DA was an early entry into Chicago’s punk scene. The mostly female group differed from their contemporaries, sporting a moody art-punk sound instead of the more formulaic hardcore style that other Chicago bands like The Effegies and Naked Raygun were converging on at the time. The original band consisted of Lorna Donkey, Evelyn Marquis and Dawn Fisher, later joined by Gaylene Goudreau. The band issued one 7″ single, one 12″ EP, but called it a day in 1982. In 2010 a compilation album of their material was released.
Summary: Da! Was a Chicago postpunk band active from 1977 – 1982, with Lorna Donkey, Evelyn Marquis and Dawn Fisher. Their single and video for ‘Dark Rooms’ established them as mainstays of the art punk movement.
Tribal influenced postpunk formed in Chicago in 1980 by Tom Jonusaitis and Mark Panick. They released only one album and two 10” EPs – ‘Driving the Bats Thru Jerusalem’ is one of the best independent records, hands down. Despite their original theatricality, they went as far as they could go on local independent label Fever then dissolved. Mark Panick later formed industrial rock band Razorhouse.