Crease

by Steve HueyPost-grunge hard rockers Crease formed in Fort Lauderdale, FL, in 1994, their membership including three-quarters of a local outfit dubbed Excessive. Singer Kelly Meister and brothers Eric (drums) and Fritz Dorigo (guitar) had been performing for several years, and when their bassist left the band to get married, they refocused their energy with the help of new bassist Greg Gershengorn. Changing their name to Crease, the group recorded an independent album, Interference, which cemented their local reputation. However, when their recording deal fell through, the band was forced to regroup, spending their time honing their songwriting and performance chops on the South Florida club scene. In 1997, their EP ...Six Pack Shy of Pretty (which was slated to be a full-length until the band ran out of money) produced a local radio hit with the single "Frustration," and several high-profile gigs at home and on the East Coast helped land Crease a deal with Roadrunner Records toward the end of 1999. The five songs on ...Six Pack Shy of Pretty were redone for inclusion on Crease's Roadrunner debut, Vindication, which was released during the summer of 2000.