The Gits
The Gits were an American punk rock band from Yellow Springs, Ohio, formed in 1986. The band was founded by vocalist Mia Zapata, guitarist Andy Kessler (aka Joe Spleen), bassist Matt Dresdner, and drummer Steve Moriarty. As part of the burgeoning Seattle music scene of the early 1990s, they were known for their fiery live performances and became especially popular among the punk rock community.
On July 7, 1993, the band's career was cut short when Zapata was raped and murdered, less than four weeks after they had accepted an offer to be signed to Atlantic Records and just before they were about to embark on a national tour. In response, the surviving members of the band formed the supergroup Evil Stig, with Joan Jett on vocals, and organized benefit shows to hire a private investigator to find Zapata's killer. In December 2002, nearly a decade after the murder, DNA evidence obtained from the crime scene was tested and identified Jesus Mezquia as the perpetrator, leading to his arrest in January 2003. In March 2004, Mezquia was convicted of first degree felony murder and sentenced to 36 years in prison.
The Gits released two studio albums, Frenching the Bully (1992) and Enter: The Conquering Chicken (1994), the latter of which was released posthumously, as well as Kings & Queens (1996), a compilation of early recordings, and Seafish Louisville (2000), a compilation of live recordings. In 2003, the band's entire discography was reissued and expanded with bonus tracks, which was released through Broken Rekids. In 2025, their discography was reissued again, with new cover art designed by Jeff Kleinsmith and remastered by Jack Endino, which was released through Sub Pop.
Similar Artists