The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - Danza IIII: The Alpha - The Omega

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza
Danza IIII: The Alpha - The Omega
Black Market Activities

Let's take a look back at the final album of an unsung (partially, anyway) treasure in metal history. The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza packed it in about a year and a half ago. Once a touring staple during the Mary Jane's/Fat Cat's/Walter's on Washington metalcore years, the luster of shitty band-life had worn off for The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza. It's a shame because this band was heavy like no other.

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza existed from 2004-2012. All of the band members were originally from Monroe, LA except for the singer Jessie Freeland. In 2004, the band relocated to Freeland's hometown of Mufreesboro, TN and remained there for the remainder of the band's existence. The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza fell victim to record company issues and the global economic turbulence. Attrition reduced the band to a duo for its final two years. O.G. members Freeland and guitarist Josh Travis composed Danza IIII: The Alpha - The Omega themselves and played scant live shows as the band bid adieu.

It's a shame that it ended like this, especially for a band that showed so much promise early on. Danza I caught the 2004 metal world off guard. It featured the same technical insanity as THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and MESHUGGAH but it also had some serious groove to it. Looking back, Danza I was a precursor to the rhythmic deathcore of THE ACACIA STRAIN and SUICIDE SILENCE that would emerge a few years later. Unfortunately, Black Market Activities, The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza's record label, was unable to capitalize on the early hype and the band petered out within a decade.

It would be easy and lazy to blame The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza's downfall on "the industry" or some other nebulous term but the reality is that The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza's career is not much different than that of most touring bands. A successful touring band gains notoriety in its local scene, has a crescendo of near-mainstream popularity, and spends the rest of its career playing to its core fans. This particular band had a good run and finished with a strong album. Like the Seinfeld TV show, they stopped before they started to suck.

Guitarist Josh Travis is currently a member of GLASS CLOUD. Like former label boss Guy Kozowyk, vocalist Jessie Freeland is now a cop. I'm not what the other members are doing now. I'm sure they are out living life but they're not playing music. At least we the metal public are left with four reminders of the fact that The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza was one of the heaviest bands of the 2000s.







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