Hoobastank

About Hoobastank

Hoobastank formed in Agoura Hills, California in 1994 when guitarist Dan Estrin met vocalist Doug Robb at a high school battle of the bands. They added bassist Markku Lappalainen and drummer Chris Hesse, spent years grinding through the Southern California club circuit, and eventually released an independent album called "They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used to" in 1998. The title tells you everything about that era of rock bands trying to be memorable.

The major label attention came after they opened for Incubus on tour. Island Records signed them in 2000, and they released their self-titled debut album in 2001. "Crawling in the Dark" became the single that introduced most people to the band, a post-grunge radio rock track that got played constantly on rock stations and helped the album go platinum. The song had that early 2000s formula down: heavy verses, melodic chorus, just enough angst without tipping into nu-metal territory. "Running Away" followed as another solid single from that record.

Then came "The Reason" in 2003, their second album and the one that made them unavoidable. The title track became one of those songs that transcended rock radio and ended up everywhere. It was their power ballad moment, the kind of song that got played at proms and used in TV show montages for years. The album sold over 2 million copies in the US alone. "Same Direction" and "Out of Control" were the follow-up singles, though nothing came close to matching what "The Reason" did commercially.

By the time "Every Man for Himself" arrived in 2006, the cultural moment had shifted. The album went gold and spawned "Inside of You," but the rock radio landscape was changing. They followed with "Fornever" in 2009, which didn't connect the same way. Bassist Markku had left after "The Reason" tour, with Josh Moreau stepping in for a while before several other lineup changes.

The band has kept releasing albums through the 2010s and into the 2020s. "Fight or Flight" came out in 2012, "Push Pull" in 2018. They're still touring, still playing the hits that people actually want to hear. Doug Robb's voice has held up reasonably well, and they've found their lane as a legacy act that can still fill mid-sized venues based on nostalgia for that early 2000s rock sound.

They're one of those bands that had a massive commercial peak with one song that will probably outlive everything else they've done. "The Reason" has hundreds of millions of streams, and you still hear it in grocery stores. The rest of their catalog is solid post-grunge fare that did well enough in its moment but didn't leave the same mark.

Hoobastank shows are straightforward rock performances. The band plays tight, crowds are there because they actually know the songs, and there's an undercurrent of cathartic energy during the heavier moments. Not chaotic. Not a standing ovation machine. Just solid.

Known for Crawling in the Dark, Out of Control, Everything, So There, Tear the World Down

See Hoobastank Live