Dustin Lanker

Dustin Lanker
Dustin Lanker playing with the Cherry Poppin' Daddies in 2010.
Background information
Born	7 October 1976 (1976-10-07) (age 35)
Genres	Rock, piano rock, swing, ska, ska punk
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Keyboards, piano, vocals, organ
Years active	1997 – present
Associated acts	Cherry Poppin' Daddies The Visible Men Mad Caddies

Dustin Ross Lanker (born October 7, 1976) is an American keyboardist, known for his work as a member of the ska-swing band the Cherry Poppin' Daddies, a touring member of the ska punk band the Mad Caddies and as the singer-songwriter for the piano rock trio The Visible Men.

Career

A pianist since childhood, Lanker joined the Cherry Poppin' Daddies in early 1997 at age 20, first recording on the bonus tracks included on their compilation album Zoot Suit Riot, including the eponymous single that would later serve as the band's commercial breakthrough. Lanker briefly left the Daddies at the height of their fame in October 1998, being replaced by Johnny Goetchius before returning to the band in February 2000 where he currently remains, supplying backing vocals in addition to keyboards and piano.

In 1999, Lanker and Daddies bassist Dan Schmid formed the Eugene-based piano rock duo The Visible Men, where Lanker acted as lead vocalist, songwriter and pianist. Following the Daddies' hiatus in 2000, Lanker and Schmid focused heavily on The Visible Men, recording two albums on Leisure King Productions and extensively touring the western half of the United States before going on hiatus themselves in 2007. The Visible Men played a one-off reunion show in November 2009, though there has been no official announcement as to whether the group will continue recording or performing in the future.

Lanker is also the touring keyboardist for the Californian ska punk band the Mad Caddies as well as an occasional collaborator, having lent organ and partial songwriting credit to the Caddies' 2007 album Keep It Going. In 2009, Lanker joined Caddies frontman Chuck Robertson's ska/reggae band Ellwood alongside fellow members of the Caddies.^[1] In 2011, it was announced Ellwood had signed to Fat Wreck Chords and would be releasing their debut album in the summer, to be followed by a US tour.

Among the other bands Lanker has performed with include The Burning Members, 100% Chips, Dan Jones and the Squids, Yeltsin and Mood Area 52. In 1998, Lanker briefly served as a touring keyboardist for the newly-reformed, Neville Staple-fronted incarnation of The Specials, accompanying the band on the 1998 Warped Tour, alongside the Daddies.^[2]

Lanker is the son of the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Lanker.^[3]

Discography

Cherry Poppin' Daddies

See: Cherry Poppin' Daddies discography for complete list of recordings

• Soul Caddy (2000) - keyboards (on tracks 1 -3, 8 - 9)
• Susquehanna (2008) - keyboards, vocals

The Visible Men

• In Socks Mode (2002) - vocals, keyboards
• Love:30 (2005) - vocals, keyboards

Ellwood

• Lost in Transition (2011) - keyboards, vocals

Miscellaneous

• One Man Submarine (2003) - Dan Jones - keyboards, stylophone
• Keep It Going (2007) - Mad Caddies - organ

References

1. ^ 'Ellwood' www.madcaddies.net. February 17, 2009.
2. ^ The Visible Men "Love:30" Press Release, 2005.
3. ^ Howlett, Philip G. Letter to the Editor Sports Illustrated. December 27, 1982.

Persondata
Name	Lanker, Dustin
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	October 7, 1976
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death