Five Eight

Five-Eight is a band from Athens, Georgia. Five-Eight is known for their energetic live shows, but has recorded six Compact Discs since 1992. They have toured with REM (fall 2004) and have performed with Cheap Trick, The Ramones, Cracker, Pylon, and Seven Mary Three. The group is fairly prominent in the Athens/Atlanta market, and headlines an annual mental health benefit concert in Athens. The band came together in 1988 in Athens, GA when The Reasonable Men disbanded. Before settling on the name Five Eight, at least one show was played under the name The Helgrammites.

Five-Eight is known for their energetic live shows, but has recorded six Compact Discs since 1992. They have toured with REM (fall 2004) and have performed with Cheap Trick, The Ramones, Cracker, Pylon, and Seven Mary Three. The group is fairly prominent in the Athens/Atlanta market, and headlines an annual mental health benefit concert in Athens.

The band came together in 1988 in Athens, GA when The Reasonable Men disbanded. Before settling on the name Five Eight, at least one show was played under the name The Helgrammites.

The original three members of the band were Mike Mantione- vocals and guitar, Dan Horowitz- bass guitar, and Mike Palmatier- drums. In 1989, Palmatier' right leg was crushed in a work-related accident at the Armstrong and Dobbs lumberyard in Athens. His temporary replacement was Patrick Ferguson, the drummer for the LaBrea Stompers and Angle Lake, a band which also included Vic Chesnutt. Palmatier eventually became disillusioned and relocated to the Boston area.

Ferguson rejoined the band and was Five Eight's full-time drummer until 1998. After the release of 'I Learned Shut Up' guitarist Sean Dunn joined the band and was a full-time member after the recording of 'The Angriest Man' EP. During the years between 1992 and 1998, Five Eight toured extensively as a four-piece in the United States and Canada and often played as many as 200 live shows a year, exceeding that number for the years 1995-1997. Ferguson left the band in 1998 and was soon followed by Dunn. Ferguson was briefly replaced by former Bughummer, Little Red Rocket and The Runs drummer Scott Sosebee.

Mike Rizzi joined the band as drummer in 1999 and left the band in mid-2007. The band went on hiatus as Rizzi moved to Southern California to join Ghost Hounds. Ferguson rejoined the band to play "a few shows," in late 2007. He is now officially the full-time drummer for the group. Five Eight is currently writing a new album in Ferguson's recording studio in Athens. Their website has confirmed that a new album, entitled "Your God is Dead to Me Now" is scheduled to be released in 2010. For this album Sean Dunn has rejoined the group.