Dave Nothing, "Spank the Vote" concert in Volunteer Park, 1992
Dawn Henschen (from the same show)
Matt Marti (from the same show)
Bone Cellar were a Seattle band in the 1990s fronted by guitarist/vocalist Dave Nothing (Dave Mortenson, a.k.a. Dave Ellis; he had acquired the name Dave Nothing because he was also a member of a band called Nothing). The original lineup also included Dave Keppel (guitar), Dawn Henschen (bass), and Matt Marti (drums), and released an album called Now That It's All Over.
Dawn Henschen left to for the all-woman trio Cat Food and was replaced by Adam Bratman on bass; Adam was later replaced by Dave Voss, who was also playing in Yab Yum at the time. Keppel, Marti, and Voss eventually formed The Delusions with Jim Roth (now — as of 2007 — in Built to Spill). Adam Bratman rejoined Bone Cellar, replacing Keppel on second guitar, with Doug DuBoff on bass. Shortly after recording a second record, Matt Marti quit. Andrew Linnemann, who was also in Yab Yum and is now in Blue Star Creeper, took over on drums. The main line-up for the second record Lost in the Light of Day was Dave Nothing on lead guitar & vocal, Matt Marti on drums, Adam Bratman on guitar, and Doug Duboff on bass. Voss and Keppel guested on a couple tracks each.
After that Mortenson changed the name of the band to the more upbeat Happy Stars, which was originally various combinations of the same people as Bone Cellar. Dave Mortenson briefly lived in Portland and currently resides in Los Angeles, where he has continued releasing music and playing shows as Happy Stars, now with Joe Skyward, formerly of The Posies, Sunny Day Real Estate, Sky Cries Mary and many other Seattle-based bands, and Brian Young, also formerly of The Posies. Dawn Henschen moved to Portland shortly after leaving Bone Cellar, where she played bass in Pope Worm and The Viles. She suffered and survived a massive ruptured brain aneurysm in 2002, and is not currently playing music. Dave Voss died in 2003. Keppel, Marti and Roth are still going with the Delusions.
External links[]
- Bone Cellar MySpace site
- The Delusions MySpace site
- Happy Stars MySpace site
Sources[]
Thanks to Kelly J. Blanchard of Blue Star Creeper for most of the information in this article, some of which was taken verbatim, with permission, from personal correspondence.