The Wagon are a versatile rock band out of San Diego, CA who started a band for no other reason that to have fun.On Match Made in Hell, The Wagon keep you on your toes. They infuse some quintessential beach influences with their rock, from steel guitar hula accents to calypso beats. Before you know it, the album takes you back into a dark dive bar with a bass drum/guitar assault, and then from a hook-filled pop song to a twang-tinged love ballad. Match Made in Hell is nothing if not a fun ride.The Wagon’s founding members Sutton Papanikolas and Quinn Cox have been friends since they were four years old growing up in Tucson, AZ. Though they went separate ways in grade school when Papanikolas moved to San Diego, they reunited in Flagstaff in 1997. Their very first gig was opening up for Mike Watt; they had so much fun and success over the next few months that they decided to keep going, and eventually moved the band to San Diego.The Wagon have undergone many line-up changes and breaks over the next several years; the original bass player, Greg Thurston, left the band when he had his first child. Their then drummer Danny Katz then introduced them to Jorge Rosenthal, who became The Wagon’s new bass player. Rosenthal was a huge positive influence on the band, teaching them professionalism and discipline. At the far too young age of 31, Rosenthal died in a diabetes-related tragedy. The Wagon took a needed break afterwards. Eventually they took up playing gigs again with bassist Paul Moffat, another powerful influence on the band, who later left to focus on his new family. Before his departure, Moffat introduced new drummer, Rex Havoc, and the four members recorded their first release End of Summer, which was mastered by acclaimed producer Wyn Davis. Now a 3-piece, Papanikolas and Cox have taken on the bass-playing duties themselves, trading guitar and bass duties live and in the studio. The trio recorded Match Made in Hell at the Transplant in Redondo Beach, CA with Wyn Davis’ protégé, Mic McMullen, aka Transducer, who has worked with Mike Watt, Pepper, and many more. Also contributing on their album is drummer Gary Ferguson (The New Radicals, Eddie Money), and Mark Shark (The Traveling Wilburys) on lap steel and slide guitar.
