Steel Train is an indie rock band from New Jersey. They have toured with Tegan and Sara, Girl in a Coma, Ben Folds, The Fray, Silversun Pickups, Hanson, The Format, Gomez, O.A.R., Barenaked Ladies, Fun and others. Other highlights include performances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Loyolapalooza, Coachella, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Late Show with David Letterman.

History[link]

Steel Train met in the mid-1990s at The Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, New Jersey. At the time, Jack Antonoff (vocals, guitar) and Daniel Silbert (vocals, guitar) were part of the hardcore band Outline and Evan Winiker (vocals, bass) was in the punk band Random Task. After the dissolution of these bands, Steel Train formed in 2002^[1] .

The band soon signed to Drive Thru Records/MCA and flew to Los Angeles to record with Jon Naclerio at Hans Zimmer's Media Ventures Studio's. The outcome of this session was the band's first EP, 2003's "For You My Dear."^[2][3].

After months of touring, the band moved to San Francisco to record their first full-length record with Steven Barncard (The Grateful Dead, CSNY, Joe Cocker). Released on April 19, 2005, "Twilight Tales From The Prairies on the Sun" features appearances by famed mandolinist David Grisman (The Grateful Dead), as well as pedal steel guitarist Gene Parsons (Flying Burrito Brother/Byrds)^[4].

In 2005 the band toured heavily and was also the beginning of Steel Train's festival career. They played a midnight set on the first day of the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, as well as the Wakarusa Festival, Warped Tour, SXSW, and another appearance at Bonnaroo in 2006^[5].

After two years straight on the road, original members Matt Goldman, Matthias Gruber left the band to pursue other careers^[6].

At this point, Antonoff and Winiker moved to Silverlake, CA to record the band's second full-length album, "Trampoline" with Marc Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Rilo Kiley). After recording, the band once again embarked on the road, this time recruiting three new members: Jon Shiffman, Justin Huey, and Daniel Silbert, who up to that point had been the band's tour manager^[7][8].

"Trampoline," released in October 2007, debuted at #10 on Billboard's Heatseaker Chart. In support of the album, Steel Train toured with Ace Enders and A Million Different People, Socratic, Kevin Devine, The Starting Line, Paper Rival, Bayside, and Forgive Durden, among other bands. They also played prominent spots at the Lollapalooza Festival as well as their third appearance at Bonnaroo^{[9][10][11][12]} .

In the summer of 2008 the band would make their national television debut on Late Night With Conan O'Brien^[13].

Following the Late Night With Conan O'Brien performance and a tour with The Hush Sound, the band headed back into the studio, this time to record their third full-length album with producer Steve McDonald (Be Your Own Pet, Fun). It was at this time that the band's relationship with their label, Drive Thru Records, fell apart. Steel Train decided to buy off the label and fund their record themselves^[10][14].

Once again the band hit the road, touring with Tegan and Sara, Ben Folds, and Fun, as well as playing 2010's Coachella Music Festival and making their 2nd appearance on National TV on The Late Show With David Letterman^[11][15][14].

The band released their 3rd full length "Steel Train" on June 29, 2010. The record debuted at #8 on Billboard's Heatseakers Chart, #4 on the New Artists Chart and within the top 50 on the independent albums chart^[16] .

Shortly after the release of the self-titled album, the band released a companion album of their songs covered by female artists, including Scarlett Johansson, Tegan and Sara, Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Doll's, Deradorian of The Dirty Projectors, Anna Waronker of That Dog, Charlotte Caffey of The Go Go's, Holly Miranda, Rachel Antonoff, as well as many others^[17][18].

The band hit the road once again with appearances at Yo Gabba Gabba, the hit childrens show, as well as tours with O.A.R., Fun and the Get Up Kids.^[18]

On November 1, 2010 the band was the first musical guest on Conan O'Briens new show, Conan, in a joke episode titled "Show Zero". The band, along with actor Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) performed one chord off their new record, "Steel Train," in a short version of the show^[19].

In early 2011 the band performed on NPR's World Cafe with David Dye as well as NPR's Free at Noon^[20].

On January 11, the band returned to Conan O'Brien's Conan, performing their single "Bullet."^[21]

Current Highlights[link]

In winter 2009, they opened for Tegan and Sara on their US Tour and appeared at Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California. Also, Steel Train appeared at Sunfest in West Palm Beach Florida as the opening band for MGMT on April 30, 2011. The band released their third full-length album, titled Steel Train, on June 29, 2010 through their own label, Terrible Thrills.^[22] In early June 2010 the band announced that they would be releasing a companion album to "Steel Train" featuring female artists covering each of the 12 tracks on "Steel Train." The companion album, entitled "Terrible Thrills Vol. 1," includes appearances by Tegan and Sara, Scarlett Johansson, Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors, Amanda Palmer, Anna Waronker of That Dog, Alia Shawkat, Charlotte Caffey of The Go Go's, Rachael Cantu, Rachel Antonoff, Holly Miranda, and Greta Salpeter of The Hush Sound and Gold Motel.

