Men Without Hats, Spoons, and The Cle Elum

Founded by brothers Ivan and Stefan Doroschuk in 1977, Ivan soon took responsibility for the songwriting and vocal aspects, and Stefan became the guitarist. Over Men Without Hats' history the band has seen over 25 members pass through its door since 1977, with Stefan, Ivan, brother and synth player Colin Doroschuk and Jeremie Arrobas remaining a unit for the longest period. In 1980, Men Without Hats released their debut EP “Folk of the 80’s”, however the personnel changed drastically for the 1982 full-length release of “Rhythm of Youth”. Led by the track “I Like” it was the subsequent single “The Safety Dance” which catapulted the band to international recognition. The single spent three weeks at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also proved popular in the UK, New Zealand, and South Africa. The studio album earned a string of positive reviews, spawning the subsequent singles “I Got the Message” and “Living in China”.

Following the arrival of Ivan and Stefan's brother Colin Doroschuk, Men Without Hats issued their sophomore album “Folk of the 80’s” in 1984. The record proved popular in Canada but failed to achieve the success of its predecessor. The EP “Freeways” arrived in 1985 featuring remixes of earlier songs, and was supported by a small tour, which was documented on the DVD “Live Hats”. With a fresh lineup behind Ivan and Stefan including Lenny Pinkas, the band released “Pop Goes the World” in 1987, the title single of which reached No. 2 on the Canadian Single Chart and was later used in the 1987 film “Date with an Angel”.

The full-length “The Adventures of Women & Men Without Hate in the 21st Century”, featuring the ABBA cover “SOS”, was released in 1989 with little stir made. “Sideways” followed in 1991 and marked the group’s move away from new wave synth sounds towards the guitar dominated ‘90s. Following the release Men Without Hats disbanded in which time Ivan crafted the solo album “The Spell” issued in 1997. The band reformed in 2003 to release “No Hats Beyond This Point”, followed by a pair of compilation albums “My Hats Collection” in 2006 and “The Silver Collection” in 2008. Men Without Hats’ released their seventh studio album “Love in the Age of War” in 2012, 30 years after their debut record.