Beat Happening, an indie-pop and punk-rock band, formed in the year 1982 in Olympia, Washington after two of the members, Calvin Johnson and Heather Lewis, met while attending The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington.
Calvin and Heather, members of a previous band had approached Bret Lunsford, who at the time had no music experience, and suggested they start a band and go to Japan.
They started recording in 1983 in Tokyo and recorded Three Tea Breakfast, an EP, which established the band’s reputation.
Their first full length album, Beat Happening, was released in 1985 and was critically acclaimed, as was Jamboree, which was released in 1988 by K Records, which was co-founded by Calvin Johnson in the summer of 1982.
Their last full-length album was released in 1992 and titled You Turn Me On and in 2000 they released a single titled Angel Gone, which was their first new release in eight years. Crashing Through, a box set, collects all the band’s officially released music, was released in 2002.
Beat Happening as a band is not officially broken up, but the band has not performed together in public since the early 1990s. In 2005 they were invited to perform at All Tomorrow’s Parties, but they declined the invitation.
Some of the songs they are known for are: Angel Gone, Indian Summer, Hangman, Gravedigger Blues, Hot Chocolate Boy, Knock on Any Door and Zombie Limbo Time.
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