Van Go profile picture

Van Go

About Me

Just when you thought it was safe to listen to pop music, Van Go comes tearing by like a tornado through a trailor park. Yeah, we like memorable melodies, raggedy guitar sounds, sing-along choruses, MSG in our Chinese food and right turns on red---especially in school zones. So what are YOU going to do about it? Hooks so big you can hang an entire side of beef on them. Guitars so fat that they stick to leather chairs in the humid Chicago summers. Drums so drum-like that we can't even think of another analogy to go over the top with. Fact is, we won't sleep at night until we force every pop music lover in the USA, hell maybe even the damn whole world, to have our songs rattling around in their heads like a pachinko ball played by a rabid Japanese dowager until they beg for mercy. Remember the magic; remember ...Van Go. Van Go can be heard on XM Satellite Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio, WXRT and Q101 (Chicago). Van Go was named national and local semi-finalists in Sam Goody/Musicland Best Unsigned Band (top 4 in nation), Musician Magazine's Best Unsigned Band, and Emergenza's Worldwide Best Band contests. Van Go charted at various times, not only in the U.S., but also in Portugal and Japan (BusyPet Top Ten of 2002)! While Van Go rock many a stage in their native Chicago, they have toured extensively throughout the Midwest, as far away as New York City, and are looking forward to a potential tour of Japan. "Van Go's melody-drenched songs are purely focused and front-and-center. Insistent jangle hooks, airy choruses and large doses of great thumping rhythm guitars ascend/descend all wrapped inside memorable songs...we have to state boldly this may be one of the better indie power pop bands that few pop fans are aware of...Extremely Highly Recommended" - NotLame.com "...great singing, great playing, great melodies...Van Go is one of the best bands in Chicago" - Richard Milne, WXRT Radio "(Van Go) is everything pop radio should be. Armed with super catchy hooks, great melodies and everything that goes with 'em." - Illinois Entertainer "I am partial to the slightly sloppy boyish power pop on this local band's latest...sentiments come off as sweetly human, and these guys genuinely seem to be having a good time. Moreover, they seem to believe that having a good time is important and that Rock 'n' Roll is still a good way to do it-and their faith is infectious." - Monica Kendrick, The Chicago Reader

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 10/19/2005
Band Website: vangorock.com
Band Members: Dave Sippel Bryan Thomas Steve Brown Lou Galassini Scott Jelinek
Influences: Cheap Trick, The Beatles, The Replacements, The Clash, The Smiths, The Beat, The Plimsouls, 20/20, Big Star, The Buzzcocks, The Undertones, The Ramones, The Old 97's, Cracker, The Damned, Sloan, Jets To Brazil, The Shazam, Big Dipper, The Promise Ring, Devo, Kiss, AC/DC, The Records, The Housemartins, Weezer, Pixies, The dB's, Wire, Off Broadway, Mott The Hoople, David Bowie, Uriah Heep, Johnny Cash, Depeche Mode, Gang of Four, Prince, U2, Husker Du, Bob Mould, Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, The Rasberries, Badfinger, Black Flag, The Dead Kennedy's, Jawbreaker, XTC, REM, Superdrag, The Smithereens, Soul Asylum, Uncle Tupelo, The Feelies, The Wonder Stuff, The Jam, The Sex Pistols, Generation X, X-Ray Spex, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, The Knack, The Jags, Fingerprintz, Nirvana, Naked Raygun, The Misfits, The Cure, X, Green Day, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Graham Parker, Nick Lowe, Rockpile, Dave Edmunds, Blondie, The Beach Boys, The Pretenders, The Keys, Green, The Bats, The Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Guided By Voices, The Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, Rocket From The Crypt, Rancid, The Sweet, Duran Duran, Modern English, The Elvis Brothers, 92 Degrees, Shoes, Great Buildings, The Kinks, Ted Leo, Chisel, Blake Babies, The Dead Boys, The B-52's, Ministry, Men Without Hats
Sounds Like: Cheap Trick, The Replacements, The Beatles, Superdrag, The Smiths, The Housemartins, The Beat, The Plimsouls, The Records, The Gin Blossoms, The Undertones, The Ramones, Weezer, Cracker, 20/20, Off Broadway, Guided By Voices, Material Issue
Record Label: Wonderland
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

13 Nights of Halloween 2007!!!

I had so much fun doing this last year, I thought I'd add to my legacy.  It's time for Halloween once again, and I'm hear to deliver a comprehensive plan to get the most out of your 13 nights of ...
Posted by Van Go on Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:50:00 PST

Top 20 of 2006

I haven't posted a blog since Halloween!  Shame on me!  While 2007 is shaping up to be an excellent year for music (since the millenium, the odd numbered years have tended to be superior in ...
Posted by Van Go on Wed, 11 Apr 2007 01:37:00 PST

13 Nights of Halloween!!!

My favorite season is upon us!  As the 13 Nights of Halloween begin, we look into ourselves and explore our darkest fears.  Why do we like to be scared?  Why do we enjoy that dark, sedu...
Posted by Van Go on Sat, 21 Oct 2006 12:00:00 PST

The Beat Everybody!

Hey, if you like Van Go you will love one of the true godfathers of pop, the Beat. Check 'em out, they are one of our friends. You know what I like? 18 watt all tube amps and Les Pauls. I'm not sayin...
Posted by Van Go on Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:22:00 PST

Weekly Top 10

Hey kids!  Here's my Top Ten Tunes of the week: 1.  Ben Kweller - Penny on the Train Track (Candidate for song of the year if it was about 1 minute or so shorter) 2.  Sound Team - Your ...
Posted by Van Go on Wed, 27 Sep 2006 11:07:00 PST

Hey Punk Rockers!!

Man, does this DVD kick ass!  If you are interested in checking out some real, old school punk rock, this is one of the best DVD's I've seen on the subject.  The sound and video are good, f...
Posted by Van Go on Wed, 20 Sep 2006 10:51:00 PST

Sept. 2006 Top 40 Tunes!

With all the bands and new releases out there, I have reimplemented my weekly Top 20 chart, temporarily expanding it to 40, just so I can keep track of the music of 2006, as we seriously bear down to ...
Posted by Van Go on Thu, 14 Sep 2006 11:13:00 PST

Hot enough to boil a monkey's bum!

...at the current rate of growth of our Friends Down Under by early 2007 one in three Australians will formally be Van Go Myspace.com friends. I like it. Rule Four, now this term, I don't want to cat...
Posted by Van Go on Fri, 08 Sep 2006 06:19:00 PST

Down Under

Have we told you lately how much we love Australia. Thought not. We love Australia. There it is, out there for everyone to see. We really put ourselves on the line sometimes.
Posted by Van Go on Thu, 31 Aug 2006 06:08:00 PST

Pete Comida

Playing with Cheap Trick was great! Bryan struck up a conversation with Pete Comida...well, he thought he was Pete Comida but it of course was Tom Petersson. Bryan is stuck in 1982...
Posted by Van Go on Sat, 05 Aug 2006 10:09:00 PST