The Lawrence Arms

The Lawrence Arms are a punk ensemble from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. After Brenden Kelly and Chris McCaughan’s previous band, The Broadways, broke up they recruited Neil Hennessy from Baxter to form what is now The Lawrence Arms.

Whereas most bands record a few demos or an EP before going into the studio for a major release, they relied on their previous experience; their contacts at Asian Man Records sent them directly into the studio to record their first release, A Guided Tour of Chicago.

They went on to become a staple of the Chicago music scene, and have branched out into various DIY projects in the midwest, including Sundowner, The Falcon, and Brendan Kelly & The Wandering Birds.

The Lawrence Arms' sound is codified by bassist Brendan’s raspy, high-pitched voice, melancholy lyrics, ramblingly long, sea shanty-like songs, and comically long song titles (honorable mentions to such titles as “Presenting: The Dancing Machine (The Robot With the Monkey Head)”, “The Slowest Drink at the Saddest Bar on the Snowiest Day in the Greatest City”, “The YMCA Down the Street From the Clinic”, “Light Breathing (Me and Martha Plimpton in a Fancy Elevator)”, and “The North Side, the L&L and Any Number of Crappy Apartments”).