Current members[link]

• Jack Antonoff – vocals, guitar, piano, drums (1999–Present)
• Evan Winiker – bass, backing vocals (2002–Present)
• Daniel Silbert – guitar, backing vocals (2006–Present)
• Jon Shiffman – drums, percussion (2006–Present)
• Justin Huey – vocals, piano, wurlitzer (2008–Present)

Former members[link]

• Matthias Gruber – drums, percussion (2002–2006)
• Matthew Goldman – guitar, backing vocals (2002–2006)
• Scott Irby-Ranniar – vocals, piano, wurlitzer (1999–2008)

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• Twilight Tales from the Prairies of the Sun (2005)
• Trampoline (2007)
• Steel Train (2010)

EPs[link]

• For You My Dear (2003)
• 1969 (2004)
• Steel Train Is Here (2009)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Steel Train at PureVolume
• Steel Train on Myspace

David Letterman
Letterman performing on his show in June 2011.
Pseudonym	Earl Hofert
Born	(1947-04-12) April 12, 1947 (age 65) Indianapolis, Indiana, United States[1]
Medium	Stand-up, talk show
Nationality	American
Years active	1974–present
Genres	Observational comedy, surreal humor, deadpan
Subject(s)	Self-deprecation, everyday life
Influences	Steve Allen,[citation needed] Johnny Carson,[2] Jack Paar,[citation needed] Paul Dixon[3]
Influenced	Jimmy Kimmel, Jim Gaffigan, Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon
Spouse	Michelle Cook (1969–1977) Regina Lasko (2009–present)
Domestic partner(s)	Regina Lasko (1986–2009)
Notable works and roles	Host of The David Letterman Show (NBC) Host of Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) Host of Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)
Signature
Website	CBS.com/latenight/lateshow
Emmy Awards
Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Variety Series 1981 The David Letterman Show Outstanding Individual Achievement — Writers 1981 The David Letterman Show Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program 1984 Late Night with David Letterman 1985 Late Night with David Letterman 1986 Late Night with David Letterman 1987 Late Night with David Letterman Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series 1994 Late Show with David Letterman
American Comedy Awards
Funniest Male Performer in a TV Special (Leading or Supporting) Network, Cable or Syndication 1989 Late Night with David Letterman 1995 Late Show with David Letterman: Video Special Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication 1994 Late Show with David Letterman 2001 Late Show with David Letterman

David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host and comedian.^[1] He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC. Letterman recently surpassed friend and mentor Johnny Carson for having the longest late-night hosting career in the United States of America.^[4]

Letterman is also a television and film producer. His company Worldwide Pants produces his show as well as its network follow-up The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Worldwide Pants has also produced several prime-time comedies, the most successful of which was Everybody Loves Raymond, currently in syndication.

In 1996, David Letterman was ranked #45 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.^[5]

Early life and career[link]

Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry Joseph Letterman (April 1915 – February 1973),^[6] was a florist of British descent; his mother Dorothy Letterman (née Hofert, now Dorothy Mengering), a Presbyterian church secretary of German descent, is an occasional figure on the show, usually at holidays and birthdays.

Letterman lived on the north side of Indianapolis (Broad Ripple area), not far from Speedway, IN, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and he enjoyed collecting model cars, including racers.^[7] In 2000, he told an interviewer for Esquire that, while growing up, he admired his father's ability to tell jokes and be the life of the party. Harry Joseph Letterman survived a heart attack at age 36, when David was a young boy. The fear of losing his father was constantly with Letterman as he grew up.^[8] The elder Letterman died of a second heart attack^[9] at age 57.

Letterman attended his hometown's Broad Ripple High School at the same time as Marilyn Tucker (future wife of Dan Quayle) and worked as a stock boy at the local Atlas supermarket.^[10] According to the Ball State Daily News, he originally had wanted to attend Indiana University, but his grades weren't good enough, so he decided to attend Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana.^[11] He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and he graduated from what was then the Department of Radio and Television, in 1969. A self-described average student, Letterman endowed a scholarship for what he called "C students" at Ball State.^[12]

Though he registered for the draft and passed his physical after graduating from college, he was not drafted for service in Vietnam due to receiving a draft lottery number of 352 (out of 365).^[13]

Letterman began his broadcasting career as an announcer and newscaster at the college's student-run radio station—WBST—a 10-watt campus station which now is part of Indiana Public Radio.^[14] He was fired for treating classical music with irreverence.^[14]

Letterman then became involved with the founding of another campus station—WAGO-AM 570 (now WWHI, 91.3).^[15]