Fire Town

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title: "Fire Town" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rock-music-groups-from-wisconsin", "american-jangle-pop-groups", "musical-groups-established-in-1986", "musical-groups-disestablished-in-1989"] description: "1980s American rock band" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Town" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1980s American rock band ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

Field	Value
name	Fire Town
origin	Madison, Wisconsin, United States
genre	Garage pop, alternative country
years_active	1986–1989
label	Atlantic Records
spinoffs	Garbage
associated_acts	Spooner
Garbage
The Know-It All Boyfriends
current_members	Doug Erikson
Phil Davis
Tom LaVarda
Butch Vig
::

| name = Fire Town | image = | caption = | image_size = | origin = Madison, Wisconsin, United States | genre = Garage pop, alternative country | years_active = 1986–1989 | label = Atlantic Records | spinoffs = Garbage | associated_acts = Spooner Garbage The Know-It All Boyfriends | website = | current_members = Doug Erikson Phil Davis Tom LaVarda Butch Vig Fire Town was an American garage-rock band formed in the mid-1980s in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, from the remnants of an earlier popular local group, Spooner. Fire Town appeared on MTV's "Basement Tapes" show in 1986. Their video, "Carry The Torch", placed second losing to the Columbus, Ohio band Oswald and The Herringbones and their music video "Be By Yourself". Fire Town were signed to a major label and published two albums, In the Heart of the Heart Country and The Good Life. Fire Town separated in 1989 as the members' production commitments grew. Chris Heim of The Chicago Tribune rated The Good Life three stars.

Sharing duties on vocals and lead guitar were Doug Erikson and Phil Davis, Tom LaVarda on bass guitar, and Butch Vig on drums. Vig would later go on to become a notable rock producer; Erikson and Vig would later team up with Fire Town's audio engineer Steve Marker to form the multi-platinum selling Garbage in 1994.

Wounded Bird Records re-released both In the Heart of the Heart Country and The Good Life on CD in 2007.

Discography

Studio albums:

• In the Heart of the Heart Country (1987)
• The Good Life (1989)

Singles:

• "Carry the Torch" (1987)
• "Rain On You" (1988)
• "The Good Life" (1989)
• "She Reminds Me of You" (1989)
• "Where the Shadows Fall" (1989)

References

References

1. Sutton, Michael. "Fire Town - Biography and History".
2. (July 14, 2020). "Gone Digital: Fire Town, Red Kross, Denzil, Francis Dunnery, and The Wild Swans". [[Rhino Records.
3. Landaas Music. (April 23, 2023). "MTV Basement Tapes 1986 (Full Show)".
4. Oswald and The Herringbones. (November 10, 2010). "MTV Video Martha Quinn & Oswald and The Herringbones".
5. Heim, Chris. (April 6, 1989). "Fire Town - The Good Life, Star Star Star". [[Chicago Tribune]].
6. "Welcome to Spooner Town", by Andy Davis, ''[[Record Collector]]'', issue No. 209, January 1997
7. "Fire Town - In The Heart Of The Heart Country (2007, CD)".
8. "Fire Town - The Good Life (2007, CD)".

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