Area Bands Past Four

Four wasn’t just a band—it was the embodiment of punk rock. The Denver-based group couldn’t really sing that well, or even play in tune. Its songs were angst-ridden and sophomoric, with lyrics about the lack of girls in the crew (“Sausage Fest”), being afraid to ride amusement park rides (“United Pansies Of America”), and how much fun it is to play with a hula hoop (“Heck Of A Hula Hoop”). None of the songs made it past the three-minute mark, and all were played at a breakneck, slam-danceable pace. With six-note guitar solos and frenzied, offbeat ska riffs, Four obviously idolized punk powerhouses like Screeching Weasel and Operation Ivy. Yet, in spite of all this—or maybe because of it—the group showcased some of the best ska-punk Denver has ever seen. Back when the idea of mainstream success seemed implausible for a punk band, the Four boys—along with fellow locals like Pinhead Circus and Qualm—helped shape a tight-knit community of teenage punkers who turned DIY into a lifestyle. But as the fans and the band grew older, the temptations to follow different paths eventually led to a fractured scene and the end of Four.

Years of existence: 1994-1998

Releases: The Album (self-released cassette); Play With Everything (self-released cassette, which featured The Album in its entirety plus various singles); Play With Everything (self-released 7-inch record); split 7-inch with Eight Bucks Experiment (Blue Moon Records); Live In Hanger 18 7-inch (Paco Garden Records); At The Show 7-inch (Illumination Records).

Currently: Singer George Fraska lives in Westminster and fronts '70s-style punk band The Scooterz with his wife. Bassist-vocalist Dave Paco spends his time traveling the globe, and occasionally stops home in Denver for brief intervals, usually reuniting his post-Four bands such as skate-punk group The Messy Hairs and thrashy hardcore act Deadlock Frequency. Guitarist Matt Tiñez played in the now-defunct Denver pop-punk mainstay The Gamits before falling off the Denver music radar. And the singly named drummer Damien brought his chops to the Family Men before succumbing to a similar fate. This was just the core of Four; other members came and went throughout the group's volatile life span.

Key Tracks: “Waste Of Time” is a little bit ska and a lot of punk and perfectly encompasses all that made Four paradoxically relevant and out-of-step in the mid-'90s.
"Waste of Time" by Four

Bonus: Remembering the riot of ‘96! On May 18 of that year, Four opened for Propagandhi at a VFW hall on West Colfax. The police shut down the show, which was filled beyond capacity with sweaty punk rockers, prompting hundreds to incite a riot. Four eventually penned a song about the melee entitled “Bakin’ Nut,” which included the chorus, “I’m not gonna let police rule my life / I’m not going to live my life in fear.” Deadlock Frequency covered the song when the group opened for Propagandhi in Denver on September 9, 2001.

Odds of a reunion: “Very slim,” Paco says. “We’ve all gone separate ways for so long that I’m not sure there’s a lot of interest in it from anybody. There’s something about that period of time that’s better left there.”