Pere Ubu

Pere Ubu was an American rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of lineup changes, with frontman and leader David Thomas the sole constant member. In December 1975, they released their debut single "30 Seconds Over Tokyo"; their debut album The Modern Dance followed in 1978. They disbanded in 1982, but reformed in 1987 and remained active until Thomas' death on April 23, 2025. Their work drew inspiration from avant-garde music, garage rock, musique concrète, performance art, and the environment of the Midwestern Rust Belt. Despite their association with art punk and post-punk, Thomas rejected the punk rock label, describing the band as "avant-garage" and "just a rock band". Their single "Waiting for Mary" peaked at number 6 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart on June 17, 1989. The music video was played on MTV. Pere Ubu have been cited as an influence by artists such as Joy Division, Pixies, Hüsker Dü, the Breeders, Henry Rollins, Guided by Voices, R.E.M., Sisters of Mercy, Thomas Dolby, Julian Cope, Six Finger Satellite, Mission of Burma and Peter Murphy.