Bowling for Soup lead singer/guitarist Jaret Reddick said when the band first formed back in 1994, its motto was, "We will play for anyone, anywhere."
Since then the band has released nine albums and expanded its audience from adults in bars to kids in concert halls. But even with those changes, Reddick says the motto still holds true.
"We're not dummies," he said during a phone call from the band's home base in Dallas. "When we play our bar shows, we play for a bar audience. And when we play for kids, we keep everything in the PG-13 vein."
Bowling for Soup formed when Reddick, bassist Erik Chandler, guitarist Chris Burney and drummer Lance Morril, decided to join forces after playing the same clubs in different bands.
"We had no intention of making the band a career," he said. "We all went to college and had different aspirations. But the band thing kind of took over."
After three albums, "Bowling for Soup," "Cell Mates," "Rock On Honorable Ones!!," Morril left the band and was replaced by Gary Wiseman.
An extended play "Tell Me When to Whoa!" was released in 1999, and then the band slowly saw itself get more notice.
The albums "Let's Do It for Johnny," "Drunk Enough to Dance" and "A Hangover You Don't Deserve" all hit the U.K. music charts, and the latter two made a mark on the Billboard 200. "A Hangover You Don't Deserve" reached No. 37 and sold more than 500,000 copies, giving it gold-record status.
Two later albums, "Bowling for Soup Goes to the Movies" and "The Great Burrito Extortion Case," didn't sell as well as the other albums but didn't show major changes in the band's have-fun-and-party style, either.
Still, Reddick says, when he writes songs he doesn't think about the audience's ages.
"I basically write songs about things I know," he said. "I write about girls, parties and beer. The question about content rises when I write. If a song calls for a harsh word here and there, then I'll put it in. But if it doesn't, I won't."
After the success of the 2004 single, "1985," Bowling for Soup has been constantly on the road or in the studio. And Reddick is ready for a break.
"When we first started, we were all single," he said. "We'd go on tour and come back and then wave goodbye the next week for another tour.
"These days, some of us have mortgages, families and pets. So we're going to take a break soon and then regroup to write an album that will be released in late 2008 or early 2009."
If you go
What: Bowling for Soup, Ice Burn
Where: In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West
When: Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
How much: $15.50
Phone: 467-8499, 800-888-8499
Web: www.smithstix.com
E-mail: scott@desnews.com