CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN Indie band burned out as it peaked, member says

The band folded, leaving its fans at the altar.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
You can add Camper Van Beethoven (CVB) to the list of seminal '80s indie rock acts -- The Pixies, Husker Du, Sonic Youth -- that helped shape the '90s alt rock explosion.
However, unlike its peers, this Santa Cruz, Calif., band remains largely unheralded within the mainstream. This is despite the fact the outfit's amalgamated approach -- from alt country and punk to ska and pop -- was a precursor of things to come from the Lollapalooza generation. The band's breakup in 1990 couldn't have come at a worse time.
"Yeah, I think we broke up at the peak of what we were doing," said CVB guitarist Greg Lisher, calling from his home in Santa Cruz. "Not to say we couldn't peak again, but things were rolling along really well. We were on Virgin Records; they were happy with us; we were happy selling records, touring. It's just everybody needed a break. For whatever reason, we were all kind of burned out and it just kind of got ran into the ground."
In the process, the band simply left its fans at the altar. In looking back at the underground music scene of the era, CVB seemingly missed out on fulfilling the promise made on its 1989 gem "Key Lime Pie" with a follow-up album that could have broken the band into the mainstream.
Comparisons
Unlike, say, Nirvana who made good on the promise of its 1989 album "Bleach" with the blockbuster 1991 release of "Nevermind" and likewise Jane's Addiction, from 1988's raw "Nothing's Shocking" to 1990's alt rock archetype "Ritual De Lo Habitual," CVB failed to strike when the iron was hot. Instead, the group disbanded, leaving a loyal cult following wondering what could have been.
"Who knows what would have happened?" Lisher said. "Maybe we would have been a bigger band if we would have held it together, but you don't know that now."
What we do know now is CVB visionary David Lowery did enjoy alt rock success with his rock act Cracker, known mostly for its hit single "Low."
Roughly a decade after Cracker disbanded, Lowery and his former band mates reconvened. This lead to the band's latest studio effort, 2004's "New Roman Times." While technically a follow-up to "Key Lime Pie," it's not the same.
"I'd still love to be doing that follow-up with 'Key Lime Pie' but I don't really think 'New Roman Times' is a follow-up," Lisher said. "In a weird way, I think we're just in a totally different place."
Approach
Musically, the band's more focused with its decidedly college-radio approach. Thematically, "New Roman Times" finds CVB making a political statement with a rock opera that involves a post-9/11 slant: A Texas youth goes from joining the Army to becoming a disillusioned member of an anti-government militia.
The album is solid but CVB remains largely a band of note for its past. Still touring, CVB returns to Cleveland for a Wednesday show at the Beachland Ballroom. Lisher said a new album could appear next year but for now, it's the past that fans want to relive.
"I'm sure there's going to be some -- depending on the mood -- interesting stage banter," Lisher said. "And we've been playing so much that we've been sounding pretty good and pretty tight, so that's a good thing. So we're all the glue...and the glue is good right now."