The original Ataris

“I got a call from the band’s manager,” guitarist John Collura tells the Reader. “I’d been out of the band for, what, six years? He said, ‘What do you think about getting the band back together?’” The result is that for the first time in a decade the original Ataris agreed to get back together for one tour. Bonus if you’re a fan of So Long, Astoria. That’s what they plan to perform at each stop along the way, start to finish. Chances are you’ve heard the radio hits off the career-defining album: “So Long Astoria,” “The Saddest Song,” and a cover of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer.” Collura says that from the time of the manager’s phone call to booking shows, it took a year to hammer out the details. “It would have been the ten-year anniversary of the record,” he says in explanation of why they elected to tour behind it again. He laughs. “Instead, we’ll be doing it during year 11.”

The Ataris started in 1996. Their brand of post-punk power-pop was an instant winner on Warped Tours. It still sounds fresh; the beauty of power-pop is that it never gets old. When the original lineup parted company in 2004, Collura started a new band. “It’s called Morning District. We’re finally gonna release some music on Bandcamp.” He also built himself a recording studio. “It was a great way to transition out of many years with a touring band.” He lives an hour outside of Manhattan in Orange County, New York.

As for what the future holds, Collura says he just wants to get through the tour and see what happens. Might the Ataris record something new in his studio? “If they do, I’ll give them a discount.”