Vegas Archive: 2¢ Worth – Discography 1996-2003

Sep 14, 2015 Posted by Guest In Vegas Archive Tagged 2¢ Worth Comments 0

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[ezcol_2third]Welcome to Vegas Archive, a feature where we re-release music from local bands that are gone, but certainly not forgotten.

Today we’re bringing you the complete discography of punk rock band 2¢ Worth, who were active in Vegas from 1996-2003. For more information about the band and these songs, read the commentary from 2¢ Worth’s Adam”Bomb” Segal.

“Tito Bruch started 2¢ Worth in late 1996 with Darin Stull, Paul Lee and Austin Le Duc,” explains Segal, in regards to how the punk rock band formed. “They wanted a second guitarist and posted ads at local music stores. I saw the ad and joined the band. The name is a tribute to Tito’s favorite band Pennywise: “cent” / “penny.””

Before joining 2¢ Worth, Segal was a part of classic skatepunk band the Faction, though the slower spread of information in ‘96 meant it factored little in 2¢ Worth’s popularity. “By the time I moved to Vegas in 1996 the Faction had been broken up for over a decade, other than some reunions I didn’t do” Segal says. “Only a few people still associated me with the Faction, and even less so in Las Vegas. The internet was not what it is today where there is so much stuff about the Faction out there, and people weren’t really trading bootleg MP3s online much because of slow download times. So, when I joined 2¢ Worth, it was like being just another guy joining a new band. Tito had heard the name “The Faction” and Darin too, maybe, but it wasn’t really part of 2¢ Worth or really considered.”

2¢ Worth stayed busy playing shows, with their favorite being quite fitting, considering their name inspiration. “The best show we played was at UNLV with Pennywise, which I think was 2001 or 2002” Segal declares. “Nice big crowd, really into it, and we have some video from that show and it sounds really tight. I never liked my singing voice, but for some reason it worked really well that day.”

Segal kept busy outside the band as well, recording a plethora of Vegas bands, including 3rd Man In and The Vermin. “After highschool, I went to the College for Recording Arts in San Francisco and wanted to be a recording engineer” explains Segal. “I produced a few bands back then (1986-1988), but then went to traditional college. After law school I bought a small 8-track digital recorder, joined 2¢ Worth, and recorded All or Nothing on that 8-track. I really got the recording bug and kept adding equipment till about 2013, when I started cutting down on recording due to ear fatigue and tinnitus. I definitely learned a lot from every recording session. You can hear how much better United States of Hysteria sounds compared to any of the earlier stuff. Later I did some Happy Campers, Guilty by Association, Vermin and some others that I think sound really good for a garage studio.”

But by 2006, the band was over. “I can’t remember if there was a specific reason we broke up” Segal says. “I know I wanted to develop more of a rock sound with Mark’s vocals, and Tito wasn’t really into that, but there wasn’t really an official break up. I think it just lost steam. Ben is doing New Waves and Dr. Phobic. I’m getting busier and busier with the reformed Faction. Victor Moya is in Life’s Torment, I believe. Dave moved to California. Tito’s still around but not doing music to my knowledge. Not sure about all the rest.”

So how has the Vegas scene changed since the band’s break up? “For local bands, it’s really not changed much that I can see,” explains Segal. “I think having someone like Squidhat here now is really cool, because they’re really committed to releasing material, including vinyl. I tried to do that with my AVD label, but got jaded with the closets full of unsold CDs. For the national bands, we get more shows than ever, and I see prices for tickets going down a bit for mid level touring bands, who can’t make ends meet on record sales anymore. The fans benefit, but also take it for granted when there are so many shows. I’m often surprised at the quality bands that come through Vegas right now and play half empty rooms.”