Cheers Elephant
{{short description|American indie rock band}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Cheers Elephant
| image = Cheers Elephant (8990970639).jpg
| caption = Cheers Elephant in Philadelphia in 2013
| image_size = 280px
| origin = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| genre = Indie pop, rock, psychedelic
| years_active = 2007–present
| website = {{URL|http://www.cheerselephant.com}}
| current_members = Jordan del Rosario
Robert King
Derek Krzywicki
Matt Rothstein (Travelin' Mat)
}}
{{Commons category|Cheers Elephant}}
Cheers Elephant is an American indie pop and psychedelic rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since its inception in 2007, members have consisted of lead singer and guitarist Derek Krzywicki, lead guitarist Jordan Del Rosario, bassist “Travelin’ Matt” Rothstein and drummer Robert King. In late 2013, the band relocated to Southern California.{{cite web|last=Chenevert|first=Bill|title=See ya later, Cheers Elephant—and break a leg in California|url=http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/style/2013/11/20/see-ya-later-cheers-elephant%E2%80%94and-break-a-leg-in-california/|work=PW Style|accessdate=19 December 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131123182910/http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/style/2013/11/20/see-ya-later-cheers-elephant%E2%80%94and-break-a-leg-in-california/|archivedate=23 November 2013}}
Career
The band’s beginnings revolved around a satellite facility of the Paul Green School of Rock in Downingtown, PA, where Rothstein and Del Rosario also taught bass and guitar respectively.{{cite web|last=Vincent|first=Gregorio|title=INTERVIEW: Cheers Elephant|url=http://www.thecouchsessions.com/2012/11/interview-cheers-elephant/|work=The Couch Sessions|accessdate=19 December 2013}} Franchised by Rothstein’s parents, the school served as a central hub for recording, rehearsal and performance.
The group launched their third album, Like Wind Blows Fire in May 2012, playing the Apple Store in Philadelphia for the official release. Reviewing the album, Jedd Beaudoin said "Cheers Elephant should be a staple of radio and coffee shop conversations by the end of the decade."{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/158522-cheers-elephant-like-wind-blows-fire/|title=Cheers Elephant : Like Wind Blows Fire|first=Jedd|last=Beaudoin|publisher=PopMatters|date=23 May 2012|accessdate=10 June 2014}} The band has done multiple national tours and completed a 12-show stint at South by Southwest music festival.{{cite journal|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/03/12/cheers-elephant-mines-hazy-60s-feel-in-peoples-video-premiere/|title=Cheers Elephant Mines Hazy '60s Feel In 'Peoples' (Video Premiere)|first=Eric|last=Danton|journal=Wall Street Journal Speakeasy|date=12 March 2014|accessdate=10 June 2014}}
The band's music has been described as "Chew it up, Spit it out, Rock and Roll".{{cite web|url=http://www.utphilly.com/event/572361-cheers-elephant-toy-soldiers-philadelphia/|title=Cheers Elephant, Toy Soldiers|publisher=Union Transfer, Philadelphia|accessdate=10 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701192154/http://www.utphilly.com/event/572361-cheers-elephant-toy-soldiers-philadelphia/|archive-date=1 July 2014|url-status=dead}} Krzywicki claims the band’s composition style takes shape from influences like the Beatles, the Kinks and the Beach Boys combined with a “streets of Philadelphia kind of sound.”{{cite web|last=Fox|first=Swollen|title=Exit Interview: Derek Krzywicki of Cheers Elephant|url=http://theswollenfox.com/exit-interview-derek-krzywicki-of-cheers-elephant/|work=The Swollen Fox|accessdate=16 December 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327150328/http://theswollenfox.com/exit-interview-derek-krzywicki-of-cheers-elephant/|archivedate=27 March 2014}}
The band's main songwriter, Derek Krzywicki, left the group in November 2014{{Cite web|url=http://www.phillymag.com/ticket/2015/12/04/cheers-elephant-steak-knife/|title = FIRST LISTEN: Cheers Elephant Drop New Single, "Steak Knife"|date = 4 December 2015}}
, but the band has continued on after that as a trio.
The band self-released three albums between 2008 and 2012 and in 2017 was working on their fourth.{{cite web|last=Strain|first=Kathy|title=SXSW Music Coverage: Cheers Elephant Philadelphia Indie Band Talks Beginnings and Being on the Road|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/austin/article/SXSW-Music-Coverage-Cheers-Elephant-Philadelphia-Indie-Band-Talks-Beginnings-and-Being-on-the-Road-20140320#|work=Broadway World.com|accessdate=9 June 2014}}
That album, "Stonemasters", was released on 24 November 2017 and contained a mix of new material and rerecorded tracks written earlier in the band's life.
Reuniting in 2020 for a two week tour of China, the original lineup played a pre-tour/warmup show in LA on Feb 20, 2020{{Cite web|last=Inc|first=Discotech|title=Cheers Elephant (Reunion Show) with VOKES and More Fatter at The Satellite - Thursday, Feb 20 2020|url=https://app.discotech.me/events/36905303-cheers-elephant-reunion-show-with-vokes-and-more-fatter-at-the-satellite|access-date=2021-06-09|website=Discotech|language=en}} before COVID-19 shut the whole world down, canceling the before mentioned Chinese tour and all future dates.
Discography
;Studio albums
- Cheers Elephant (2008){{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/cheers-elephant-mw0001286143/releases|title=Cheers Elephant|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=10 June 2014}}
- Man Is Nature (2011){{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/man-is-nature-mw0002112296/releases|title=Man Is Nature|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=10 June 2014}}
- Like Wind Blows Fire (2012){{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/like-wind-blows-fire-mw0002341138|title=Like Wind Blows Fire|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=10 June 2014}}
- Stonemasters (2017){{Cite web|url=https://cheerselephant.bandcamp.com/album/stonemasters|title=Stonemasters, by Cheers Elephant}}
;Singles
- Speak Think (2015)
- Airliner (2015)
- Steak Knife (2015)
- Shake It (2016)
- Suitcase (2016)