Ass Ponys Explained

Ass Ponys
Origin:	Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Genre:	Alternative country, country rock
Years Active:	1988 - 2005, 2015
Label:	A&M Checkered Past Records Okra Safe House Shake It
Associated Acts:	Wussy
Current Members:	Chuck Cleaver Randy Cheek Dave Morrison
Past Members:	Bill Alletzhauser Dan Kleingers John Erhardt

Ass Ponys was an indie rock band based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their sound combines rock and country into an off-kilter blend of Americana music. They have gone on national tours with bands such as Pavement, Throwing Muses, and Possum Dixon. Among other periodicals, they have been featured in Rolling Stone, CMJ, and The Cincinnati Post.^[1]

History

The Ass Ponys was formed in 1988 from members of Ohio band the Libertines and Midwestern band Gomez.^[2] The group was active for 17 years, releasing six studio albums from 1988 to 2005. The Ass Ponys went on hiatus in 2005, after releasing the compilation album The Okra Years^[3] – four years after their last original material was released in Lohio.^{[4] [5]} More importantly, it appears that core band members are focused on new projects, so new Ass Ponys output seems unlikely any time soon.^[6] Vocalist Chuck Cleaver is focusing his attention on his current band, Wussy. Bill Alletzhauser currently fronts the band The Hiders.^[7] Randy Cheek plays with The Libertines US, The Fairmount Girls, and The Ready Stance. Chuck Cleaver and Randy Cheek performed together at TedxCincinnati in November 2013.^[8] In July 2015, the band announced they would play two shows at the Woodward Theater in Cincinnati on Friday, November 6, and Saturday, November 7, 2015.^{[9] [10]} The reunion shows featured the bands Swim Team and Vacation as openers for the Ass Ponys.

Members

• Chuck Cleaver – vocals, guitar (1988–2005)
• Randy Cheek – bass, backing vocals (1988–2005)
• John Erhardt – guitar (1988–1994; 2003–2005; died 2022)
• Kevin Lung – guitar (1994)
• Bill Alletzhauser – guitar, slide, banjo, backing vocals (1995–2002)
• Dan Kleingers – drums (1988–1991)
• Dave Morrison – drums, keyboards, backing vocals (1991–2005)

Discography

Studio albums

• 1990 – Mr. Superlove (Okra)
• 1993 – Grim (Okra/Safe House)
• 1994 – Electric Rock Music (A&M)
• 1996 – The Known Universe (A&M)
• 2000 – Some Stupid with a Flare Gun (Checkered Past)
• 2001 – Lohio (Checkered Past)

Extended plays

• 1996 – Under Cedars and Stars (A&M)

Compilations

• 2006 – The Okra Years (Shake It)

Singles

• Little Bastard, from Electric Rock Music (#26 on US Billboard Modern Rock)

External links

• Web site: Sheffield. Rob. The Ass Ponys. Rolling Stone. 19 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20041108233519/http://www.assponys.org/archivalasspages/article_rshotlisttext.htm. 8 November 2004. August 30, 2001. The Ass Ponys’ America sure is a grim place: all small-town despair, nuclear-family breakdowns, grandmothers who build crucifixes out of matchsticks, kids who torture bugs and grown men who can only explain their existential dread with references to Kung Fu, Scatman Crothers and “Smoke on the Water.”.
• News: The Word: Veteran local bands head for Austin festival. Rick. Bird. The Cincinnati Post. E. W. Scripps Company. 2000-03-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20070312110916/http://www.cincypost.com/living/2000/bird030200.html. 2007-03-12.
• Web site: Hillbilly Revenge. Houston Press. 19 October 2012. Hobart Rowland . Bob Burtman. https://web.archive.org/web/20070828233658/http://www.houstonpress.com/1996-04-11/music/hillbilly-revenge/. 28 August 2007. 11 April 1996.
  • • Ass Ponys collection on the Internet Archive's live music archive
• Chuck Cleaver interviews on Outsight Radio Hours
• CincyMusic Profile

Notes and References

1. Web site: Simutis . David . Cover Story: The Life and Death and Life of the Ass Ponys . 2022-07-09 . Cincinnati CityBeat . en.
2. Web site: Still kicking butt . 12 January 2001 . 22 October 2014 . DeRogatis, Jim . https://web.archive.org/web/20140728123222/http://www.jimdero.com/News2001/LiveJan12.htm . 28 July 2014 . live .
3. Web site: Ass Pony's – The Okra Years. AllMusic Guide. 14 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20151115143230/http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-okra-years-mw0001027590. 15 November 2015. live.
4. Web site: 2006-04-25 . Ass Ponys: The Okra Years, PopMatters . 2022-07-09 . PopMatters . en-US.
5. Web site: chicagoreader . 2001-09-20 . Ass Ponys . 2022-07-09 . Chicago Reader . en-US.
6. Web site: The Ballad of Chuck and Lisa . . 1 December 2009 . 25 January 2014 . Cohen, Jason . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140201205821/http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/features/story.aspx?ID=1673992 . 1 February 2014 .
7. Web site: Baker . Brian . ::new citybeat interview:: hiders seek . 14 October 2012 . https://archive.today/20121202034928/http://www.myspace.com/thehiders/blog/391504802 . 2 December 2012 . 28 May 2008 . Alletzhauser finds lightning striking twice as his new Americana aggregation, The Hiders, bears the enviable -- or perhaps unenviable -- tag of "the hottest unsigned band in America . live .
8. Web site: Ass Ponys: Randy Cheek and Chuck Cleaver at TEDxCincinnati . TedxCincinnati . 12 November 2013 . 4 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150405231629/http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Ass-Ponys-Randy-Cheek-and-Chuck;search%3Atag%3A%22tedxcincinnati%22 . 5 April 2015 . live .
9. Web site: Ass Ponys Announce November Reunion Shows . 2015-11-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150907181212/http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-33229-ass_ponys_announce_november_reunion_shows.html . 2015-09-07 . live .
10. Web site: How Ass Were My Ponys. Baker. Brian. November 11, 2015. city beat. 2016-08-06.