Kilgore

Kilgore formed in 1990 / 1991 at Rhode Island Catholic high school La Salle Academy, in Providence. The band was composed of songwriter Brian McKenzie (guitar), Bill Southerland (drums), Jason Smith (bass), Mike Pelletier (guitar) and Jay Berndt (vocals). The band was first known as "Regicide" during high school and played its first shows at band concerts at La Salle Academy, Providence.

After high school, Mike Pelletier left the band to attend Berklee College of Music and was replaced by Erick Linsao on guitar. They changed their name to Smudge and started to develop and fine tune their sound. The music became more aggressive containing a groove element with hints of their early influences as well as elements of the New York hardcore scene. Jay Berndt’s lyrics were influenced by the Beat Generation authors, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Franz Kafka and Charles Bukowski. His vocal style was sometimes compared to Glen Danzig of the Misfits or Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots. The fast almost hardcore-like songs, along with Jay Berndt's lyrics and vocal melodies, allowed the band to really stand out.

They released their first demo cassette called Spill (1993) and began playing shows at numerous Providence clubs and opening for established acts as The Cro-Mags, Sick of It All, Sheer Terror and Life of Agony. In 1994, they changed their name to Stain and released another cassette demo, Die Cast. It was the release of Die Cast that brought the band to the attention of manager Scott Cohen (music business) and Unsound Records (subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records), with whom they signed a recording contract. Around this time Berndt suggested the band name "Kilgore Smudge" as a nod to the protagonist from the classic Kurt Vonnegut novel Breakfast of Champions. Mike Pelletier was brought back in on guitar.

Blue Collar Solitude (1995)
In 1995, Kilgore Smudge released “Blue Collar Solitude”, recorded at famed Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles with producer Howard Benson. The album contained a number of songs from the “Spill” & “Die Cast” demos as well as the tracks “Metamorphosis” & “Trial” which were tributes to Franz Kafka. To support the release, the band spent much of 1995 & 1996 opening for acts such as Marilyn Manson, Biohazard, Clutch and Sublime. “Blue Collar Solitude” was heavily praised in the press and spent many months in College Radio charts. The touring conditions and many months on the road took its toll on Jason Smith (bass), who was replaced in 1996 by Steve Johnson.

A Search for Reason (1998)
In 1997, Brian McKenzie left the band due to personal reasons. The band flew out again to Los Angeles for 4 months to write, rehearse and record A Search for Reason, which was produced by Ed Stasium. Marty O'Brien was then asked to join the band to replace Steve Johnson. The band marked the release of A Search for Reason with a string of east coast dates starting at New York City’s Coney Island High club. As a new management deal was inked, the band shortened their name to just "Kilgore" and then landed a spot on Ozzfest 1998. While on tour with Ozzfest, Kilgore recorded a cover of Pantera's "Walk" for Extreme Championship Wrestling. The song was used as Rob Van Dam's entrance music. They followed Ozzfest with a 1998 national tour with Slayer and Fear Factory, and finished the year with a European tour with Fear Factory and Spineshank.

Break-up and Reunion
Jay Berndt left the band in 1999 and the rest of Kilgore relocated to Los Angeles to find a new singer. After many months of searching, Marty ended up joining Tommy Lee’s “Methods of Mayhem” and Kilgore officially broke up. In 2007, original members Jay Berndt, Brian McKenzie, Bill Southerland, and Jason Smith reunited to play a benefit show in Providence, RI called "Fight to Remember". The band helped to raise over $13,000 and all proceeds went to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and National Philanthropic Trust for breast cancer treatment and research.

As of the end of 2016, the band is back together with original members Jay, Bill, and Brian and Marty O'Brien on bass. They are in the process of recording a new EP, due out 2017.