Vocalist/saxophonist Steve Sostak and guitarist
Chris Daly began performing together in the South Bend, IN, group Check
Engine during the summer of 1993, and played one show before breaking up
in April of 1994. Two years later, Sostak and Daly started Sweep the
Leg Johnny with bassist Matt Alicea and drummer Scott Anna while living
in Chicago. They decided to incorporate a little bit of all of their
influences, which included dissonant rock, progressive music, jazz,
noise and punk. It immediately became apparent at the band's live shows
that their sound was indefinable. By early 1997, the group had recorded a
split 7" with the band Similarities. Divot Records had also released
Sweep the Leg Johnny's New Buffalo 7". The group's first tour was in
support of New Buffalo, and the release found the band hitting the road
for two months. The group followed the tour by recording a track for a
Zum magazine compilation at Chicago's CRC studios. The song "Welter"
appeared in the summer of 1997. Shortly thereafter, Divot released the
band's debut full-length, titled 4.9.21.30. In support of the album,
they toured for 57 days. During the outing, the group chose to play in
as many locations as possible, whether it was a big city or a small
town. The band was pleased with the end results, because no matter where
they played, they averaged selling a CD to one out of every four people
at each show. By the spring of 1998, Sweep the Leg Johnny had finished
recording a split single with A Minor Forest for Tree Records' Post
Marked Stamps series. The group spent two weeks that spring touring with
Spanakorzo, followed by a handful of summer tour dates. While on tour,
the band had begun to write new material for its second LP -- their
first for Southern Records -- titled Tomorrow We Will Run Faster.
Shortly before the recording sessions began, though, Alicea left and was
replaced by former Spanakorzo/Swing Kids' bassist John Brady. Four
weeks after Brady's entrance into the band, he began recording Tomorrow
We Will Run Faster with the group. The record was released by the spring
of 1999, and the band toured incessantly throughout the rest of the
year to promote the album. In January of 2000, Daly and Sostak were busy
re-forming Check Engine with guitarist/vocalist Joe Cannon and former
Big'n drummer Brian Wnukowski. A few months later found Sweep the Leg
Johnny reuniting to record their third LP, Sto Cazzo!, in the band's
apartment. The album -- their second for Southern Records -- was
released in the spring of 2000. During a portion of 2001, Sweep the Leg
Johnny was on hiatus as Check Engine recorded their debut full-length
album. Mastering of the record was finished by September 15 and Sweep
the Leg Johnny reconvened with the addition of guitarist Mitch Cheney to
play a fall tour. Meanwhile, Check Engine's CD was released in January
of 2002, just as Sweep the Leg Johnny returned from their travels. Not
to be outdone, Sweep the Leg Johnny managed to release Going Down
Swinging only a few months later on Southern Records. A split live
release with San Francisco's Rumah Sakit was released in 2003.
