The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza is an American group from Monroe, United States, active from 2004. Its music is described across grindcore, mathcore, metalcore and noisecore, and it is also identified as a mathcore band. The group forms in Monroe without a vocalist, with Layne Meylain, Mason Crooks, Brad Thompson and Mike Butler among its early members, before relocating to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to find a frontman. Jessie Freeland joins as vocalist, and Joshua Travis is listed among the members.

Band name and early years

The group takes its name as a joke from entertainer Tony Danza, referring to one of his professions as tap dancing. It begins as a self-released act before signing to Corrosive Recording in 2005.

Releases and lineup changes

The band releases four studio albums. Its second most recent release, Danza II: Electric Boogaloo, appears in 2007 on Black Market Activities. The title parodies both Danzig’s Danzig II: Lucifuge and the film Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. The record includes short humorous skits between songs that comment on the surroundings the band members grow up in.

In March 2008, the band crashes its tour van after a show in Lewisville, Texas. On 24 September 2009, Layne Meylain and Mike Butler leave the group amicably. Around the same period, the band announces Danza III: A Series of Unfortunante Events, later released as Danza III: The Series of Unfortunate Events on 6 July 2010. On that album, Josh Travis handles lead and rhythm guitar on an 8-string guitar and also plays bass, and Mike Bradley appears as the band’s drummer for the first time. The songs “I Am Sammy Jankis” and “The Union” are issued as singles.

Later activity

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza disbands in 2012, then reunites in 2025 at Furnace Fest. The group also has a fifth album in development.

Related projects

Former member Brad Thomson founds Midgets with Machetes, a record label distributed by Uprising Records.