Von Sneidern played in a local band called the U-Turns in the early 1980s before relocating to San Francisco in 1985.
In the Bay Area he played with several locally based power pop bands, including the Lost Patrol and The Sneetches (the latter as bassist), before joining Flying Color as guitarist in 1987.
After Flying Color broke up in 1990, Von Sneidern hit the road with former Beat leader Paul Collins and lived for a short time in New York before returning to San Francisco to pursue a solo career.
In addition to winning rave reviews from power pop fans, it also featured a guest appearance from John Wesley Harding, with whom von Sneidern would collaborate frequently in the years to come.
For his next project, von Sneidern formed a soul/R&B-influenced outfit called the Sportsmen, which also featured pianist Khoi-San, guitarist Dave "Shaggy" Gleason, bassist Teenage Rob and drummer Derek Ritchie.