Camper Van Beethoven

Post-hippie California surrealists

Camper Van Beethoven formed in Redlands, California in 1983 as Camper Van Beethoven and the Border Patrol, with David Lowery, Chris Molla, Victor Krummenacher and the drummer Bill McDonald; guitarist David McDaniel coined the name. Their predecessors were Sitting Ducks and the Estonian Gauchos, which Lowery described as a mix of punk and acid rock with fake Russian-sounding music. They moved to Santa Cruz in 1984, adding Jonathan Segel on violin and, later, Greg Lisher on lead guitar. Trouser Press's Scott Schinder called them playfully eclectic post-hippie California surrealists. The debut Telephone Free Landslide Victory (1985) held "Take the Skinheads Bowling", then came II & III (early 1986) and the self-titled third album (August 1986), the name II & III coming, Lowery said, from hotel room 23 where the band slept on tour. They opened for R.E.M. in October 1986.

Signed to Virgin in 1987, they made Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart in summer and fall 1987 with the producer Dennis Herring, their first outside producer, and it came out on May 24, 1988. Key Lime Pie followed on September 5, 1989, recorded from February to July at Capitol Studios in Hollywood with Garth Hudson on organ and a Status Quo cover, "Pictures of Matchstick Men", as its hit. The band broke up in April 1990 after a show in Orebro, Sweden; Lowery cited creative tensions and went on to form Cracker. Krummenacher, Lisher and Pedersen played in Monks of Doom, and Segel made solo records.

They reunited around 1999 and 2000, played their first live shows in twelve years in 2002, and have since made Tusk (2002, a Fleetwood Mac re-recording), New Roman Times (2004), Popular Songs of Great Enduring Strength and Beauty (June 2008), La Costa Perdida (January 22, 2013) and El Camino Real (June 3, 2014). An annual Campout with Cracker at Pappy and Harriet's in Pioneertown has run since 2005. In 2025 Lowery said the September 20 show at the 9:30 Club in Washington would likely be the final performance, and a 40th anniversary II & III with a 1986 Nebraska live set was announced for 2026. "Take the Skinheads Bowling" appears in Bowling for Columbine.