Crazy Town became a global success when the band dropped their 2000 hit single, “Butterfly”, which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and helped their debut album, “The Gift Of Game” in 1999 sell over 1.5 million units. “Butterfly” currently has amassed over 56 million views on YouTube and was sampled from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers song “Pretty Little Ditty” from their 1989 album “Mother’s Milk”. Their follow up album “Darkhorse” which was released in 2002 failed to gather the traction their debut did contributing to the bands break up in 2003. In 2007 founding members Bret Mazur and Seth Binzer reformed the band and they released a third album entitled “The Brimstone Sluggers” in 2015.
Bret Mazur and Seth Binzer who go by the stage names Epic and Shifty Shellshock started collaborating under the name “The Brimstone Sluggers” back in 1995 in Los Angeles, they were joined by Adam Bravin aka DJ Adam 12 and started recording music but didn’t get serious about it til much later. By early 1999 Rust Epique, James Bradley, Doug Miller, DJ AM (who replaced DJ Adam 12), and Antonio “Trouble” Valli joined the band and Crazy Town was born. After being recorded earlier that year their debut album “The Gift Of Game” was released on November 1999. “The Gift Of Game” was followed by a supporting opportunity for Crazy Town to join the Red Hot Chilli Peppers on tour. While the album was being mixed Rust Epique left the band and he was replaced by Kraig Tyler. The first two singles from their debut album “Toxic” and “Darkside” failed to chart and things we’re looking quite glum for the band. In 2001 the third single was released, “Butterfly”, and things we’re about to change for this somewhat unknown group. “Butterfly” reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with Soundscan reporting 100,000 album sales of “The Gift Of Game” prior to the release of “Butterfly”; after “Butterfly” reached number 1, sales exceeded 1.5 million.
The final single “The Gift Of Game” spawned was “Revolving Door” which failed to chart in the US but did become a minor hit in several countries reaching number 19 in Finland and number 23 in the UK. For myself this was probably the second best song on their debut album, but many critics said though “Revolving Door” wasn’t a bad song it’s similarities to “Butterfly” was probably the main reason it failed to become a true stand out hit. The band did have more heavier songs on their debut which critics thought would be more fitting to show case Crazy Town’s abilities to diversify through different genre’s.
In 2003 Crazy Town released their second album entitled “Darkhorse” and was produced by Howard Benson. Benson had a strong influence on the direction of this album as it ventured into a more rock orientated sound. Before the band got to recording the album, drummer James Bradley departed the group and was replaced by Kyle Hollinger. “Darkhorse” achieved little commercial success, only releasing two singles “Drowning” and “Hurt You So Bad” which became minor hit’s only in the US, UK, Austria and Germany. After this album failure Crazy Town decided to call it quits in late 2003, citing pressure from their record company to make another “Butterfly” follow up.
Members of Crazy Town decided to embark on solo stints in the music world, Bret Mazur went on to form The Pharmacy a record producing company and Rust Epique went on to form a band which went by the name “pre)Thing”. Unfortunately Epique died of a heart attack shortly before their debut album “22nd Century Lifestyle” was released in 2004. Binzer contributed vocals to a hit by Paul Oakenfold in 2002, it was a single called “Starry Eyed Surprise” which lead to a solo debut album in 2004 called “Happy Love Sick” under his stage name Shifty Shellshock. Kraig Tyler went on to join an industrial band called “16Volt”.
In 2007 Crazy Town announced a comeback with the remaining members and were working on a new studio album called “Crazy Town Is Back” which was due to be released in 2008, though fans of this anticipated album never saw it as it was never made. The band did perform together though in 2009 at Les Duex, it was the first time they played together in five years. But Crazy Town was struck with more bad luck, in August 28th, 2009 member DJ AM was found dead in his apartment of an accidental overdose. Crazy Town carried on and throughout 2011 the band released several new songs via their MySpace page called “My Place”, “Hard To Get” and “Hit That Switch”.
In 2012 the roller coaster lifestyle of the band continued as TMZ had reported front man Shifty Shellshock had fallen into a coma in April of that year and had struggles with addiction and appeared as a cast member in both the first two seasons of VH1’s Celebrity Rehaband Sober House. Later that year in August of 2012 Shifty Shellshock was sentenced for possessing drugs and battering his girlfriend. He was sentenced to three years probation after entering a no contest plea to both counts in court. He was initially arrested when an Los Angeles shop employee spotted him fighting with his girlfriend and called police. When they arrived and he was searched they found he was carrying cocaine.
With a dark past behind them Crazy Town’s Shifty and Epic announced in 2013 that the band was recording a new studio album called “The Brimstone Sluggers”. “Lemonface” was the first song released as a free download and the band also started new Facebook and Twitter page. On December 18th, 2014 Crazy Town released their first official new single called “Megatron” which was used as the theme song for Impact Wrestling during it’s American tour in 2015. In 2016 Crazy Town took part in a super tour of artists who had success throughout the 2000’s including Trapt, Saliva, Alien Ant Farm, 12 Stones, P.O.D. and Fuel. During the tour Epic was temporarily replaced by Bobby Reeves, and after a year of hiatus Epic announced he would no longer tour with the band. Following Epic’s departure, Rick Dixon, Nick Diiorio and Kevin Kapler also left the band. Hasma Angeleno and Empires Fade drummer Chris Barber joined the group for their UK and Portugal tour through April 2017, and to begin writing for the next album.
It’s doubtful that Crazy Town will ever find the same success they had in the initial stages of their career, but maybe their is a glimmer of hope that they can at least re-establish a fan base and at least release some semi decent records again. “The Brimstone Sluggers” was their attempt to go back to the bands roots, and the single “Megatron” I fail to see any glimpses of the success they had with “Butterfly”.
If there’s anyone you want me to track down don’t hesitate to email me at neillfrazer@hotmail.com, and I’ll feature them on the next Where Are They Now?
