Luckie Strike

[1] Luckie Strike faced challenges on the road, including a stolen van in 2001,[2] leading to a temporary hiatus and eventual disbandment in 2002.

Motivated by a sense of not fitting in, Melanie "Mel" Levy (vocals) and Kevin "Bubba" Sur (guitar) sought a creative outlet for imposter syndrome when they founded the band Luckie Strike in 1996.

[3] Teaming up with bassist Andre "Dre" Gallardo and drummer Liz Salmi (née Beidelman), the group established roots in Sacramento, California.

[5] Luckie Strike released their first full-length album, Geekcore, on Pork N Beans Records in 1997[6][7] (a label founded by members of the ska punk band Mealticket).

[9] Following more than a year of touring across the United States, Luckie Strike released Future Is Turning in early 2000 on Tomato Head Records.

[7] The album was produced by Grammy Award Winning producer/engineer Dennis MacKay (David Bowie, Jeff Beck, Judas Priest, Paul McCartney).

"[12] However in the same review, "One cool thing about this band is that the singer is a girl... and has a really good voice that is capable of doing a decent melodic emo, and an awesome raging hardcore scream.

At their peak, Luckie Strike performed approximately 150-200 shows annually, and the theft of the van and recordings dealt a significant setback.

In Season 4 of the 3 Gigs podcast, host Dominic Davi (Tsunami Bomb) commented on Luckie Strike's worth ethic, stating: "They were intense.

Foreground: Sweaty, make guitarist, and female singer, live on stage. In the background we see the bassist in the shadows, and hands of the drummer.
Sacramento punk rock band Luckie Strike, live at Capitol Garage.