Mondo Boffo

Mondo Boffo was an American band that played a blend of New Wave music and ska/funk. The band was founded in 1981 by guitarist Brian McLane, keyboardist Jon Vercesi and drummer Josh Trachtman, who all went to Stuyvesant High School in New York City. Their main influence was the ska/soul outfit Urban Blight.

The band got its start playing on the local New York Rock scene at rock clubs such as CBGB's, The Ritz, and Trax. Bassist Kevin Callaghan joined the band in 1983. In 1985, Saxophonist Dave Stamm joined the band, and Josh Trachtman left, to be replaced by Drummer Geoff Green. The band signed with indie label Radical Records and their first single charted on several hundred College radio stations, and a good number of Commercial Stations as well. Their video "I Wanna Be A Marine" included a who's who of session musicians including Scorpio from Grandmaster Flash, The Uptown Horns, Tommy Mandel and others. The video was accepted by MTV for the last part of 1987 and was one of the few, and last, truly independent videos to make it into rotation.

After this highlight, the members went on to form other collaborations but the record is still in demand by collectors. Brian McLane went on to join Hagatha, The She's and Bad Hotel. He is the founder of iProgram. Jon Vercesi pursued a career in Academia, and teaches music in Pleasantville, NY. Josh "Booty T." Trachtman, after 20 successful years in the world of NYC restaurant management, is now a father and has returned to his roots as a free-lance audio engineer. Kevin Callaghan played for a brief time with Yes, and Dave Stamm went on to become a music industry executive, focusing on publishing.